THE EXERCISE OF TEACHING POWER AND ITS CANONICAL BASES
THE EXERCISE OF TEACHING POWER AND ITS CANONICAL BASES

Summary/Abstract: Since the participation of the two constituent elements of the Church, clergy and laity, in the administration of her teaching power, through acts of preaching, spreading, defending the Christian faith, formulating the truths of faith, etc., has both a scriptural and a canonical basis, in the pages of this canonical study we have examined both texts, to which we have given the necessary doctrinal clarifications. In order to show the canonical basis for the exercise of this teaching power, I have referred to the text of some canons (apostolic, ecumenical and local), which I have explained taking into account the canonical doctrine of the Eastern Church, which also confirms that the power of the Church comes from its Founder, that is, from our Lord Jesus Christ, and has been transmitted through His Holy Apostles and their successors, that is, through the bishops of the Ecumenical Orthodox Church (Universal/Catholic). According to this canonical doctrine, only the bishops of the Church are the "de jure" administrators of this power. Priests and laity can and do carry out acts of administration of ecclesiastical power, including teaching power, but only with the approval of the local hierarch, and within the limits of the power they have received through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism or through the Holy Sacrament of Ordination, as both the texts of the holy canons and the commentaries of some reputed canonists of ecumenical Orthodoxy show.

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