Pope Pius XII

The faithful, more precisely the lay faithful, find themselves on the front lines of the Church's life, for  them the Church is the animating principle for human society.  Therefore, they in particular ought to have an ever clearer consciousness not only of belonging to the church, but being the Church; that is to say, the community of the faithful on earth under the leadership of the Pope, the head of all, and of the bishops in communion with him.  These are the Church.