කතෝලික සභාවේ ධුරාවලිය

**කතෝලික සභාවේ ධුරාවලිය** රදගුරුවරුන්, පූජකවරුන් සහ උපස්ථායකයන් ගෙන් සමන්විත වේ. In the ecclesiological sense of the term, "hierarchy" strictly means the "holy ordering" of the church, the Body of Christ, so to respect the diversity of gifts and ministries necessary for genuine unity.

In canonical and general usage, it refers to those who exercise authority within a Christian church. In the Catholic Church, authority rests chiefly with bishops, while priests and deacons serve as their assistants, co-workers or helpers. Accordingly, "hierarchy of the Catholic Church" is also used to refer to the bishops alone. The term "pope" was still used loosely until the sixth century, being at times assumed by other bishops. The term "hierarchy" became popular only in the sixth century, due to the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius.

As of 31 December 2020, the Catholic Church consisted of 2,903 dioceses or equivalent jurisdictions, each overseen by a bishop. Dioceses are divided into individual communities called parishes, each staffed by one or more priests, deacons, or lay ecclesial ministers. Ordinarily, care of a parish is entrusted to a priest, though there are exceptions. Approximately 19.3% of all parishes do not have a resident pastor, and 1,948 parishes worldwide are entrusted to a deacon or lay ecclesial minister.

All clergy, including deacons, priests, and bishops, may preach, teach, baptize, witness marriages, and conduct funeral liturgies. Only priests and bishops can celebrate the sacraments of the Eucharist (though others may be ministers of Holy Communion), Penance (Reconciliation, Confession), Confirmation (priests may administer this sacrament with prior ecclesiastical approval), and Anointing of the Sick. Only bishops can administer the sacrament of Holy Orders, by which men are ordained as bishops, priests or deacons.

## රදගුරුවරුන්
The bishops, who possess the fullness of orders, and therefore the fullness of both priesthood and diaconate, are as a body (the College of Bishops) considered the successors of the Apostles and are "constituted Pastors in the Church, to be the teachers of doctrine, the priests of sacred worship and the ministers of governance" and "represent the Church." In 2012, there were 5,133 Catholic bishops; at the end of 2021, there were 5,340 Catholic bishops. The Pope himself is a bishop (the bishop of Rome) and traditionally uses the title "Venerable Brother" when writing formally to another bishop.

### පාප්වහන්සේ (රෝමයේ රදගුරු) 
, bishop of Rome since 2013|left]]

The pope is the bishop of Rome. He is also, by virtue of that office:

#### Offices and titles
"Pope" is a pronominal honorific, not an office or a title, meaning "Father" (the common honorific for all clergy). The honorific "pope" was from the early 3rd century used for any bishop in the West, and is known in Greek as far back as Homer's *Odyssey* (6:57). In the East, "pope" is still a common form of address for clergy in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, and is the style of the bishop of Alexandria. Pope Marcellinus (died 304) is the first Bishop of Rome shown in sources to have had the title "pope" used of him. From the 6th century, the imperial chancery of Constantinople normally reserved this designation for the Bishop of Rome. From the early 6th century, it began to be confined in the West to the Bishop of Rome, a practice that was firmly in place by the 11th century, when Pope Gregory VII declared it reserved for the Bishop of Rome. 

#### Election
The present rules governing the election of a pope are found in the apostolic constitution *Universi Dominici Gregis*. This deals with the powers, from the death of a pope to the announcement of his successor's election, of the cardinals and the departments of the Roman curia; with the funeral arrangements for the dead pope; and with the place, time and manner of voting of the meeting of the cardinal electors, a meeting known as a conclave. This word is derived from Latin *com-* (together) and *clavis* (key) and refers to the locking away of the participants from outside influences, a measure that was introduced first as a means instead of forcing them to reach a decision.

### Eastern patriarchs
The heads of some autonomous (in Latin, *sui iuris*) particular churches consisting of several local churches (dioceses) have the title of Patriarch.

The pope, as patriarch of the Latin Church, is the head of the only sui iuris Church in the West, leading to the title Patriarch of the West. Eastern patriarchs are elected by the synod of bishops of their particular church.

The patriarchs who head autonomous particular churches are:
*The Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria (Coptic Catholic Church)
*The Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch (Melkite Greek Catholic Church)
*The Maronite Patriarch of Antioch (Maronite Church)
*The Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch (Syriac Catholic Church)
*The Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Babylonia (Chaldean Catholic Church)
*The Armenian Catholic Patriarch of Cilicia (Armenian Catholic Church)

These have authority not only over the bishops of their particular church, including metropolitans, but also directly over all the faithful. Eastern Catholic patriarchs have precedence over all other bishops, with the exceptions laid down by the Pope. The honorary title prefixed to their names is "His Beatitude".

### ප්රධාන අගරදගුරුවරු
, the Major Archbishop of Kyiv–Galicia since 2011]]
Other autonomous particular churches are headed by a major archbishop. 

At present, there are four major archbishops:

### ලතින් කුලදෙටුවන්
There are also titular patriarchs in the Latin Church, who, for various historical reasons, were granted the title, but never the corresponding office and responsibilities, of "patriarch".

### කාදිනල්වරු
Cardinals are princes of the church appointed by the Pope. He generally chooses bishops who head departments of the Roman Curia or important episcopal sees throughout the world. As a whole, the cardinals compose a College of Cardinals which advises the Pope, and those cardinals under the age of 80 at the death or resignation of a Pope elect his successor. Their heraldic achievement is surmounted by the red galero and tassels as a form of martyred position in the church.

Not all cardinals are bishops. Domenico Bartolucci, Karl Josef Becker, Roberto Tucci and Albert Vanhoye are examples of 21st-century non-bishop cardinals. The 1917 Code of Canon Law introduced the requirement that a cardinal must be at least a priest. Previously, they need only be in minor orders and not even deacons. Teodolfo Mertel, who died in 1899, was the last non-priest cardinal. In 1962, Pope John XXIII made it a rule that a man who has been nominated a cardinal is required to be consecrated a bishop, if not one already, but some ask for and obtain dispensation from this requirement. It is rare that the Pope will appoint Cardinals who are priests only and not consecrated as a bishop.

### අග්‍රධරයන්
The Latin Church title of primate has in some countries been granted to the bishop of a particular (usually metropolitan) see. It once involved authority over all the other sees in the country or region, but now only gives a "prerogative of honor" with no power of governance unless an exception is made in certain matters by a privilege granted by the Holy See or by an approved custom. The title is usually assigned to the ordinary of the first diocese or the oldest archdiocese in the country. He also has the power to name a diocesan administrator for a vacant suffragan see if the diocesan council of consultors fails to properly elect one. His diocesan tribunal additionally serves by default as the ecclesiastical court of appeal for suffragans (court of second instance), and the metropolitan has the option of judging those appeals personally.

### අගරදගුරුවරු
The title of *archbishop* is held not only by bishops who head metropolitan sees, but also by those who head archdioceses that are not metropolitan sees (most of these are in Europe and the Levant). In addition, it is held by certain other bishops, referred to as "Titular Archbishops" (see "Other Bishops" below) who have been given no-longer-residential archdioceses as their titular sees—many of these in administrative or diplomatic posts, for instance as papal nuncios or secretaries of curial congregations. The bishop of a non-archiepiscopal see may be given the personal title of archbishop without also elevating his see (such a bishop is known as an archbishop *ad personam*), though this practice has seen significantly reduced usage since the Second Vatican Council.

### Diocesan bishops
The bishop or eparch of a see, even if he does not also hold a title such as archbishop, metropolitan, major archbishop, patriarch or pope, is the centre of unity for his diocese or eparchy, and, as a member of the College of Bishops, shares in responsibility for governance of the whole church (cf. *Catechism of the Catholic Church*, 886).

Within the Catholic Church the following posts have similarities to that of a diocesan bishop, but are not necessarily held by a bishop.

### වෙනත් රදගුරුවරු
A diocesan bishop may have bishops who assist in his ministry. The coadjutor bishop of a see has the right of succession on the death or resignation of the diocesan bishop, and, if the see is an archdiocese, holds the title of archbishop. Similarly, a retired diocesan bishop keeps his connection with the see to which he was appointed, and is known as bishop (or archbishop) emeritus of that see. On the other hand, an auxiliary bishop, who may also hold posts such as vicar general or episcopal vicar, is appointed bishop of a titular see, a see that in the course of history has ceased to exist as an actual jurisdictional unit.

Important titles or functions usually, but not necessarily, held by (arch)bishops who are not in charge of a diocese or an equivalent community include those of Apostolic Delegate, Apostolic Nuncio, Papal Legate, Patriarchal Vicar, Pontifical Delegate.

## සාමාන්‍ය සහ ප්‍රාදේශීය සාමාන්‍ය ජනතාව
Local ordinaries are placed over or exercise ordinary executive power in particular churches or equivalent communities.
*The Supreme Pontiff (the Pope) is a local ordinary for the whole Catholic Church.
*In Eastern Catholic Churches, Patriarchs, major archbishops, and metropolitans have ordinary power of governance for the whole territory of their respective autonomous particular churches.
*Diocesan bishops and eparchial eparchs
*Other prelates who head, even if only temporarily, a particular church or a community equivalent to it (see above)
*Vicars general and protosyncelli
:
*Episcopal vicars and syncelli
:

Major superiors of religious institutes (including abbots) and of societies of apostolic life are ordinaries of their respective memberships, but not local ordinaries.

## Presbyterate
### In general
Bishops are assisted by priests and deacons. All priests and deacons are incardinated in a diocese or religious order. Parishes, whether territorial or person-based, within a diocese are normally in the charge of a priest, known as the parish priest or the pastor. A diocesan bishop can also appoint one or more episcopal vicars for the diocese. They have the same ordinary power as a vicar general, however, it is limited to a specified division of the diocese, to a specific type of activity, to the faithful of a particular rite, or to certain groups of people. Vicars general and episcopal vicars must be priests or bishops. In the Eastern Catholic Churches, they are called protosyncelli and syncelli (canon 191 of the *Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches*).

### Vicars forane or deans
"The Vicar Forane known also as the Dean or the Archpriest or by some other title, is the priest who is placed in charge of a vicariate forane" (canon 553 of the 1983 *Code of Canon Law*), namely of a group of parishes within a diocese. Unlike a regional Episcopal vicar, a vicar forane acts as a help for the parish priests and other priests in the vicariate forane, rather than as an intermediate authority between them and the diocesan bishop.

### Parish priest/pastor
This section concerns the priest who in the 1983 Code of Canon Law is referred to by the term *parochus*, which in some English-speaking countries is rendered as "the parish priest", in others as "the pastor". The English term "pastor" is also used in a more generic sense corresponding instead to the Latin term *pastor*:

### Assistant priests/parochial vicars
The parish priest/pastor may be assisted by one or more other priests:

Whenever it is necessary or opportune for the due pastoral care of the parish, one or more assistant priests can be joined with the parish priest. As cooperators with the parish priest and sharers in his concern, they are, by common counsel and effort with the parish priest and under his authority, to labour in the pastoral ministry
:—canon 545 of the 1983 *Code of Canon Law* in the English translation by the Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland, assisted by the Canon Law Society of Australia and New Zealand and the Canadian Canon Law Society

### Honorary titles
The honorary title of *monsignor* is conferred by the Pope upon diocesan priests (not members of religious institutes) in the service of the Holy See, and may be granted by him also to other diocesan priests at the request of the priest's bishop. The priest so honored is considered to be a member of the papal household. The title goes with any of the following three awards:

* *Chaplain of His Holiness* (called *Papal Chamberlain* until a 1969 reform), the lowest level, distinguished by purple buttons and trim on the black cassock, with a purple sash.
* *Honorary Prelate* (until 1969 called *Domestic Prelate*), the middle level, distinguished by red buttons and trim on the black cassock, with a purple sash, and by choir dress that includes a purple cassock.
* *Protonotary Apostolic*, the highest level, with the same dress as that of an Honorary Prelate, except that the non-obligatory purple silk cape known as a ferraiolo may also be worn.

In December 2013, Pope Francis decided to make future grants of the title of *Monsignor* to priests not in the service of the Holy See only in the rank of Chaplain of His Holiness and only to priests aged 65 or over.

## Diaconate
Deacons are ordained ministers of the church who are co-workers with the bishop alongside presbyters, but are intended to focus on the ministries of direct service and outreach to the poor and needy, rather than pastoral leadership. They are usually related to a parish, where they have a liturgical function as the ordinary minister of the Gospel and the Prayers of the Faithful. They may preach homilies, and in the Roman Rite may preside at non-Eucharistic liturgies such as baptisms, weddings, funerals, and adoration/benediction. In the Eastern Catholic Churches, in the absence of a priest, deacons do not vest and may only lead services as a reader, never presiding at weddings or funerals.

## ගිහියන්
Most Catholics are laity, a term derived from Greek λαὸς Θεοῦ (*Laòs Theoû*), meaning "people of God". All Christian faithful have the right and duty to bring the gospel message increasingly to "all people in every age and every land". They all have a share in the church's mission and have the right to undertake apostolic activity according to their own state and condition.

## Religious
Religious—who can be either lay people or clergy—are members of religious institutes, societies in which the members take public vows and live a fraternal life in common. This is a form of consecrated life distinct from other forms, such as that of secular institutes. It is distinct also from forms that do not involve membership of an institute, such as that of consecrated hermits, that of consecrated virgins, and other forms whose approval is reserved to the Holy See.

## See also 
* එංගලන්ත සභාව
* නි.ම.නි
* කතෝලික සභාව

## References
## External links
*Directory of officials
**Catholic-Hierarchy.org. This is an online database of bishops and dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church. It contains geographical, organizational and address information on each Catholic diocese in the world, including Eastern Catholic Churches in communion with the Holy See, such as the Maronite Catholic Church or the Syro-Malabar Church. It also gives biographical information on current and previous bishops of each diocese, such as dates of birth, ordinations and (when applicable) death. Not officially sanctioned by the church, the website is run as a private project by David M. Cheney in Kansas City. For the sources used by Cheney in his compilation, see http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/sources.html. [[Wikipedia:Verifiability#Reliable sources|]]
**GCatholic.org
*Explanations of the hierarchy
**Book II: The People of God Liber II. De Populo Dei, Part II: The Hierarchical Constitution from the *Code of Canon Law* on the Holy See official website
***Catholic Encyclopedia* "hierarchy" article
*** Barry, Rev. Msgr. John F (2001). *One Faith, One Lord: A Study of Basic Catholic Belief.* Gerard F. Baumbach, Ed.D. .