Pope Francis: Christ is inseparable from Mary and from the Church

January 02, 2015

Preaching at Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on January 1, the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God and the World Day of Peace, Pope Francis emphasized that Christ is inseparable from Mary and from the Church.

“No other creature has ever seen God’s face shine upon it as did Mary,” said the Pope. “She gave a human face to the eternal Word, so that all of us can contemplate him.”

Their “inseparability is also clear from the fact that Mary, chosen beforehand to be the Mother of the Redeemer, shared intimately in his entire mission, remaining at her Son’s side to the end on Calvary,” he continued. “Jesus cannot be understood without his Mother.”

“Likewise inseparable are Christ and the Church; the salvation accomplished by Jesus cannot be understood without appreciating the motherhood of the Church,” Pope Francis added. “No manifestation of Christ, even the most mystical, can ever be detached from the flesh and blood of the Church, from the historical concreteness of the Body of Christ. Without the Church, Jesus Christ ends up as an idea, a moral teaching, a feeling. Without the Church, our relationship with Christ would be at the mercy of our imagination, our interpretations, our moods.”

 

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Further information:

• Homily for the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God (Holy See Press Office)
• Holy Mass for the Solemnity of Mary 2015.01.01 (Vatican YouTube)
• Booklet for the celebration (Holy See)
• Message for the 2015 World Day of Peace