Mystici Corporis and the Soul of the Church

JfYSTICI CORPORIS AND THE SOUL OF THE CHURCH T HE niost casu~l acquaintance with the history of theological discussions will justify taking the greatest care in the precision and clarity of terminology. Hypostasis, Filioque, hornoiousios leap immediately to mind. What was perhaps at first only a material error, the choice of a word, was fanned by injured pride into formal error, the sins of heresy and schism, violence, and the spiritual ruin of many. "What's in a name? " indeed-at times, more than one realizes at the moment. Relatively speaking, words are not, of course, as important as the ideas they are intended to convey, but since we lack angelic means of communication, we must continue to express our ideas by means of words, and to express our ideas clearly and precisely, we must choose our words for their clarity and precision. In oral communication, when misunderstanding or·obscurity arises, it can be immediately adjusted by the living voice; but the printed word cannot interpret itself, it leaves its writer at the mercy of his reader's intelligence and good will. The complicated arrangement of molecules of ink which is the printed word is designed to effect-the transfer of exactly the same idea from the mind of the writer to the mind of the reader; if the result is a different idea, then we must scrutinize the writer who chose the word, the reader, and indeed, sometimes the word itself. And if a reader should disagree with a writer, there is always the possibility that he disagrees, not with the ideas of the writer, but with what he thinks are the ideas of the writer; when a man's choice of words is censured, it is always on the premise that the critic has penetrated the thought to be conveyed in spite of the questionable language. The Encyclical letter of Our Holy Father Pius XII on the Church and the Mystical Body 1 would attract the most studi1 Myatici Corporis Christi; in AAS XXXV (1948), pp. 198-~8. 18 " MYSTIC! CORPORIS " AND THE SOUL OF THE CHURCH 19 ous attention of all Christians for either of the two reasons which combine to make it one of the most important events of lasting significance in our generation, its subject matter-Christ living in His Church, and its author-the colossus who acts as Christ's Vicar on earth. Small wonder that it has been studied with care and diligence,. its admonitions received with loving reverence, its instructions pondered. Only the most temerarious could dare to controvert its express teachings; onli the grossest ~gnorance could excuse flouting its wise and salutary instructions. But unfortunately the voice of even Peter must mute its ravishing tones and reach the flock through printed wordsoften in another language-doubling the risk of losing in the transfer the precious thought of Christ's own vicar. If then discussion of the encyclical should arise, it would be to clarify our understanding of it, to penetrate the meaning of the.words, to compare our harvest with the fruits gathered by others from it. If we should find something new, we might examine whether it is really so, and to all, or only to us. If we should find something that contradicts what is already widely accepted, we might examine whether the contradiction is real or only apparent due to our lack of perspicacity. If we should find something that catalyzes a whole mass of material dear to our heart into a scintillating chain of conclusions, we might pause a moment lest in the fervor of our haste, we put our conclusion into the mouth of Peter. Something of the sort has been happening since the appearance of the Encyclical. Not only has it been hailed a.reorientation and reorganization of the whole of theology.2 It is credited with restricting the membership of the Mystical Body and discrediting at least one outstanding book on the subject.8 And what concerns us most closely here, it is supposed to have abolished the distinction between the body and the soul of the Church.' • J. Bluett, S. J., "Theological Significance of the Encylical Mystici Corporis," in Proceedings of Foundation...