As the Apostles, with the exception of St. Peter, were all equal, so also were the bishops among themselves. But it was found at an early date that some further organisation was needed, and neighbouring bishops were grouped together under the authority, generally, of the bishop of the metropolitan town. The organi sation of the Church has always, for obvious reasons of con venience, tended to follow to a considerable extent the secular arrangements of the locality. The earliest time at which we can get any clear idea of the organisation of the period is that of the Council of Nicaea, A.D. 325, the sixth Canon of which runs as follows : "Let the ancient custom continue in force which subsists in Egypt, Libya and Pentapolis, by which the bishop of Alexandria possesses authority over all these, since the like custom subsists also with the Roman bishop. In like manner also their privileges should be preserved to the churches, as to Antioch and the other provinces." The Council does not create but recognises these privileges which it says were already ancient, but it justifies this exercise of authority by one bishop over an other by referring it to the example of the primacy of the Roman See. In these earlier times the bishops of the three great Sees of Rome, Alexandria and Antioch were regarded as all sharing in the Petrine prerogative, Alexandria as having been founded by St. Mark, acting as the direct representative of St. Peter ; Antioch as having been actually the temporary seat of his authority. While Rome was always held as the immediate superior of both Alexandria and Antioch it was through the Bishops of these places and not directly that Roman authority was at first exer cised in the East. These three bishops were at the head of the Hierarchy of the Church and later on were given the title of "Patriarch." The bishop of Rome, who as head of the whole Church acquired later on the exclusive title of "Pope," was also the sole Patriarch of the West, while Alexandria and Antioch governed most of the East. In the 5th century two other bishops attained to the Patriarchal rank, Constantinople as being the seat of the empire and civil capital of the world, and Jerusalem as the cradle of the Church. Under these was a complicated and ever varying system of jurisdictions of exarchs, metropolitans and archbishops. To trace the historical changes of these jurisdictions would be quite beyond the possibilities of such an article as this, but the principle by which alone the whole system of subordina tion of one bishop to another can be, justified in view of the essential equality of all, can only be found in the special grant by our Lord of the Primacy to St. Peter and the delegation of some share in that primacy to the rest of the Hierarchy.
This principle, which as we have seen was recognized even at Nicaea, is nowadays symbolized and expressed by the practice of sending the "Pallium" by the pope to every archbishop in possession of jurisdiction. The Pallium comes from the tomb of St. Peter, where a supply is kept in readiness, and symbolises and conveys such share in the Petrine primacy as belongs to the particular office. Till an archbishop has received his Pallium from the pope, he cannot exercise any archiepiscopal jurisdiction, though he is possessed as soon as he is fully appointed of all the juris diction which belongs to him as bishop of his own diocese. At the present time the number of Catholics in the world is roughly estimated at 300,000,000, all and each of whom are immediately subject to the Pope as the Universal Shepherd (John xxi., 15-17)
and who are also governed by some 1,500 archbishops and bishops, each in his own diocese.
I. The Primacy.—As the pope has the care of the whole Church, that is of many million Catholics spread throughout the world, there is need for an extensive and detailed organisation at Rome adequate to cope with the varied questions that arise. This organisation is called the Curia. (See the special article CURIA ROMANA for details.) i. Cardinals.—At the head of the Curia is the College of Cardinals, numbering 7o in all when the College is complete, who form the supreme Senate of the Church and the immediate advisers of the Pope. Historically they are the occupants of the six "suburban" sees, known as cardinal bishops ; the incumbents of the principal parishes of Rome, known as cardinal priests; and seven who are the successors of the seven deacons who were responsible in early times for the more secular details of adminis tration, and who are known as cardinal deacons. But these ranks are distinct from the orders of the Church and the cardinal priests are always bishops; about half of their number being the occupants of various important sees and non-resident in Rome ; while the cardinal deacons are nowadays always priests.
3. Sacramental Discipline; dealing with legislation concerning the Sacraments and questions as to their validity; especially the validity of marriages and ordinations.
4. The Council; dealing with matters connected with the sum moning and management of councils ; regulations as to parish priests, benefices and ecclesiastical property. It also deals with dispensations other than those from religious.
5. Affairs of Religious; dealing with all disputes between bishops and religious orders. Also it grants dispensations to religious, and deals with their internal disputes.
6. de Propaganda Fide. This is the great missionary organiza tion of the Church. It has jurisdiction over all missionary countries, even over some where episcopal hierarchies have already been established.
iv. Offices.—The ordinary and routine business of the Church is carried on by the Offices. These have not now very great im portance. They are : (I) The Chancery, which sends out those important papal communications known as "Bulls." This is nowadays al most its sole duty.