An office or bureau of the Holy See, such as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Refers to the unique ministry of St. Peter as the Chief Apostle among the apostles. His successors as Bishop of Rome inherit his ministry to be the principle of unity among the bishops and thus for the whole Church and to guard and confirm the faith of his brother bishops and thus of the Church.
The legal weight and binding authority of the decisions of the Roman Curia comes from the will of the Supreme Pontiff. Canon 60 of the 198 Code of Canon Law states: The Supreme Pontiff conducts the business of the universal Church by means of the Roman Curia, which fulfills its duty in his name and by his authority.
The 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ considered as a group. Also, their successors, the bishops of the Catholic Church, considered as a group.
The arena of conscience, such as revealed to a confessor in the Sacrament of Penance, to a spiritual director or any other situation where there is an expectation of complete confidence from the clergy. The Church provides canonical sanctions for the violation of the internal Forum (automatic excommunication in the case of a priest revealing the contents of a confession identifiable with a particular penitent.) External Forum concerns matters of Church governance and of public record, marriage and its validity, for example.
A See is a seat of authority, from the Latin sede. Jesus said the Pharisees sat on the chair of Moses (Mt. 23:2f). Judges sit on a bench, representing the authority of the state. Professors hold chairs of academic authority. And in the Church bishops possess chairs of spiritual authority. Thus, a diocese is called a See. The Roman diocese has been called the Apostolic See from ancient times. It is the seat of authority of the chief Apostle Peter and where the Apostles Peter and Paul were martyred. It is the Holy See, since its bishop has Christ’s authority over holy things. These expressions apply not only to the Pope, but also to those who assist him in governing the universal Church. [Code of Canon Law c. 361]
