Pope is referring to the word as an entity that is followed by God
You cite MY point that a man may precede the salvation of another by proclaiming the Word, but the Word is already complete unto itself (Himself) and IS God.
God does not "follow" the Word, He IS the Word.
And if you can't follow THAT, you're welcome to ride my Mobius strip
Amazing! We are back to where we started without turning around!