Head of the Church

The Scriptures teach us that Christ is the 'Head' of his Church. Never is it suggested in the Bible that this honor would be given to or shared with any other.

18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he may have the preeminence.
Colossians 1.18

8 Beware lest any man make a prey of you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Colossians 2.8-10

18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
Colossians 2.18-19

3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
I Corinthians 11.3

19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Ehpesians 1.19-23

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, who is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body to the edifying of itself in love.
Ephesians 4.14-16

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Ephesians 5.23

It is clear from these Scriptures that each member of the Church should have an intimate relationship with Christ, who is the Head of the Body. Any body has only one head, which controls and governs the rest of the body; and so it is with the Church. Any other who claims to be the head of the Christ's Body, the Church, is an imposter.

Following are some quotes from Vatican II and from Vatican I which show that Rome attempts to exalt its bishop to that place of pre-eminence (headship) that belongs to Christ alone.

Vatican II

... Continuing in that same undertaking, this Council is resolved to declare and proclaim before all men the doctrine concerning bishops, the successors of the apostles, who together with the successor of Peter, the Vicar of Christ, the visible Head of the whole Church, govern the house of the living God.
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Chapter III, § 18.

... But episcopal consecration, together with the office of sanctifying, also confers the office of teaching and of governing, which, however, of its very nature, can be exercised only in hierarchical communion with the head and the members of the college....
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Chapter III, § 21

... Hence, one is constituted a member of the episcopal body in virtue of sacramental consecration and hierarchical communion with the head and members of the body.
¶ But the college or body of bishops has no authority unless it is understood together with the Roman Pontiff, the successor of Peter as its head. The pope's power of primacy over all, both pastors and faithful, remains whole and intact. In virtue of his office, that is as Vicar of Christ and pastor of the whole Church, the Roman Pontiff has full, supreme and universal power over the Church. And he is always free to exercise this power. The order of bishops, which succeeds to the college of apostles and gives this apostolic body continued existence, is also the subject of supreme and full power over the universal Church, provided we understand this body together with its head the Roman Pontiff and never without this head. This power can be exercised only with the consent of the Roman Pontiff. For our Lord placed Simon alone as the rock and the bearer of the keys of the Church, and made him shepherd of the whole flock; it is evident, however, that the power of binding and loosing, which was given to Peter, was granted also to the college of apostles, joined with their head. This college, insofar as it is composed of many, expresses the variety and universality of the People of God, but insofar as it is assembled under one head, it expresses the unity of the flock of Christ. In it, the bishops, faithfully recognizing the primacy and pre-eminence of their head, exercise their own authority for the good of their own faithful, and indeed of the whole Church, the Holy Spirit supporting its organic structure and harmony with moderation. The supreme power in the universal Church, which this college enjoys, is exercised in a solemn way in an ecumenical council. A council is never ecumenical unless it is confirmed or at least accepted as such by the successor of Peter; and it is prerogative of the Roman Pontiff to convoke these councils, to preside over them and to confirm them. This same collegiate power can be exercised together with the pope by the bishops living in all parts of the world, provided that the head of the college calls them to collegiate action, or at least approves of or freely accepts the united action of the scattered bishops, so that it is thereby made a collegiate act.
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Chapter III, § 22

... And this is the infallibility which the Roman Pontiff, the head of the college of bishops, enjoys in virtue of his office, when, as the supreme shepherd and teacher of all the faithful ... .
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Chapter III, § 25, ¶3

The pastoral office or the habitual and daily care of their sheep is entrusted to them completely; nor are they to be regarded as vicars of the Roman Pontiffs, for they exercise an authority that is proper to them, and are quite correctly called "prelates," heads of the people whom they govern....
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Chapter III, § 27, ¶ 2

33. The laity are gathered together in the People of God and make up the Body of Christ under one head....
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Chapter IV, § 33

For this reason it is clearly stated that hierarchical communion with the head and members of the church is required....
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Appendix, note 2

3. The College, which does not exist without the head, is said "to exist also as the subject of supreme and full power in the universal Church."... For the College, always and of necessity, includes its head, because in the college he preserves unhindered his function as Christ's Vicar and as Pastor of the universal Church.... Since the Supreme Pontiff is head of the College, he alone is able to perform certain actions which are not at all within the competence of the bishops ... .
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Appendix, note 3

4. As Supreme Pastor of the Church, the Supreme Pontiff can always exercise his power at will ... . it acts as a college in the strict sense only from time to time and only with the consent of its head. The phrase "with the consent of its head" is used to avoid the idea of dependence on some kind of outsider; the term "consent" suggests rather communion between the head and the members, and implies the need for an act which belongs properly to the competence of the head....
¶ It is clear throughout that it is a question of the bishops acting in conjunction with their head, never of the bishops acting independently of the Pope. In the latter instance, without the action of the head, the bishops are not able to act as a College ... .
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Appendix, note 4

Jesus Christ, then, willed that the apostles and their successors -the bishops with Peter's successor at their head-should preach the Gospel ... .
Degree on Ecumenism, Chapter I, § 2, ¶ 4

... We believe that Our Lord entrusted all the blessings of the New Covenant to the apostolic college alone, of which Peter is the head ... .
Degree on Ecumenism, Chapter I, § 3, ¶ 5

4. By virtue of sacramental consecration and hierarchical communion with the head and members of the college, bishops are constituted as members of the episcopal body. "The order of bishops is the successor to the college of the apostles in teaching and pastoral direction, or rather, in the episcopal order, the apostolic body continues without a break. Together with its head, the Roman pontiff, and never without this head it exists as the subject of supreme, plenary power over the universal Church....
Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops, Chapter I, § 4

Vatican I

a closer union of the members with the visible head, and an increased vigour in the whole mystical body of Christ.
Dogmatic constitution on the catholic faith, § 3, 7

Therefore, if anyone says that blessed Peter the apostle was not appointed by Christ the lord as prince of all the apostles and visible head of the whole church militant... let him be anathema.
First dogmatic constitution on the church of Christ, Chapter 1, § 6

indeed it was known in every age that the holy and most blessed Peter, prince and head of the apostles, the pillar of faith and the foundation of the catholic church ... .
First dogmatic constitution on the church of Christ, Chapter 2, § 2.

For this reason it has always been necessary for every church--that is to say the faithful throughout the world--to be in agreement with the Roman church because of its more effective leadership. In consequence of being joined, as members to head, with that see....
First dogmatic constitution on the church of Christ, Chapter 2, § 4

we promulgate anew the definition of the ecumenical council of Florence, which must be believed by all faithful Christians, namely that the apostolic see and the Roman pontiff hold a world-wide primacy, and that the Roman pontiff is the successor of blessed Peter, the prince of the apostles, true vicar of Christ, head of the whole church....
First dogmatic constitution on the church of Christ, Chapter 3, § 1

And therefore we condemn and reject the opinions of those who hold that this communication of the supreme head with pastors and flocks may be lawfully obstructed....
First dogmatic constitution on the church of Christ, Chapter 3, § 7

"The Roman pontiff is the true vicar of Christ, the head of the whole church and the father and teacher of all Christians; and to him was committed in blessed Peter, by our lord Jesus Christ, the full power of tending, ruling and governing the whole church."
First dogmatic constitution on the church of Christ, Chapter 4, § 2

These are but more examples of the deliberate, willful rejection, by Rome, of the Lordship of Christ and the authority of the Scriptures. They shamelessly flaunt their dishonor in secret, for they are not unfamiliar with these things. Only they continue in their sin with deadened consciences. They are of those about whom the apostle Paul warned the Corinthians:

13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also are transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
2 Corinthians 11.13-15

Now, are you complete in Christ, who is the Head of His Body, the Church? Or do you belong to some other body, with some other head?

... Certainly the apostle Paul, when he heard some say, I am of Paul, I of Apollos, but I of Christ (1 Cor. i. 13), regarded with the utmost horror such dilaceration of the Lord's body, whereby they were joining themselves, as it were, to other heads ... . If then he shunned the subjecting of the members of Christ partially to certain heads, as if beside Christ, though this were to the apostles themselves, what wilt thou say to Christ, who is the Head of the universal Church ...
¶ ... Certainly Peter, the first of the apostles, himself a member of the holy and universal Church, Paul, Andrew, John ... . all were members under one Head.... all these making up the Lord's Body, were constituted as members of the Church…
Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great, Book V, Epistle XVIII. To John, Bishop

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