Mystici Corporis is an encyclical letter written by Pope Pius XII that explores the concept of the mystical body of Christ. The letter was written in 1943 and is divided into two parts. The first part discusses the nature of the Church as the mystical body of Christ and the second part focuses on the members of the Church and their roles within the body.Pope Pius XII emphasizes the importance of the Church as the body of Christ and the unity that exists between Christ and his followers. He also discusses the various members of the Church, including the laity, the clergy, and religious orders, and their unique roles in the body of Christ. The Pope also touches on the importance of the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist, in nourishing the members of the Church and strengthening their connection to Christ.Overall, Mystici Corporis is a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of the nature of the Church and its relationship to Christ. It is a must-read for anyone interested in theology, Catholicism, or the history of the Church.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
The Venerable Pope Pius XII (Latin: Pius PP. XII; Italian: Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli, reigned as Pope, head of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958.
Before election to the papacy, Pacelli served as secretary of the Department of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, papal nuncio and Cardinal Secretary of State, in which capacity he worked to conclude treaties with European and Latin American nations, most notably the Reichskonkordat with Nazi Germany. His leadership of the Catholic Church during World War II remains the subject of continued historical controversy.
After the war, Pius XII contributed to the rebuilding of Europe, and advocated peace and reconciliation, including lenient policies toward vanquished nations and the unification of Europe. The Church, flourishing in the West, experienced severe persecution and mass deportations of Catholic clergy in the East. In light of his protests, and his involvement in the Italian elections of 1948, he became known as a staunch opponent of communism.
Pius XII explicitly invoked ex cathedra papal infallibility with the dogma of the Assumption of Mary in his 1950 Apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus. His magisterium includes almost 1,000 addresses and radio broadcasts. His forty-one encyclicals include Mystici Corporis, the Church as the Body of Christ; Mediator Dei on liturgy reform; Humani Generis on the Church's position on theology and evolution. He eliminated the Italian majority in the College of Cardinals in 1946.
Ecclesiology at its finest, rejects various incorrect positions on the nature of the Church as Body of Christ and the efficacy of prayer, while emphasizing that a) our collaboration is necessary, b) we don't have excuses to excluded anyone, c) belonging to the Church is not a purely sentimental declaration but also needs our free will to be effective (doing away with the myth of coerced baptism). Very recommendable for Pentecost.
Perfectly written exhortation to clergy during the midway point of world war 2. Interesting to read mention of the Apostleship of Prayer. This was established for the universal Church by Pope Leo XIII and is still used by the current pontiff.