The Holy Ghost as Guide of the Church

The Holy Ghost maintains and guides the Catholic Church.

As the soul is to the body, so is the Holy Ghost to the Catholic Church, and, like the soul, His action is invisible. He is the Architect of the Church; His action produced the Incarnation (Luke i. 35); He exercised His powers through the humanity of Christ (Luke iv. 18; Acts x. 38); He perfects the Church founded by the Redeemer (Eph. ii. 20-22).

1. The Holy Spirit secures the Catholic Church from destruction (Matt. xvi. 18), and preserves it from error (John xiv. 16).

2. The Holy Ghost supports the rulers of the Church in the duties of their office (Acts xx. 28), and especially the Vicar of Christ, the Pope.

The Holy Ghost gives to them what they shall say (Matt. x. 19). He speaks through them as on Pentecost He spoke through the apostles (Matt. x. 20). In the words of St. Basil: “As the pen writes what the writer wishes, so the preacher of the Gospel speaks nothing of his own but what the Holy Spirit gives to him.”

3. The Holy Ghost raises up in times of danger for the Church able champions of her cause.

For example St. Athanasius (A.D. 373) in the time of the Arians; the holy Pope Gregory VII. (A.D. 1085) when the Church was in general disorder; St. Dominic (A.D. 1221) at the time of the Albigenses; St. Catharine of Sienna (A.D. 1380), at the time of the great Papal schism; St. Ignatius of Loyola (A.D. 1556) at the time of Luther.

4. The Holy Ghost is the cause that there are so many saints in the Church in all ages.

Almost every year new saints are canonized in Rome.

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