Religious orders are governed by local authorities, bodies approved by the bishop under the authority of the bishop of the diocese in which they operate. A religious order governed solely by the bishop of Rome is an order in which the pope directly approves the religious order, which is entirely dependent on the Vatican, that is, on the pope, as head of the Church... Catechesis on religious orders, structure, with Fr. Eric Franck Randriamiandrinirinarivo.