At bishops' Mass, two natures of Jesus are celebrated

Published: 2003-11-11

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- On the feast of St. Leo the Great, a fifth-century pope who "defended and proclaimed the divine personhood of Jesus Christ," all Catholics should celebrate Jesus' two natures, said Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia. Cardinal Rigali was the homilist at a Mass on the saint's Nov. 10 feast day that was celebrated in conjunction with the bishops' fall general meeting in Washington. "With St. Leo the Great, we say that Jesus is consubstantial with his father, and Jesus is consubstantial with his mother," Mary, he said. "Consubstantial" means having the same substance -- in Jesus' case, being both divine and human. "The church summarizes this in her beautiful prayer: 'Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man,'" Cardinal Rigali said during the Mass, celebrated at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

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