The Christian/Catholic Church: feminine?

[HardRockGTR]

In another thread, a user linked me to this William Craig article: reasonablefaith.org/in-defense-of-the-kalam-cosmological-argument

I noticed Craig refers to the church as a “her”. Any particular reason for this?

I know that in French (a native language of mine), we have both masculine and feminine conjugations, with the French word for* church* being a feminine term. Does this have anything to do with it?

 

[TK421]

No, it’s not just a matter of linguistics and the feminine/masculine of identification words in most languages.

The genders exist as a statement and foretaste of the union between God and his beloved creation. In the wisdom books of the Old Testament, Wisdom is personified as a she, and as the ever eternal consort of God. Likewise in the New Testament, the mystical body of all believers, which is the universal Church, is personified as a she, and is the up-and-coming bride of Christ. In the sacrament of matrimony, the male and female likewise parallel the Christ to the Church. The husband is as the Christ, and the wife is as the Church.

In the scripture, everything in material creation and in the sacraments is a testament to some sort of eternal truth.

 

[Spanks]

Because when you become a priest you’re technically marrying the church, and since only guys are allowed to be priests, calling the church a “He” would make them gay, which would be against church teaching.

 

[thewanderer]

It has to do with the fact that the Church is considered to be the “Bride of Christ” because of this feminine language is used rather than masculine when speaking about the Church.

 

[Todd977]

Paragraph 796 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church discusses this topic.

The Church is the Bride of Christ
796 The unity of Christ and the Church, head and members of one Body, also implies the distinction of the two within a personal relationship. This aspect is often expressed by the image of bridegroom and bride. the theme of Christ as Bridegroom of the Church was prepared for by the prophets and announced by John the Baptist.234 The Lord referred to himself as the "bridegroom."235 The Apostle speaks of the whole Church and of each of the faithful, members of his Body, as a bride “betrothed” to Christ the Lord so as to become but one spirit with him.236 The Church is the spotless bride of the spotless Lamb.237 "Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her."238 He has joined her with himself in an everlasting covenant and never stops caring for her as for his own body:239

This is the whole Christ, head and body, one formed from many . . . whether the head or members speak, it is Christ who speaks. He speaks in his role as the head (ex persona capitis) and in his role as body (ex persona corporis). What does this mean? "The two will become one flesh. This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the Church."240 and the Lord himself says in the Gospel: "So they are no longer two, but one flesh."241 They are, in fact, two different persons, yet they are one in the conjugal union, . . . as head, he calls himself the bridegroom, as body, he calls himself "bride."242

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234 ⇒ Jn 3:29.
235 ⇒ Mk 2:19.
236 Cf. ⇒ Mt 22:1-14; ⇒ 25:1-13; ⇒ 1 Cor 6:15-17; ⇒ 2 Cor 11:2.
237 Cf. ⇒ Rev 22:17; ⇒ Eph 1:4. ⇒ 5:27.
238 ⇒ Eph 5:25-26.
239 Cf. ⇒ Eph 5:29.
240 ⇒ Eph 5:31-32.
241 ⇒ Mt 19:6.
242 St. Augustine, En. in Ps. 74:4: PL 36, 948-949.
​

 

[HardRockGTR]

Makes sense. Thanks!