Mystici Corporis Christi
Overview
Mystici Corporis Christi is Pius XII’s encyclical on the nature of the Church. Drawing on St. Paul’s writings on the Church as the Body of Christ, Pope Pius describes the Church as a visible, living organism, animated by the Holy Spirit and with Christ as her invisible head. This important encyclical laid the groundwork for the doctrine of the Church articulated at the Second Vatican Council.
Top Highlights
“It was possible for Him of Himself to impart these graces to mankind directly; but He willed to do so only through a visible Church made up of men, so that through her all might cooperate with Him in dispensing the graces of Redemption.” (source)
“to make clear why the Body of Christ, which is the Church, should be called mystical” (source)
“They, therefore, walk in the path of dangerous error who believe that they can accept Christ as the Head of the Church, while not adhering loyally to His Vicar on earth. They have taken away the visible head, broken the visible bonds of unity and left the Mystical Body of the Redeemer so obscured and so maimed, that those who are seeking the haven of eternal salvation can neither see it nor find it.” (source)
“That Christ and His Vicar constitute one only Head is the solemn teaching of Our predecessor of immortal memory Boniface VIII in the Apostolic Letter Unam Sanctam;61 and his successors have never ceased to repeat the same.” (source)
“As long as a member still forms part of the body there is no reason to despair of its cure; once it has been cut off, it can be neither cured nor healed.’” (source)
- Title: Mystici Corporis Christi
- Author: Pius XII
- Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
- Print Publication Date: 1943
- Logos Release Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Jesus Christ › Mystical body; Catholic Church
- Resource ID: LLS:MYSTCCRPRSCHRST
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T20:23:56Z