Catholic World News News Feature

Christ as head, Church as bride: Papal reflections on St. Paul January 14, 2009

In his weekly public audience on January 14, Pope Benedict XVI continued his series of talks on the teachings of St. Paul, concentrating this week on how the Apostle refers to Jesus as the head of the Church, and to the Church as the Bride of Christ.

Jesus is identified as the head of the Church in the epistles to the Colossians and Ephesians, the Pope pointed out. The title has two meanings, the Holy Father continued. Jesus is the head of the body, the leader and governor of the Christian community. "The Church is subject to Him, both to follow His superior guidance and to receive all the vitality that emanates from Him." The title also refers to Jesus as ruler of all creation and all the heavenly powers.

The "highly positive and fruitful message" of these two epistles, the Pope continued, is that Jesus has no rival "because He is superior to any possible form of power that may seek to humiliate mankind." Therefore, those who remain close to him "need fear no enemy or adversity."

The Church recognizes Christ as "greater than herself, because his lordship extends beyond her confines," the Pope said. Yet it is the Church, not the universe, that is recognized as the Body of Christ. "This means we must give positive consideration to worldly things," Pope Benedict said, "because Christ recapitulates them in Himself, and at the same time we must fully live our specific ecclesial identity, which is the closest to the identity of Christ Himself."

In these same two epistles, the Pope said, St. Paul explores "the concept of mystery," in which the "inscrutable divine plan for the destiny of mankind" is fulfilled in Christ. Although we cannot comprehend God's will, we can know the Christ, who became incarnate and showed his love for man.

In responding to that love, the Pope said, the Church takes on her role as the bride of Christ. The beauty of this bride, he said, is"not just the beauty acquired through Baptism, but also the beauty that must grow every day through a life of irreproachable moral behavior, without spot or blemish."

"If we remember that the Church is the Body of Christ, that Christ gave Himself for her, then we learn to live with Christ in mutual love," the Pope said. He drew the connection between this form of love and the Christian understanding of marriage. In fact, Pope Benedict said, it is not clear whether St. Paul, in using the marital imagery, thought that the relationship between Christ and the Church would provide a better understanding of Christian marriage, or whether the understanding of marriage led gave the faithful a better grasp of the relation between Christ and the Church.