The Teaching Authority of the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church stands as both a visible communion and a living voice of Christ's authority in the world. This authority did not disappear when Jesus ascended into heaven; rather, it was shared and entrusted to the apostles, and through them, to their successors. When Jesus gave the Twelve power over unclean spirits and instructed them to heal and teach, he was not merely granting them abilities, but embedding within them the mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God with divine authority (Matt. 10:1, 5–7). Jesus even underscored this when he said, “He who hears you hears me” (Luke 10:16). This foundational act established a Church not of human invention, but of divine institution, through which Christ continues to speak, teach, and govern.

For Catholics, this means faith is not an individual, isolated experience, but a relationship within the living Body of Christ, guided by those appointed to teach in his name. Saint Bonaventure, the great Franciscan theologian, affirmed this divine order when he taught that the Church is guided by both Scripture and the illumination of the Holy Spirit, transmitted through apostolic succession. Bonaventure emphasized that authentic understanding of Scripture flows not from private interpretation alone, but through communion with the Church, which “received the authority from Christ to judge infallibly on matters of faith.” Thus, the Magisterium—the teaching office of the Church—is not a human power grab, but a gift from Christ to ensure the faithful transmission of truth.

This is why Catholics are often described as “people of the Book”—because we deeply revere Sacred Scripture as the inspired Word of God. But we are also people of Tradition, because Scripture itself arose from and was entrusted to the apostolic Church before it was ever written down. The same Holy Spirit who inspired the Scriptures also safeguards the Church's teaching authority. As Saint Bonaventure wrote, divine truth is “impressed upon the hearts of the faithful” by both the written Word and the living voice of the Church. Sacred Tradition, then, is not an addition to Scripture, but its faithful unfolding, handed down from generation to generation under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Ultimately, the Church’s authority to teach and govern is not a limitation on freedom but a path to truth and communion. Christ himself is the Truth (John 14:6), and he willed to remain present in the world through his Church, which is the “pillar and bulwark of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). In a world awash with conflicting voices and interpretations, the Catholic Church offers the consistent, Spirit-led voice of Christ through Scripture and Tradition. By remaining in union with this voice, Catholics walk not only with the Book but with the living Word made flesh, who speaks through his Body, the Church. Would you like me to provide a graphic or diagram to accompany this post?