How is God 'Father' in Catholic theology?
God is called 'Father' in two profound senses. First, within the eternal life of the Trinity, God the Father is the unbegotten Principle who eternally generates the Son in an exchange of infinite love. Second, in relation to creation, God is the loving Father and Creator of all. More intimately still, through the grace of adoption in Jesus Christ, Christians become true children of the Father by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:15). God transcends human gender, incorporating the perfection of fatherly protection and motherly tenderness, yet Christ specifically revealed Him as 'Abba, Father'.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 238-242
- Romans 8:15-16
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.