Before the second Vatican Council, Catholic clergy had seven grades: first-class priest, second-class chanting, third-class exorcism, fourth-class auxiliary sacrifice, fifth-class auxiliary sacrifice, sixth-class deacon and seventh-class priest. Priests include priests and bishops. The first four names are sketches, unofficial clergy, and do not make tripartite vows. The last three products are great products, and they have made a tripartite oath. After the Vatican II meeting, it was simplified into three categories: deacon, priest and bishop. There is a kind of deacon called "lifelong deacon", who can not become a monk but can not be promoted.

The above classification is based on the "divine right" of each level.

Pastors are divided into chief priests, parish priests, deputy bishops, deputy bishops and assistant bishops according to their duties. The assistant bishop was directly promoted to bishop after his death.

Bishops are divided into diocesan bishops, archbishops, metropolitan bishops (bishops in big cities), provincial bishops (provinces in charge of discipline, also serving as capital bishops or metropolitan bishops), chief bishops (bishops in a country or region, mostly bishops in the capital), archbishops (autonomous heads of oriental etiquette Catholic churches, including several Latin etiquette bishops with organic importance and historical influence) and cardinals (divided into deacons and cardinals).

The internal duties of the Holy See are:

State Council: responsible for managing the affairs of the Holy See and the Pontifical Council, headed by the Minister of State.

The State Council consists of: General Affairs Department (in charge of internal affairs), Foreign Affairs Department (in charge of diplomacy), Nine Holy Departments: Belief Department, Oriental Church Department, Etiquette Department, Inscription Department, Bishop Department, Gospel Department, Clerics Department and Education Department.

Religious courts: Holy Pardon House, Supreme Court and Holy Wheel Court.

1 1 Pontifical Committee: laity Committee, Christian Unity Promotion Committee, Family Committee, Justice and Peace Committee, One Heart Committee, Immigration and Tourism Committee, Medical and Animal Husbandry Committee, Code Interpretation Committee, Religious Advisory Committee, Culture Committee and Mass Communication Committee (most of the above institutions are headed by cardinals for a term of five years).

There are other institutions: the Holy See Finance Bureau, the Holy See Property Management Bureau, the Holy See Economic Affairs Bureau, the Holy See Interior Management Office, the Holy See Etiquette Office and the committees responsible for specific affairs. In addition, in order to govern the Vatican city-state, the Pope also established the Vatican city-state management committee.

In addition, there is a college of cardinals whose members have the right to vote or be elected pope. They are divided into cardinals, priests of cardinals and deacons of cardinals. Because they all wear red, they are generally called cardinals in China. The leader is the chief cardinal. The college of cardinals is the pope's advisory body.