Concept in Definition ABC

The concept of clergy is used in our language to designate that class that is composed of priests of the Catholic Church and we also use it to name the set of the religious who have been formed as such and who were ordained according to the priestly service as established the rule canonical.

It is up to the clergy corresponding to the Catholic Church to spread the word of God, either in the offices that performs, such as the mass, as well as in the evangelizing acts that can be carried out outside the church. Other typical actions of the clergy are teaching the word of God where it corresponds, practicing the sacraments that the Catholic Church proposes, such as baptism, confirmation, marriage, among others.

There is a hierarchy Within this class, at the peak of power is the Pope, the highest authority of the Catholic Church and who decides the guidelines that it should follow, then and in order of importance the archbishops, bishops and priests follow.

It is worth noting that among all the commitments that the clergy assume when their entry into the Church is formalized, that of celibacy stands out, that is, priests refrain from maintaining sexual relations, this is one of the main commitments, and also one of the most criticized by those who speak out against the Church or the practice in particular because they consider that it contributes to the development of repression in clerics that can lead to totally reprehensible and inappropriate behavior in the matter, such as the

In times past, more precisely during the call Old Regime, where the system of government monarchist, the clergy knew how to be, together with the nobility, one of the most important and privileged estates. Not only did they enjoy economic benefits, but also politically they displayed a remarkable influence, being certainly capable of influencing the king's decisions.

At present the clergy are no longer considered as a social class, however, we must emphasize that the Catholic Church enjoys a remarkable influence in the social and political plane of the communities, especially by the actions they develop in pursuit of the common good and also as control of government actions that do not adhere to the precepts of the Church, becoming strong critics of power, in some cases.