Q. 488. {114} Which are the means instituted by Our Lord to enable men at all times to share in the fruits of the Redemption?  A. The means instituted by Our Lord to enable men at all times to share in the fruits of His Redemption are the Church and the Sacraments.

Q. 489. {115} What is the Church?  A. The Church is the congregation of all those who profess the faith of Christ, partake of the same Sacraments, and are governed by their lawful pastors under one visible Head.

Q. 490.  How may the members of the Church on earth be divided?  A. The members of the Church on earth may be divided into those who teach and those who are taught.  Those who teach, namely, the Pope, bishops and priests, are called the Teaching Church, or simply the Church.  Those who are taught are called the Believing Church, or simply the faithful.

Q. 491.  What is the duty of the Teaching Church?  A. The duty of the Teaching Church is to continue the work Our Lord began upon earth, namely, to teach revealed truth, to administer the Sacraments and to labor for the salvation of souls.

Q. 492.  What is the duty of the faithful?  A. The duty of the faithful is to learn the revealed truths taught; to receive the Sacraments, and to aid in saving souls by their prayers, good works and alms.

Q. 493.  What do you mean by “profess the faith of Christ”?  A. By “profess the faith of Christ” we mean, believe all the truths and practice the religion He has taught.

Q. 494.  What do we mean by “lawful pastors”?  A. By “lawful pastors” we mean those in the Church who have been appointed by lawful authority and who have, therefore, a right to rule us.  The lawful pastors in the Church are:  Every priest in his own parish; every bishop in his own diocese, and the Pope in the whole Church.

Q. 495. {116} Who is the invisible Head of the Church? 
A. Jesus Christ is the invisible Head of the Church.

Q. 496. {117} Who is the visible Head of the Church?  A. Our Holy Father the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, is the Vicar of Christ on earth and the visible Head of the Church.

Q. 497.  What does “vicar” mean?  A. Vicar is a name used in the Church to designate a person who acts in the name and authority of another.  Thus a Vicar Apostolic is one who acts in the name of the Pope, and a Vicar General is one who acts in the name of the bishop.

Q. 498.  Could any one be Pope without being Bishop of Rome?  A. One could not be Pope without being Bishop of Rome, and whoever is elected Pope must give up his title to any other diocese and take the title of Bishop of Rome.

Q. 499. {118} Why is the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, the visible Head of the Church?  A. The Pope, the Bishop of Rome, is the visible Head of the Church because he is the successor of St. Peter, whom Christ made the chief of the Apostles and the visible Head of the Church.

Q. 500.  Why are Catholics called “Roman”?  A. Catholics are called Roman to show that they are in union with the true Church founded by Christ and governed by the Apostles under the direction of St. Peter, by divine appointment the Chief of the Apostles, who founded the Church of Rome and was its first bishop.