Here's an overview of symbolism, governance, and papal authority within the Catholic Church:

1. Symbolism in the Church

• Sacraments as Visible Signs: The Catholic Church uses perceptible signs, that is, words and actions accessible to human nature, in the sacraments 1. Instituted by Christ, sacraments communicate grace through these signs by the power of the Holy Spirit 1.
• Efficacious Signs of Grace: Sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, through which divine life is dispensed 2 3. The visible rites of the sacraments signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament, bearing fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions 2.
• Material Elements: Sacramental symbols and symbolic actions involve material elements like water, oil, bread, and wine, inviting believers to recognize the salvific effects of each sacrament 4. These elements are taken up by the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit and entrusted to the Church as instruments of salvation 5.
• The Importance of Signs: God links His saving love to certain signs and words in the sacraments, and these signs proclaim what is celebrated and signified 6. If the sign is absent, the sacrament is not validly celebrated 6.
• Nature: Nature is taken up by God to become a means of mediating supernatural life through the sacraments 7. Elements like water, oil, fire, and colors are incorporated into acts of praise, with the hand that blesses becoming an instrument of God's love 7.
• Sacramentals: Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church that prepare individuals to receive the fruit of the sacraments and sanctify different circumstances of life 8.

2. Governance of the Church

• Hierarchical Structure: The Catholic Church has a hierarchical structure, which is essential in the celebration of the Eucharist 9. The bishop, as a successor of the apostles, presides at the Eucharist; presbyters concelebrate with the bishop, and deacons assist the bishop and presbyters 9.
• Roles of Pastors: Pastors in the Church include priests, who govern parishes in the name of their bishop; bishops, who rule over a diocese; archbishops, who have authority over a number of dioceses; primates, who have authority over the Church provinces of a nation; patriarchs, who have authority over a whole country; and the Pope, who rules the Church throughout the world 10.
• Bishops as Successors to the Apostles: Bishops are appointed by the Holy Spirit as successors of the Apostles and are sent to continue the work of Christ 11. They are teachers of the faith, pontiffs, and pastors through the Holy Spirit 11.
• Tasks of Bishops: Bishops have the mandate and authority to teach, govern, and sanctify the People of God 12. They are to fulfill their ministry in union with the Successor of Peter, who guarantees the truth of their teaching and their communion in the Church 12.
• Primacy of the Pope: The Pope, as the successor of Peter, has supreme, full, immediate, and universal authority over the care of souls by divine institution 11. As pastor of all the faithful, he provides for the common good of the universal Church and the good of individual churches, holding a primacy of ordinary power over all the churches 11.

3. Papal Authority

• Successor of Peter: The Roman Pontiff is the successor of Peter in his primatial service in the universal Church 13. This succession explains the preeminence of the Church of Rome 13.
• Foundation of Unity: The Pope is the perpetual and visible principle and foundation of unity of both the bishops and the faithful 13. He has a specific ministerial grace for serving the unity of faith and communion necessary for the Church to fulfill her saving mission 13.
• Authority: The Pope possesses the power to bind and loose on earth, to strengthen his brethren, and to feed the entire flock 14.
• Relationship with Bishops: Every bishop is subject to the Roman Pontiff, the successor of Saint Peter, to whom not only the faithful but even all the bishops must be constantly subject, bound by obedience and unity 15. The authority of bishops is defended, upheld, and strengthened by the supreme and universal power of the Pope 16.
• Cardinals: Cardinals are members of the Supreme Council or Senate of the Church, who advise and aid the Pope in the government of the Church, and elect a new Pope when the reigning Pope dies 17.
• The Roman Curia: The Roman Pontiff employs the various departments of the Roman Curia in exercising his supreme, full, and immediate authority over the universal Church 18.

In summary, the Catholic Church uses symbolism through sacraments and sacramentals to communicate grace and divine life. The Church's governance is structured hierarchically, with the Pope as the supreme authority, ensuring unity and guiding the faithful. The Pope, as the successor of Peter, holds a unique position, serving as the foundation of unity and overseeing the Church's mission.