Pope Leo XIII to Cardinal Guibert, Archbishop of Paris

Letter Epistola tua June 17, 1885

"By certain indications it is not difficult to conclude that among Catholics-doubtless as a result of current evils-there are some who, far from satisfied with the condition of 'subject' which is theirs in the Church, think themselves able to take some part in her government, or at least, think they are allowed to examine and judge after their own fashion the acts of authority. A misplaced opinion, certainly. If it were to prevail, it would do very grave harm to the Church of God, in which, by the manifest will of her Divine Founder, there are to be distinguished in the most absolute fashion two parties: the teaching and the taught, the Shepherd and the flock."

In so many things are we Catholics considered "fools in Christ", even though we speak the Truth. When confronted with endless throngs of lay theologians, it becomes eminently necessary to ask this all-important question: "Who is your bishop?"