What does the Creed mean by the resurrection of the body?
In the Apostles' Creed, Catholics profess faith in 'the resurrection of the body'. This means that our human bodies will not simply be discarded like worn-out clothes at the end of time.
At death, the soul separates from the corruptible body, while the body undergoes decay. But at the Last Day, when Christ returns, God will reunite our immortal souls with our risen bodies through the power of Christ's Resurrection.
Our bodies will be our very own bodies, but transformed and glorified, sharing in the likeness of Christ's risen body. For the righteous, the body will be incorruptible, immortal, and spiritualised, free from disease, suffering and death, destined to live forever in the new heavens and the new earth.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 997
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1000
- 1 Corinthians 15:51-53
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.