RCIA Session 10 – Authority in the Church – Teaching, Governing and Sanctifying

Authority in the Church — Teaching, Governing, and Sanctifying

RCIA – Week 10
This session forms part of a structured introduction to the Catholic Faith used in parish RCIA. It is intended to be read slowly and prayerfully, alongside participation in the life of the Church. This material is offered for formation and reflection. Reception into the Catholic Church always involves personal discernment and parish accompaniment.

Aim of this session

By the end of this session, participants should understand that:

  • authority in the Church comes from Christ, not from the community
  • this authority has a clear purpose and structure
  • teaching, governing, and sanctifying belong together
  • without authority the Church cannot preserve truth or unity
  • obedience in the Church is ordered to truth, not control

This session asks:

Where does authority in the Church come from, and why does it exist?

1. Authority Is Unavoidable

Every community that lasts must have authority.

Without authority:

  • teaching fragments
  • disputes remain unresolved
  • unity collapses

Authority is not opposed to freedom.
It makes common life possible.

The question is not whether authority exists, but:

Who possesses it, and by what right?

2. Authority Comes from Christ

The Church teaches that:

  • all authority in the Church comes from Jesus Christ
  • it is not created by agreement or election

Christ:

  • taught with authority
  • delegated authority
  • promised divine assistance

This authority did not end with His earthly life.
It continues in the Church He founded.

Penny Catechism

Q. From whom does the Church receive her authority?
A. The Church receives her authority from Jesus Christ.

3. The Threefold Authority of the Church

Authority in the Church is not vague or undefined.

It has three distinct but united functions:

Teaching — preserving and proclaiming revealed truth

Governing — ordering the life of the Church

Sanctifying — administering the means of grace

These are not separate powers.
They belong together.

A Church that teaches without sanctifying becomes theoretical.
A Church that sanctifies without teaching becomes confused.
A Church that governs without truth becomes oppressive.

4. Authority to Teach

The Church has authority to teach because:

  • revelation must be preserved accurately
  • truth must be protected from distortion

This authority ensures that:

  • doctrine does not change according to opinion
  • essential truths are not lost
  • unity of belief is maintained

The Church does not invent doctrine.
She hands on what she has received.

Penny Catechism

Q. Why has the Church authority to teach?
A. The Church has authority to teach because Jesus Christ commanded her to teach all nations.

5. Authority to Govern

The Church has authority to govern because:

  • order is necessary for unity
  • discipline protects the common good

This includes:

  • regulating worship
  • setting moral discipline
  • judging disputes

Governance exists to serve salvation, not convenience.

Without governance:

  • chaos replaces unity
  • authority shifts to the loudest voices

6. Authority to Sanctify

The Church has authority to sanctify because:

  • Christ entrusted the sacraments to her
  • grace is not self-administered

Through the Church:

  • sins are forgiven
  • souls are strengthened
  • holiness is made possible

This authority is exercised through:

  • ordained ministers
  • sacramental rites
  • public worship

Penny Catechism

Q. How does the Church sanctify her members?
A. The Church sanctifies her members chiefly by means of the sacraments.

7. Authority and Obedience

Obedience in the Church is often misunderstood.

Obedience is not:

  • blind submission
  • surrender of conscience
  • unquestioning compliance

Obedience is:

a reasonable response to lawful authority ordered to truth.

Obedience protects believers from:

  • private error
  • instability
  • isolation

True obedience presupposes truth.

8. Common Objections Addressed

“Doesn’t authority suppress freedom?”

Freedom without truth becomes confusion.

“What about abuses of authority?”

Abuse does not invalidate authority.
It calls for correction, not rejection.

“Can’t conscience override authority?”

Conscience must be formed by truth, not preference.

9. What Is Being Asked of You Now

At this stage, you are not asked to:

  • understand every structure
  • agree with every discipline

You are asked to consider this:

If Christ gave authority to His Church, do I trust Him enough to accept it?

That question prepares the way forward.

10. Questions for the Week

Reflect quietly during the week:

  • Where do I believe authority should come from?
  • Do I see authority as protection or threat?
  • How do truth and obedience relate in my life?

11. Closing Summary

Authority in the Church is not human invention.

It comes from Christ.
It serves truth.
It safeguards unity.
It makes holiness possible.

Next week we will ask:

Who holds supreme authority in the Church — and why?

Optional Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,
You did not leave us without guidance.
Give us trust in the authority You established,
and humility to receive truth through it.
Amen.