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Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Transubstantiation?


A recent, very small mention in the local Newspaper prompts me, nay, compels me, to ask this question: "What are the R.C. Bishops up to?"


 Transubstantiation.

What, pray tell, is the meaning of this word?
According to the teachings of the Catholic Church, it means that at the moment of the priests words:
This is the body of Christ and this is the blood of Christ” (or similar) are spoken, this transformation takes place:
The waver of bread actually changes into the flesh of Christ's body, and the liquid contained in the challis actually changes from Red Wine into the blood of Christ.
Please, make no mistake about it. We are not talking about “Symbols” here, we are talking about the “real” transformation of these substances.
If this were truly so, the entire congregation partaking of this “Holy Communion!” and actually consuming the flesh of Christ's body, would, by definition, be cannibals.
I remember my Public School days, when our Religion Teacher told us, not to bite the wafer, since this would hurt Christ, but to gently, with our tongue, press it against the roof of our mouths and let it dissolve there.
Had the Catholics been satisfied with the symbolic nature of Holy Communion, I could buy it.
But to insist, as they have done over Centuries, (since 1215) that this is truly a “Transubstantiation” and that this waver, just recently having left the oven of the local bakery, is now the true body of Christ is lunacy of operatic proportions.

Just to be on the safe side Catholic teaching allows that although the substance of bread and wine have changed into the flesh and blood of Christ, the appearance has not undergone such change. The RC church could not in all seriousness suggest that the appearance also has changed. Since then, even the most unthinking members of the congregation would have to say: But I see what I see and I taste what I taste.

Why am I now raising this subject, almost as a non-sequitur?

Because of a small comment on page 3 of the “Kleine Zeitung” of Monday, the 4th day of May, 2020.
Here it is reported that, during a Bishops' Conference, it was decided to eliminate the words:
The body of Christ” and the word “Amen” from the celebration of this Sacrament.
Unfortunately I could find no further explanation and am left with the suspicion that this may be the first, hesitating step into the removal of this absurd belief.
I have no idea , however, why the harmless word “Amen” also was stricken from the text.

If anybody knows more about this than I do, I would love to hear or read about it.
What does the removal of the above listed words mean? What are the Bishops trying to teach their Believers?
Is it just some more Gobbledygook?

Bertstravels
would like to know.


Do not worry, dear Readers of the "AntiCoronaVirusBoredomFighting" Blog.
We shall return soon to Elephants and Lions and Painted Dogs.

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