Imagine that because of a huge earthquake the whole of the
world was destroyed except for our diocese of Southwark. If that happened,
would the Church still exist?
Yes. Not only would the Church still exist: it would exist with all its
characteristics, all its faith, all its sacramental life and all its means of
salvation.
‘But what about the Pope?’ I hear you asking.
Well, this Church in Southwark would be a complete Church nonetheless, whole and entire, even without a Pope. How come? Because the papacy exists in order to keep together all the local Churches (of which Southwark is one) and help their unity. Even without a pope, the diocese of Southwark would still be a local Church, the authentic, full Church of God centred around its bishop.
Surprised? If so, that is because over the last few centuries people have lost sight of exactly what a local Church is.
A local church is the Church of God in one place, one group of people living in a particular place, one human community, one part of the world with its particular history, its culture, its problems, its joys, its sufferings and its virtues. It is the presence and the instrument of God’s salvation for the people in a particular locality.
In our case, that locality is Southwark and we, as parishioners living in that diocese, are part of the local Church, the people of God in Southwark.
Note that the word ‘building’ doesn’t come into it: we are the Church even without bricks and mortar. And our primary task, the most important job for each and every one of us, is to spread the good news of the Gospel, not least by trying to live it wholeheartedly in our daily lives as an example to others.
In order to help us do that as a local Church, Southwark diocese has a certain structure and a hierarchy, that is a group of clergy which gives spiritual care to the faithful.
There are 22 diocese in England and Wales, headed by the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor. Within a diocese you will find deaneries. A deanery is a group of parishes sharing similar pastoral issues, with one of its priests appointed as Dean to support its clergy. Our deanery of Croydon consists of 13 parishes: Canon James Pannett is our Dean.
Each diocese is under the authority of a bishop. Appointed by the Pope, a bishop is a successor of the Apostles and the highest order of the threefold ordained ministry. (Priests and deacons are the other two ordained ministries.) In the bishop is vested the fullness of Christ’s priesthood with the power and authority to administer all of the sacraments.
The bishop is also known as the local ordinary. That is a term used in Canon Law (the name given to the official body of laws for the Catholic Church) to describe a person placed in authority over a particular church.
Bishops the world over are in union with the successor to St Peter in the college of bishops. At intervals they come together with the Pope to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in directing the universal Church. A cardinal is one of a select group of bishops who act as primary advisers to the pope, with one of their duties being to elect a new pope when necessary.
Diocese are grouped together in provinces, with the primary one being an archdiocese. Our province includes Arundel & Brighton, Portsmouth and Plymouth. Southwark is this province’s primary diocese, hence our having an Archbishop (Michael Bowen). Because it covers such a large area, we also have three Auxiliaries, Bishop Howard Tripp, who looks after this part of Southwark; Bishop John Hine and Bishop Charles Henderson, who is semi retired.
Also assisting the bishop is a small group of priests with special responsibilities – each is addressed as monsignor; as well as a number of canons who have taken on particular tasks within the diocese.
Put all of those together with the laity (all those baptized faithful who are not in Holy Orders) and you have the people of God – the local Church.
Deacon Philip