The communion of saints (Latin: commūniō sānctōrum, Ancient Greek: κοινωνίᾱ τῶν Ἁγῐ́ων, koinōníā tôn Hagíōn), when referred to persons, is the spiritual union of the members of the Christian Church, living and the dead, but excluding the damned.[1] They are all part of a single "mystical body", with Christ as the head, in which each member contributes to the good of all and shares in the welfare of all.
The earliest known use of this term to refer to the belief in a mystical bond uniting both the living and the dead in a confirmed hope and love is by Saint Nicetas of Remesiana (c. 335–414); the term has since then played a central role in formulations of the Christian creed.[2] Belief in the communion of saints is affirmed in the Apostles' Creed.
The word "sanctorum" in the phrase "communio sanctorum" can also be understood as referring not to holy persons, but to holy things, namely the blessings that the holy persons share with each other, including their faith, the sacraments and the other spiritual graces and gifts they have as Christians.[3][4]
- ^ Joseph Sollier (1908), "The Communion of Saints", The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4, New York: Robert Appleton Company (retrieved from New Advent), archived from the original on 15 October 2006, retrieved 1 April 2008
- ^ Nicetas of Remesiana Archived 1 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Encyclopædia Britannica.
- ^ William Barclay, The Plain Man Looks at the Apostles Creed, pages 10-12
- ^ "Catechism of the Catholic Church, 948". Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.