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 religious who have been formed as such and who were ordained according to the priestly service as established by the canonical norm.
It is up to the clergy corresponding to the Catholic Church to spread the word of God, either in the offices they perform, such as Mass, as well as in the evangelistic 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 proposed by the Catholic Church, 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 are followed by the archbishops, bishops and priests.
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 having sexual relations, this is one of the main commitments, and also one of those 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 abuse sexual.
In times past, more precisely during the call Old Regime, where the monarchical system of government prevailed, 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 considerable influence, being certainly capable of influencing the king's decisions.
At present, the clergy are no longer considered as a social establishment, however, we must emphasize that the Catholic Church enjoys a notable influence on the social and political plane of the communities, especially for the actions they develop in pursuit of the common good and also as comptroller of government actions that do not adhere to the precepts of the Church, becoming strong critics of power, in some cases.
