CCC 77

"In order that the full and living Gospel might always be preserved in the Church the apostles left bishops as their successors. They gave them their own position of teaching authority."³⁵ DV 7 # 2; St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres. 3, 3, 1: PG 7PG — Patrologia Graeca (Migne)/1, 848; Harvey, 2, 9. Indeed, "the apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved in a continuous line of succession until the end of time."³⁶ DV 8 # 1.