[Question]{.underline}: Is it true to say that Christ is head of all men?
[Answer:]{.underline} St. Thomas Aquinas asks himself this question in the Summa Theological (IIIa, Q.8, a.3) and proceeds to answer his own question in a way that seems at first to be somewhat surprising.
“It is written (I Tim 4:10): Who is the Saviour of all men, especially of the faithful, and (I Jn2:2): He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. Now to save men and to be a propitiation for their sins belongs to Christ as Head. Therefore, Christ is the Head of all men”.
He goes on to explain his affirmative answer by making some very necessary distinctions. The important distinction here is one that is fundamental to all of his metaphysics, namely the distinction between act and potency, which is that which is already accomplished and in actuality on the one hand, and that which is yet in potentiality, and not yet actualized, on the other. In considering the question of whether or not all men are members of Christ’s mystical body, the Church, the obvious consideration is that of actuality, that is the case in reality here and now. According to this way of thinking Christ is in act Head of all those men who are right now members of His mystical body, through baptism and sanctifying grace. However, it is not the only way of thinking, for there are also men whom Christ redeemed through His precious blood, who could become members of His Mystical Body, of whom He is the Head in potency, whether in fact he will actually every become their Head of not. It is only after this consideration that it can be understood to what extent and how Christ is indeed Head of all men, although not all are actually members of His mystical Body.
Here is the conclusion given by the Angelic Doctor:
“Hence we must say that if we take the whole time of the world in general, Christ is the Head of all men, but diversely. For,
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first and principally, He is the Head of such as are united to Him
by glory;
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secondly, of those who are actually united to Him by charity;
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thirdly, of those who are actually united to Him by faith;
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fourthly, of those who are united to Him merely in potentiality,
which is not yet reduced to act, yet will be reduced to act according to divine predestination;
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Fifthly, of those who are united to Him in potentiality, which will
never be reduced to act; such are those men existing in the world, who are not predestined, who, however, on their departure from this worl, wholly cease to be members of Christ, as being no longer in potentiality to be united to Christ.”
This conclusion is of great practical importance, especially in the times in which we live. It demonstrates that Christ is indeed the Redeemer of all men, having shed His blood for all men, and having loved all men as His own, who rightly belong to Him, their only Savior. Yet there are those who, of their own deliberate will, refuse the union of charity, and even of faith, which makes for the unity of the Mystical Body, the Church, and there are even those who will always refuse to embrace this unity of the Church. Yet Christ is by right and in truth the Head of all without exception, until such time as death without grace brings to an end all possibility of eternal salvation.
Here lies a profound mystery. Not all men love Christ. Far from it. Many are those who refuse His divine governance. Yet Christ loves all men, for He sees them all as (potentially) children of God, members of His Church co-heirs with heaven. This is the universality of the objective redemption, from which no human being is excluded. Understand, if you can, “the breadth, and length, and height and depth: to know also the charity of Christ, which surpasseth all knowledge” (Eph 3:18 & 19), but do not fall into the ecumenical trap of saying that He loves all men equally, regardless of whether they have faith or charity, or are actually members of His mystical body, or actually refuse the advances of His love or are of any religion or no religion at all. He loves us that we might correspond in actuality with the excess of His love and love Him in return, and become actually members of His Mystical Body, not that we might remain cold and indifferent, just a vain potentiality to love, a eternal disappointment and refusal of love that can only have one destiny: eternal damnation.
Answered by Father Peter Scott, SSPX.