1.3. Who leads, governs, and protects the Catholic Church?
Christ governs His Church invisibly as its divine Head. Visibly, He appointed St. Peter as the first pope, giving him supreme authority:
“Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church... I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of Heaven…”
The successors of St. Peter — the popes — are the visible heads of the Church, safeguarding doctrine and governing discipline. Bishops in union with the pope assist in teaching, sanctifying, and governing the faithful. This hierarchical structure is divine in origin, not human.