Q. 985. How do the pastors of the Church rank according to authority? A. The pastors of the Church rank according to authority as follows: (1) Priests, who govern parishes or congregations in the name of their bishop; (2) Bishops, who rule over a number of parishes or a diocese; (3) Archbishops, who have authority over a number of dioceses or a province; (4) Primates, who have authority over the ecclesiastical or Church provinces of a nation; (5) Patriarchs, who have authority over a whole country; and last and highest, the Pope, who rules the Church throughout the world. Q. 986. How do the prelates or higher officers of the Church rank in dignity? A. The prelates or higher officers of the Church rank in dignity as they rank in authority, except that in dignity Cardinals are next to the Pope, and Vicars Apostolic, Monsignori, and others having titles follow bishops. Papal delegates and those specially appointed by the Pope rank according to the powers he has given them. Q. 987. Who are Cardinals, what are their duties and how are they divided? A. Cardinals are the members of the Supreme Council or Senate of the Church. Their duties are to advise and aid the Pope in the government of the Church, and to elect a new Pope when the reigning Pope dies. They are divided into committees called sacred congregations, each having, its special work to perform. All these congregations taken together are called the Sacred College of Cardinals, of which the whole number is seventy. Q. 988. Who is a Monsignor? A. A Monsignor is a worthy priest upon whom the Pope confers this title as a mark of esteem. It gives certain privileges and the right to wear purple like a bishop. Q. 989. Who is a Vicar-General? A. A Vicar-General is one who is appointed by the bishop to aid him in the government of his diocese. He shares the bishop's power and in the bishop's absence he acts for the bishop and with his authority. Q. 990. Who is an Abbot? A. An Abbot is one who exercises over a religious community of men authority similar in many things to that exercised by a bishop over his diocese. He has also certain privileges usually granted to bishops. Q. 991. What is the pallium? A. The pallium is a white woolen vestment worn by the Pope and sent by him to patriarchs, primates and archbishops. It is the symbol of the fullness of pastoral power, and reminds the wearer of the Good Shepherd, whose example he must follow. Q. 992. {279} What is necessary to receive Holy Orders worthily? A. To receive Holy Orders worthily it is necessary to be in the state of grace, to have the necessary knowledge and a divine call to this sacred office.