Vi. Of The Grace Of Christ In So Far As He Is Head Of The Church
VI. OF THE GRACE OF CHRIST IN SO FAR AS HE IS HEAD OF THE CHURCH
(A)
Apart from the graces above mentioned which belong to Christ in so far as He is a particular man distinct from other men, is there not another grace belonging to Him in so far as He is the head of His mystical Body the Church?
Yes, and it is our duty now to speak of this grace (VIII.).
What is meant by saying that Christ is head of the Church?
It means that Christ occupies in the order of nearness to God the first place, and possesses in its highest perfection and fulness whatsoever relates to the order of grace; and, further, Christ possesses the power to communicate all things in the order of grace to men (VIII. 1).
Is it only by reason of the soul of Christ or by reason of His Body also that Christ is the head of the Church?
Christ is head of the Church by reason of His Body also; this means to say that the whole humanity of Christ, Body and Soul, is the instrument of divinity, whereby He bestows upon the souls of men and upon their bodies also the goods of the supernatural order: He acts thus towards those on earth so that the body may help the soul in the practice of virtue; and to those holy ones who shall rise at the last day that their bodies might receive from the glorified soul their share of immortality and glory (VIII. 2).
Is Christ the head, in the sense explained, of all men?
Yes; but those who no longer live on earth, and who died in the state of final impenitence, belong to Him no longer, and are separated from Him for evermore. But those who are already in heaven belong to Him and He is their head in a special manner. Further, He is the head of all who are united to Him by grace whether they be on earth or in purgatory; and of all those who are united to Him by faith even though they have not charity; and of all those who are not yet united to Him by faith, but who will one day be united to Him thus according to the decrees of divine Providence; and lastly, of all those living on earth who could be united to Him, but who in fact will never be (VIII. 3).
Is Christ also the head of the angels?
Yes; for Christ occupies the first place with regard to the whole multitude of those who are ordained to the same end, which is the enjoyment of heaven (VIII. 4).
Is that grace whereby Christ is the head of the whole Church in the sense explained, the same grace as that which belongs to Him personally as a determinate human being in so far as He is distinct from all other human beings, and "a fortiori" from the angels?
Yes, in its essence it is the same grace, but it is designated by these two different names, personal grace and capital grace, by reason of its double function, viz., in so far as it adorns the human nature of Christ, and in so far as it is communicated to others (VIII. 5)
Is it proper to Christ to be the head of the Church?
Yes; for only the humanity of Christ can justify man interiorly by reason of its union to the divinity in the Person of the Word. But as regards the external government of the Church others may be called, and are in fact, heads in different degrees; as, for instance, bishops in their dioceses, and the Sovereign Pontiff in the universal Church as long as his Pontificate lasts; but these heads only take the place of the one true head, Jesus Christ Himself, from whom they depend, for they are Christ's vicars and act only in His Name (VIII. 6).
(B)
Is there a head in the order of evil that leads men to their loss just as Christ in the order of good leads men to salvation?
Yes; and this head of the wicked is Satan, the Prince of the devils (VIII. 7).
In what sense is Satan the head of the wicked?
Not in the sense that he can communicate evil to man interiorly, as Christ communicates good; but in the order of external government he strives to turn men away from God, whereas Christ leads men to God; and all those who sin imitate his rebellion and his pride, whereas the good by their works imitate the submission and obedience of Jesus Christ (VIII. 7).
Is there then on account of this opposition as it were a personal struggle between Christ and Satan?
Yes.
What will be the end of this struggle?
This struggle will rise to such a pitch that Satan will concentrate the whole of his power and malice in some individual human being who will be called Antichrist.
Will Antichrist in a special way be the head of the wicked?
Yes, for there will be more malice in him than there ever was in any other man; he will be Satan's vicar, whose object will be to strive his utmost in order to lead men to damnation and so ruin the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (VIII. 8).