The Church, as a perfect society, sovereign and independent, has supreme spiritual authority over her members, legislative, judicial and executive, by divine law.
Mt. 28:18-20 – And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age”.
Jn. 20:23 – If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained”.
1 Cor. 11:23-25 – For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me”. 25 In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me”.
Mt. 18:17 – If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Mt. 18:18 – Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
St. Irenæus of Lyon [inter AD 180/199] “As I said before, the Church, having received this preaching and this faith, although she is disseminated throughout the whole world, yet guarded it, as if she occupied but one house. She likewise believes these things [of doctrine] just as if she had but one soul and one and the same heart; and harmoniously she proclaims them and teaches them and hands them down as if she possessed only one mouth. For, while the languages of the world are diverse, nevertheless, the authority of the tradition is one and the same ” (Against Heresies 1, 10, 2).
Didache (The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) [AD 70]”Elect for yourselves, therefore, bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, humble men and not lovers of money, truthful and proven; for they also serve you in the ministry of the prophets and teachers. Do not, therefore, despise them for they are honorable men” (15:1).
St. Clement of Alexandria [AD 190] “After the death of the tyrant, [the apostle John] came back again to Ephesus from the Island of Patmos; and upon being invited, he went even to the neighboring cities of the pagans, here to appoint bishops, there to set in order whole churches, and there to ordain to the clerical state such as were designated by the Spirit” (Who is the Rich Man That is Saved? 42:2).