Christ is undoubtedly the Head of the Church, but the invisible Head.
13. Why did Christ ordain that the Church should have also a 'visible' Head together with the invisible One?
Because the Church is a visible community or body, and a visible body must also have a visible Head.
Thus no kingdom can exist without a visible government, although all kingdoms in the world are governed by God in an invisible manner.
14. From what do we learn that Christ has appointed St. Peter to be the Supreme Head of His Church?
We learn it from this, 1. That Christ built His Church upon Peter, as upon the true foundation-stone; 2. That He gave him in particular the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and 3. That He commissioned him alone to feed His whole flock.
1. 'Thou art Peter [a rock], and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it' (Matt. xvi. 18). Because Peter was to be the foundation-stone of the Church, Christ prayed particularly for him, that 'his faith might not fail,' and commissioned him 'to confirm once his brethren' (Luke xxii. 32). 2. 'And I will give to thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven' (Matt. xvi. 19). 3. 'Feed my lambs, feed my sheep' (John xxi. 15-17). Christ, it is true, made His Apostles collectively the foundation of His Church, and gave them all collectively the power of binding and loosing, and of governing the Church; but what He promised and gave to the Apostles in common, this He first promised and gave to Peter in particular. Thus Peter received the full and independent, the Apostles, on the contrary, only a subordinate, power.
15. What facts are there to confirm us in our belief that Peter was appointed by Christ to be the Supreme Head of the Church?
These: that after Christ's Ascension into Heaven Peter, 1. Really exercised the office of Head of the Church; and 2. That he likewise was always acknowl-
