THE EUCHARIST:

The Body and Blood

of Jesus Christ

© 1985 – 2005, Robert Schihl and Paul

Flanagan
 The Eucharist: The Lord's Supper

Catholic Christians share with most Christians the faith

that Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, ate a final
or last supper with his Apostles.

This final meal was also the celebration of the Jewish Passover
or Feast of the Unleavened Bread which commemorated the
passing over of the Jews from the death in slavery to the
Egyptians to life in the Promised Land.
Christians differ in the meaning this Last Supper has to them
and the Church today. Catholic Christians together with other
historical Christian Churches (e.g., Eastern Orthodox and
Byzantine Christians, Lutherans, Anglicans and some
Episcopalians, etc.) believe the literal words of Jesus - that
the bread and wine are truly his body and blood.

 
Other later Christian Churches profess a mere symbolic or
mystical meaning to the words of Jesus.

                                                                                                                                   

               
The faith of the Catholic Church is based on both a fundamental
principle of hermeneutics and the constant faith of the Church
from Apostolic times.

The Catholic Church teaches that the first principle of

hermeneutics--the science of the translation and interpretation
of the Bible--is the literal meaning of the text.

Spiritus Paraclitus Benedict XV, September 15, 1920

As Jerome insisted, all biblical interpretation rests upon
the literal sense ...
Divino Afflante Spiritus, Pius XII, September 30, 1943
... discern and define that sense of the biblical words which
is called literal ... so that the mind of the author may be made
clear. ... the exegete must be principally concerned with
the literal sense of the Scriptures.

The definition of the literal sense:

The sense which the human author directly intended and
which his words convey.
The first writer of the New Testament was the apostle Paul.
His Letter to the Corinthians was written as early as 56 AD,
earlier than the first Gospel, Mark's, written about 65 AD.

Paul was also not an eyewitness to what he wrote but testifies

to his source.

.
. .
Paul's
Letter to the Corinthians
Mark's
Gospel
1 Corinthians 11:23-29
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to
you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed
over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke
it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in
remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup,
after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in
my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in
remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread
and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord
until he comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or
drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer
for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should
examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the
cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning
the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.
The next New Testament text in
chronological order would have been
Mark's Gospel. Written about 65 AD,
in Rome, Mark, not an eyewitness,
probably heard the account of the
Last Supper he recorded from the
Apostle Peter.

Mark 14:22-24
While they were eating, he took
bread, said the blessing, broke it,
and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is my body."
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them,
and they all drank from it. He said to them, "This is my

.
blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many."
 The third account of the Last Supper could
be Matthew's. Matthew, the tax collector
Levi, was an eyewitness to the meal. He
was one of the twelve Apostles. Matthew
probably wrote his Gospel in the 70s.

Matthew 26:26-28
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the
blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said,
"Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup,
gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it,
all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which

.
will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness
of sins."
Luke's account of the Last Supper, written from the standpoint
of a Gentile convert and a non-eyewitness, probably heard
the details of the Last Supper from Paul. Luke was a traveling
companion of Paul. Luke also wrote in the 70s.

.
Luke 22:15-20
He (Jesus) said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat
this Passover with you before I suffer, for, I tell you, I
shall not eat it (again) until there is fulfillment in the
kingdom of God." Then he took a cup, gave thanks,
and said, "Take this and share it among yourselves;
for I tell you (that) from this time on I shall not drink
of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."
Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and
gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which will be
given for you; do this in memory of me." And likewise
the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup is the
new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you."
The beloved disciple, John, the last of the New Testament
writers, wrote his Gospel in the 90s. John was an eyewitness
to the events of the Last Supper (John 6:30-68).

John 6:53-56
Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless
you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh
and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him
on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood

.
is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
remains in me and I in him."
Hence Catholic Christian belief in the real presence of Jesus
Christ in the Eucharist rests upon the literal meaning of the
words of the Last Supper as recorded by the Evangelists
and Paul.

The uniformity of expression across the first four authors

affirms the literalness. Belief in the real presence demands
faith--the basis of new life as called for by Christ throughout
scripture. But faith in signs conferring what they signify is the
basis also for the Incarnation--appearances belying true
meaning. The true significance of the real presence is sealed
in John's gospel. Five times in different expressions, Jesus
confirmed the reality of what he means.
John 6:51
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread
that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.
John 6:53
Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh
of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have
life within you.
John 6:54
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has
eternal life.
John 6:55
For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

John 6:56
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains
in me and I in him.
The best way a person can make a clear literal point is
repetition of the same message in different ways. Jesus
did this. Those around him clearly understood what he was
saying--cannibalism and the drinking of blood--both
forbidden by Mosaic Law.

John 6:60,66
Then many of his disciples who were listening said,
"This saying is hard; who can accept it?" ... As a
result
of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their
former
way of life and no longer accompanied him.

Had these disciples mistaken the meaning of Jesus' words,

Jesus would surely have known and corrected them. He
didn't. They had clearly understood his meaning--Jesus' flesh
was to be really eaten; his blood to be really drunk.
Non believers often respond that even at the Last Supper,
the apostles did not sense that they had flesh in their hands
and blood in their cup. But Jesus is God. The creative literalness
of the words: "This is my body; this is my blood" must be
believed. God cannot lie. And God can turn bread into flesh
and wine into blood without the appearances of bread and wine
changing.

Medieval philosophers and theologians called this expression

of Divine Truth and Creative Power "transubstantiation". Yes,
God can change the substance of any created matter while
the appearances remain unchanged. And this demands faith.
Paul confirms elsewhere in his letters the reality of the real
presence.

1 Corinthians 10:16
The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation
in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not
a participation in the body of Christ?
The persuasion of the Church from Apostolic times about
the objective reality of these words of Christ is clear from
many documents.

St. Ignatius of Antioch,

Epistle to the Romans, c. 105
"I have no taste for corruptible food nor
for the pleasures of this life.  I desire the
bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus
Christ, who was of the seed of David; and
for drink I desire His blood, which is love
incorruptible." 

.
Irenaeus (Asia Minor, 140 - 202), Tertullian (Rome, 160 - 220),
Cyprian (Carthage, 200 - 258) are just a few of the earliest who
attest to the objective reality of the words of Christ.

In the Church in Alexandria, Athanasius (293 - 373) and

Cyril (376 - 444) equally attest to the literal meaning of the
words of Christ at the Last Supper.

In the Church in Palestine, Cyril (Jerusalem, 315 - 387) and

Epiphanius (Salamis, 367 - 403) also affirm in their teaching
the same reality.
Tertullian

Irenaeus

Cyprian

.......
Epiphanius
Athanasius and Cyril Cyril
Unanimity is found across the universal church until the 11th
century. Berengar (Tours, France, 1000 - 1088) was one of the
first to deny the real presence by arguing that Christ is not
physically present, but only symbolically.

The Council of Rome (a local council), 1079, taught against

Berengar that the Eucharist is truly the body and blood of Christ.

By the 16th century, some Reformers (excluding Luther)

also taught that Christ's presence in the Eucharist was only
figurative or metaphorical. Since there were other opinions
being taught as truth (figurative presence and metaphorical
presence) a teaching authority had to be appealed to discern
error from the truth. The way of the Church was to follow

.. .
the model of Acts 15. Council
of
Berenger Rome Reformation
The Council of Trent (1545 - 1563) defined the real presence
of Christ in the Eucharist, and the Eucharist as both the
continuing sacrifice of Christ and a real sacrament. The
institution of the Eucharist as sacrament was contained in
the words "Do this in remembrance of me."

.
Council of Trent, opening, 1548
 The Mass: Synagogue Service and Last Supper

Catholic Christians celebrate the Eucharist in the liturgical act

called the Mass. The word Mass comes from the Latin missa
("sent"). It was taken from the formula for dismissing the
congregation: Ite missa est ("Go, the Eucharist has been
sent forth") referring to the ancient custom of sending
consecrated bread from the bishop's Mass to the sick and
to the other churches.
The Mass contains two parts: the liturgy of the Word and
the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

The Liturgy of the Word is a copy

of the Jewish synagogue service
of the first century: readings from
Scripture followed by responses
from the congregation often from
the Book of Psalms.
Ruins of the synagogue at Capernaum

The Liturgy of the Eucharist is a

reenactment of the Last Supper.
A celebrant does what Christ did:
take bread and wine and say the
same words Christ said and then
share the now consecrated
bread and wine with the congregation.
Catholics believe that the bread and wine become the real
Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and remain such until the
elements are entirely consumed. The Body and Blood not
consumed at one Eucharist are reserved for the next celebration
of the Eucharist and venerated as the Body and Blood of Jesus.

Eucharistic Benediction

Blessed Sacrament Chapel

Remembrance: One Sacrifice--Calvary--Continued

Catholic Christians take the word of God seriously and seek

to remember Christ in the Last Supper "as often as" possible.
And in doing this proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

1 Corinthians 11:24-26
"This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
In the same way also the cup,
after supper, saying, "This cup
is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of me." For as
often as you eat this bread and
drink the cup, you proclaim the
death of the Lord until he comes.
Luke 22:19
"This is my body, which will be given for you; do this
in memory of me."
Catholic Christians also believe that there is only one sacrifice,
Jesus', but following the command "as often as" to proclaim
the death of the Lord, the sacrifice of Christ is made physically
present to every Christian in all places in every age.
The Eucharist makes the a-temporal a-physical actions of Christ's
redeeming action truly present to us always and everywhere.
This is incarnational.
Following the word of God, Catholics also know that Christ is
not and cannot be re-sacrificed. This has never been the teaching
of the Catholic Church.

Hebrews 10:12
But this one (Jesus) offered one sacrifice for sins ...
Hebrews 7:27
He has no need, as did the high priests, to offer
sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for
those of the people; he did that once for all when he
offered himself.
Hebrews 9:25-28
Not that he might offer himself repeatedly ... But now
once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages to
take away sin by his sacrifice. ... Christ, offered once to
take away the sins of many ...
The constant faith of the Church from the Apostolic Fathers
attests to the fact that the Mass was the one Sacrifice of Calvary
made present to the faithful.

Cyprian (Carthage, 200-258), Letters, No 63:9 (To Caecilian)

In which portion we find that the cup which the Lord offered was
mixed, and that that was wine He called His Blood. Whence it
appears that the blood of Christ is not offered if there be no wine
in the cup, nor the Lord's sacrifice celebrated with a legitimate
consecration unless our oblation and sacrifice respond to

.
His passion.
The 1994 Catechism of the Catholic Church makes this
statement explicitly.

Catholic Catechism Section 1104

Christian liturgy not only recalls the
events that saved us but actualizes
them, makes them present. The
Paschal mystery of Christ is
celebrated, not repeated. It is the
celebrations that are repeated,
and in each celebration there is
an outpouring of the Holy Spirit
that makes the unique mystery
present.

.
Catholic Catechism Section 1085
"In the Liturgy of the Church, it is principally his own Paschal
mystery that Christ signifies and makes present. During his
earthly life Jesus announced his Paschal mystery by his
teachings and anticipated it by his actions. When his Hour
comes, he lives out the unique event of history which does not
pass away: Jesus dies, is buried, rises from the dead, and is
seated at the right hand of the Father "once for all." His
Paschal mystery is a real event that occurred in our history,
but it is unique: all other historical events happen once, and
then they pass away, swallowed up in the past. The Paschal
mystery of Christ, by contrast, cannot remain only in the past,
because by his death he destroyed death, and all that Christ
is -- all that he did and suffered for all people -- participates
in the divine eternity, and so transcends all times while being
made present in them all. The event of the Cross and
Resurrection abides and draws everything toward life. "
 Transubstantiation
The Catholic Church through history approached her faith life
with the clarification of language. That is, she translated the
essentials of revealed faith into the vocabulary of living language.

To the revealed Word that there is "Father, Son and

Holy Spirit" the Church labeled the belief "Trinity."

To the revealed Word that the "Son of God became man"

the Church labeled the belief "Incarnation."

To the revealed Word that the "blood of Christ spilled

on Calvary saved us" the Church labeled the belief
"Redemption."

To the revealed Word that "my flesh is true food, my

blood is true drink" the Church labeled the belief
"Transubstantiation."
Transubstantiation reflects Catholic faith in the literalness
of the words of the Bible. Jesus (omnipotent God) said:
"This is my body; this is my blood." And again Jesus said:
"I am the bread of life;" "My flesh is true food; my blood is true
drink;" "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood ...;" etc.

Catholics take Jesus at His word: the bread is his body;

the wine is his blood.

From the Apostles at the Last Supper until today, the bread
and wine of Eucharist looks and feels and tastes like bread
and wine in the eating and drinking.

Similar to all of God's Word, faith is essential. Faith in what?

in the words of Jesus even though the bread does not look,
feel, taste like flesh; even though the wine does not look, feel,
taste like blood.
Medieval philosophers and theologians sought simply to label
this simple biblical faith: Jesus said that bread is his body and
wine is his blood even though it did not appear to change into
visible flesh and blood.

Transubstantiation means that

the substance part of the bread and wine elements
changes; bread becomes Jesus' body and wine becomes
Jesus' blood;
but the accidental parts--sight, taste, smell, touch of
bread and wine--do not.

Catholics believe that since Jesus said it and He is God,

he can do it. They believe! "Transubstantiation" merely labels it.

In everyday life, it is not at all uncommon to believe in things

people cannot perceive by the senses: wind, electricity, love,
peace, etc. All the more when Jesus says it.
Not the reason
we believe;

but our faith is affirmed.

 Lanciano, Italy, 8th Century

A priest has doubts about the Real

Presence; however, when he consecrated
the Host it transformed into flesh and blood.

This miracle has undergone extensive

scientific examination and can only be
explained as a miracle. The flesh is
actually cardiac tissue which contains
arterioles, veins, and nerve fibers.

The blood type as in all other approved

.
Eucharistic miracles is type AB.
 Santarem, Portugal, 1246

A host brought to a sorceress started

to bleed... Fear overcame her and she
went home and put the Host in a trunk,
wrapped in her handkerchief and covered with clean linen.
During the night she and her husband were awakened by
a bright light coming from the trunk which illuminated the room.
The wife told her husband of the incident and that the trunk
contained a Consecrated Host. Both spent the night on their

.
knees in adoration. A priest was called and took the Host
back to the church and sealed it in melted beeswax.
 Bagno, Italy 1412 AD
This Eucharistic miracle occurred in
the small Italian town of Bagno di
Romagna as a priest was celebrating
Mass and having great doubts about
the True Presence of Our Lord in the
Eucharist. After consecrating the wine,
he looked into the chalice and was
shocked to see wine turned to blood.
It began to bubble out of the chalice
and onto the corporal. Shaken by the
event, the priest prayed for forgiveness.
He eventually was given the title Venerable because of the
pious life he led after the miracle. In 1958 an investigation

.
confirmed the corporal contained human blood and still
retained properties of blood nearly 600 years later.
 Sienna, Italy, August 17, 1730

Consecrated Hosts remain perfectly

preserved for over 250 years.
Rigorous scientific experiments
have not been able to explain
this phenomena.

.
 Betania, Venezuela 1991

This miracle occurred during Mass in Betania, Venezuela,

on the feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1991. A
Consecrated Host, truly the flesh of Our Lord, began to bleed.
A subsequent medical team concluded that the material
extruded from the Host was blood of human origin.
The local bishop declared it a sign of transubstantiation saying,

.
"God is trying to manifest to us that our faith in the consecrated
Host is authentic."
 Mercy Sunday, April 10, 1994, Yardville, New Jersey

Father Robert J. Rooney was celebrating morning Mass.

As he elevated the Host and spoke the words of consecration,
red substance flowed out of the Eucharist; this anomaly is
easily seen in three of the four quadrants of the consecrated
Eucharist. The altar boys and the reader also saw this event
and commented on the "strange" color of the Host.

.
 Pentecost, June 11, 2000, Rome Italy
While Bishop Claudio Gatti was celebrating
Mass in the Church of the Mother of the
Eucharist, blood began to come out from
the host. During the breaking of the bread,
the blood kept on dropping before the eyes
of the present people. The bishop
had to consume the blood-stained
Host. He had the sweet taste of Jesus
blood and felt a strong heat and an
intense scent that invaded his
stomach.

.
 700, Lanciano, Italy.
1153, Blaine, France.
1171, March 28, Ferraro, Italy.
1194, Augsburg, Germany.
1200s early, St Anthony of Padua
1225-1247, Santarem, Portugal.

 
1228, Altari, Italy.
1230, December 30, Florence, Italy.
1239, Daroca, Spain.
1252, Assisi, Italy, St Clare.
                                      

1263, Bolsena and Orvieto, Italy. Peter of Prague.

1273, Offida, Italy.
1280, Slavonice, Czechoslovakia.
1290, Paris, France.
1294, Venice, Italy.
1300, Cebrero, Spain.
1300, Aninon, Spain.
1300s, Cascia, Italy.
1317, Viversel, Belgium.
1330, Walldurn, Germany.
1331, March 31, Blanot, France.
1333, Feast of Ascension, Bologna, Italy, 12 year old
Bl. Imelda Lambertini.
1345, March 15, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
1345, Krakow, Poland.
1356, April 25, Macereta, Italy.
1369, October 4, Brussels, Belgium.
1372, Siena, Italy, St Catherine.
1374, Middleburg, Netherlands.
1379, Boxtel, Holland.
1384, Holy Thursday, Seefield, Austria.
1405, Ittre, Belgium, Bois Seigneur Isaac.
1412, Bagno Di Romagna, Italy.
1417, Regensburg-Deggendorf-Erding, Germany.
1427, Zaragoza, Spain.
1433, Dijon, France.
1433, Avignon, France.
1447, Ettiswill, Switzerland.
1450s? Langenwiese, Poland-Czechoslovakia area.
1453, Turin, Italy.
1472, Volterra, Italy.
1601, La Viluena, Spain.
1730, Siena, Italy.
HEALING /
ANOINTING OF THE SICK
 Healing/Anointing of the Sick
Catholic Christians have always believed in and practiced
the anointing/healing of the sick. Before Vatican Council II
the rite was called "extreme unction" or last anointing and
referred principally to the anointing which took place when
a believer was close to death. The sacrament has been
restored to the role it had in the Apostolic Church.
Jesus healed people according to the Gospels.

Mark 1:41
Moved with pity, he (Jesus) stretched out his hand,
touched him, and said to him, "I do will it. Be made clean."

Mark 8:23
Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on him and
asked, "Do you see anything?"
The Apostles followed the example of Jesus and carried out
his teaching. They anointed the sick for healing.

Mark 6:13
They (the Twelve) drove out many demons, and they
anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
James 5:14-15
Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the
presbyters of the church, and they should pray over
him and anoint (him) with oil in the name of the Lord,
and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and
the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins,
he will be forgiven.
James 2:14
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has
faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
The constant faith of the Church and the teaching Magisterium
attest to the existence of the sacrament from the early Church.

In the first two centuries, there are no commentaries extent on

the Epistle of James. Indeed, the canon of the New Testament
to include the Epistle was not firm until the local Councils of
Hippo and Carthage (393 and 397).

The early Fathers of the Church did not systematically comment

on all aspects of the life of the Church. It must be noted that in
the early Church, emphasis was not given to the need of
anointing/healing. It was a practice of Christians to be
baptized at the end of life.
Many allusions are found in later Fathers of the Church both
in the use of the rite of anointing for the sick, and for obtaining
healing of both soul and body:

Origen (Alexandria, 185 - 254),

Tertullian (Rome, 160 - 220),
Athanasius (Alexandria, Egypt, 293 - 373),
Gregory (Nazianzus, 329 - 389),
John Chrysostom (Antioch, 349 - 407),
Ambrose (Tier, 340 - 397),
Augustine (Numidia, 354 - 430),
etc.

The Council of Trent defined that the sacrament of extreme

unction/anointing of the sick was listed among the seven
sacraments.
MATRIMONY:
The Mystery of the Union of
Christ and His Church
 Matrimony
Catholic Christians believe that marriage was instituted by
God in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Genesis 1:27-28
God created man in his image; in the divine image he
created him; male and female he created them. God
blessed them, saying: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the
earth and subdue it."
In the simplicity of his words, the author of Genesis described
the institution of human society.

Genesis 2:18-24
The Lord God said: "It is not good for the man to be
alone. I will make a suitable partner for him." ... So the
Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he
was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its
place with flesh. The Lord God then built up into a woman
the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought
her to the man, the man said: "This one, at last, is bone
of my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be
called 'woman,' for out of 'her man' this one has been
taken." That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and clings to his wife, and the two of them become
one body.
In the New Testament, Jesus reestablished the indissolubility
and unity of marriage.

Matthew 19:3-9
Some Pharisees approached him, and tested him,
saying, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any
cause whatever?" He said in reply, "Have you not read
that from the beginning the Creator 'made them male
and female' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave
his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the
two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two,
but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together,
no human being must separate." …
They said to him,
"Then why did Moses command that the man give the
woman a bill of divorce and dismiss (her)?" He said to
them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses
allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning
it was not so. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife
(unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another
commits adultery."
Jesus extolled the sanctity of marriage by his presence at the
wedding feast at Cana and the occasion of his first public
miracle.

John 2:1-11
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his
disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the
wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They
have no wine." (And) Jesus said to her, "Woman, how
does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet
come." His mother said to the servers, "Do whatever he
tells you." Now there were six stone water jars there for
Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty
gallons. Jesus told them, "Fill the jars with water." So they
filled them to the brim. Then he told them, "Draw some
out now and take it to the headwaiter."
So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the
water that had become wine, without knowing where it
came from (although the servers who had drawn the
water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and
said to him, "Everyone serves good wine first, and then
when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you
have kept the good wine until now." Jesus did this as
the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so
revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe
in him.
Finally, it is Paul who writes of marriage as a true sacrament
the sign of the conjugal union of Christ and his Bride,
the Church.

Ephesians 5:21-32
Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for
Christ. Wives should be subordinate to their husbands
as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just
as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of
the body. As the church is subordinate to Christ, so
wives should be subordinate to their husbands in
everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ
loved the church and handed himself over for her to
sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with
the word, that he might present to himself the church in
splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish.
So (also) husbands should love their wives as their
own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For
no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and
cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because
we are members of his body. "For this reason a man
shall leave (his) father and (his) mother and be joined
to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This is
a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and
the church.
The Fathers of the Church, from the evangelist John and Paul
attest to the reinstitution and sanctification of matrimony by
Christ and its elevation to a mystical signification.

Ignatius (Antioch, d. 110), Letter to Polycarp, MG 5, 724

Tell my sisters to love the Lord and to be satisfied with their
husbands in flesh and spirit. In the same way tell my brothers
in the name of Jesus Christ to love their wives as the Lord
does the Church. If anyone is able to persevere in chastity
to the honor of the flesh of the Lord, let him do so in all humility.
If he is boastful about it, he is lost; if he should marry, the
union should be made with the consent of the bishop, so that
marriages may be according to the Lord and not merely out
of lust. Let all be done to the glory of God.
Tertullian (Rome, 160 - 220), To His Wife, Bk. 2:7, ML 1, 1299
If, then, a marriage of this kind (faithful with unfaithful) is

 
approved by God, why will it not also be a successful marriage,
in spite of difficulties and anxieties and obstacles and
defilements, since it already enjoys the patronage of Divine
grace, at least in part?

                                                                       

                                 
The teaching Magisterium of the Church in Ecumenical
Councils also affirms the sacramental state of matrimony.

Lateran Council II (1139)

First defined as infallibly true that matrimony is as true a
sacrament as Eucharist and baptism.

The Council of Lyons II (1274)Also infallibly included

matrimony among the list of seven sacraments.

The Council of Florence (1438 - 1445)

The seventh is the sacrament of matrimony which is a sign
of the close union of Christ and the Church according to the
words of the Apostle: "This is a great mystery - I mean in
reference to Christ and to the Church" (Ephesians 5:32).
The Council of Trent (1545 - 1563), Session 24
Therefore, since matrimony under the law of the gospel is,
because of the grace given through Christ, superior to the
marriage unions of earlier times, our holy Fathers, the councils,
and the tradition of the universal Church have always rightly
taught that matrimony should be included among the
sacraments of the New Law.
 Annulment: There Never Was A Marriage
The Catholic Church professes the absolute indissolubility
of marriage based on the Bible. The Church has also taken
on herself to decide if and when marriage occurs. This process
is called annulment.

There are, as human experience teaches, many obstacles to

a valid marriage. For instance, if a young woman were forced
into marriage under fear of death, she would be incapable of
entering into a valid marriage. Or, a person may attempt
marriage while still married to a third party. These reasons
and others, if proven to have existed, invalidate marriage.
The Church in her wisdom, her history and the presence of
the Holy Spirit takes it upon herself to judge the validity of
marriages presented to her for judgment. If the presence of
some obstacle--called an impediment--is judged to have been
there at the time of a wedding ceremony, the Church issues
an annulment. She judges that while there may have been a
wedding ceremony there was no marriage in the eyes of God.

A wedding does not a marriage make. The parties are then

free to contract a valid marriage.
HOLY ORDERS:
Deacon, Priest, Bishop
 Orders
Catholic Christians, and some other Christians, believe that
the New Testament reveals an order or hierarchy to the
organization of the Church. Catholic Christians also believe
that these orders within the Church constitute a sacrament.
Paul defines the New Testament people chosen to constitute
the order of the leadership of the Church.

2 Timothy 2:2
And what you heard from me through many witnesses
entrust to faithful people who will have the ability to
teach others as well.
Paul describes the "faithful people" who are to hand on God's
Revelation and carry on principal Church functions.

The first category of "faithful people" is episcopoi, bishops.

1 Timothy 3:1-2
This saying is trustworthy: whoever aspires to the office
of bishop (episcopes) desires a noble task. Therefore,
a bishop (episcopon) must be irreproachable, married
only once, temperate, self-controlled, decent, hospitable,
able to teach
Titus 1:7,9
For a bishop (episcopon) as
God's steward must be
blameless, ... holding fast to
the true message as taught
so that he will be able both to
exhort with sound doctrine
and to refute opponents.
The second category of "faithful people" is presbyteroi,
the presbyters, priests, elders.

Titus 1:5-6
Appoint presbyters (presbyterois) in every town, as I
directed you, on condition that a man be blameless,
married only once, with believing children who are not
accused of licentiousness or rebellious.

1 Timothy 5:17
Presbyters who preside
well deserve double honor,
especially those who toil in
preaching and teaching.
The third category of "faithful people" is diaconoi, deacons.

1 Timothy 4:6,13,16
If you will give these instructions to the brothers, you
will be a good minister (diakonos) of Christ Jesus,
nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound
teaching you have followed. ... Until I arrive, attend to
the reading, exhortation, and teaching. Attend to yourself
and to your teaching.
1 Timothy 3:8-9
Similarly, deacons (diaconos)
must be dignified, not deceitful,
not addicted to drink, not greedy
for sordid gain, holding fast to
the mystery of the faith with a
clear conscience.
It is clear from Paul's writings that he and the Apostolic Church
were aware that order in the Church was conferred by the
imposition of hands.

2 Timothy 1:6
For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift
of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.

1 Timothy 4:14
Do not neglect the gift you have,
which was conferred on you
through the prophetic word
with the imposition of hands
of the presbyterate.
Paul reminds Timothy that the imposition of hands on another
is not to be taken lightly.
1 Timothy 5:22
Do not lay hands too readily on anyone, and do not
share in another's sins.

Paul himself was ordered or ordained by the leaders of the

Church at Antioch.
Acts 13:2-3
While they were worshipping the
Lord and fasting, the holy Spirit said,
"Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called
them." Then, completing their fasting
and prayer, they laid hands
on them and sent them off.
The Acts of the Apostles testifies to the belief and practice of
creating orders in the early Church.

Acts 14:23
They appointed presbyters for them in each church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.

Acts 6:6
They presented these men (seven diaconoi) to the
apostles who prayed and laid hands on them.

Acts 8:17
Then they (Peter and John) laid hands on them and
they received the holy Spirit.
The constant teaching of the Fathers of the Church affirm
the role of Orders or Ordination in the sacramental system
and in the life of the Church.

Didache, Ch 5, Syria, 70-110

Elect therefore for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy
of the Lord, humble men and not covetous, and faithful and
well tested; for they also serve you in the ministry of the
prophets and teachers. Do not therefore despise them, for
they are the honored men among you along with the prophets
and teachers.
Clement (Rome, 92-101), Letter to the Corinthians, Ch 47,
MG 1, 308
It is disgraceful, beloved, very disgraceful, and unworthy of
your training in Christ, to hear that the stable and ancient
Church of the Corinthians ... should revolt against its presbyters.

Ignatius (Antioch, d. 110), Letter to the Trallians, Ch 7;

MG 5, 680
Anyone who is within the sanctuary is pure and anyone who
is outside is impure, that is to say, no one who acts apart from
the bishop and the priests and the deacons has a clear
conscience.
The Magisterium of the Church in Ecumenical Councils has
always affirmed the role of Orders.

Lateran Council II (1139).

Listed "priesthood and the other ecclesiastical orders" along
with baptism, Eucharist and matrimony.

Council of Lyons II (1274).

Taught that there were seven sacraments, including baptism
along with orders.
Council of Florence (1438-1445)
The sixth sacrament is holy orders.

Council of Trent (1545-1563), Session 23

"In conformity with God's decree, sacrifice and priesthood are
so related that both exist in every law. Therefore, in the New
Testament, since the Catholic Church has received the holy
and visible sacrifice of the Eucharist according to the institution
of the Lord, it is likewise necessary to acknowledge that there
is in the Church a new, visible, and external priesthood, into
which the old priesthood was changed. Moreover, Sacred
Scripture makes it clear that this priesthood was instituted
by the same Lord our Savior, and that the power of consecrating,
offering, and administering his body and blood, and likewise
the power of remitting and of retaining sins, was given to the
apostles and their successors in the priesthood."
 Clerical Celibacy
The Catholic Church demands celibacy--no voluntary sexual
pleasure, hence, no marriage--as a prerequisite to the order
of presbyter and bishop.

The primary basis for the requirement of celibacy is clearly

the lifestyle example of Jesus himself.

The Church notes that the practice is sanctioned by the New

Testament.

Matthew 19:12
Some are incapable of marriage because they were
born so; some, because they were made so by others;
some, because they have renounced marriage for the
sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept
this ought to accept it.
1 Corinthians 7:6-7
This I say by way of concession,
however, not as a command. Indeed,
I wish everyone to be as I am (single?
widowed?), but each has a particular
gift from God, one of one kind and
one of another.

1 Corinthians 7:25-26
Now in regard to virgins, I have no commandment from
the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's
mercy is trustworthy. So this is what I think best because
of the present distress: that it is a good thing for a
person to remain as he is.
1 Corinthians 7:32-34
I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried
man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he
may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious
about the things of the world, how he may please his
wife, and he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin
is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may
be holy in both body and spirit. A married woman, on
the other hand, is anxious about the things of the
world, how she may please her husband.
 There are Scriptures that on their surface appear to contradict
current practice of the Church regarding priestly celibacy.

1 Timothy 3:1-2
This saying is trustworthy: whoever
aspires to the office of bishop desires
a noble task. Therefore, a bishop
must be irreproachable, married only
once, temperate, self-controlled, decent,
hospitable, able to teach . . .

Titus 1:5-6
Appoint presbyters in every town,
as I directed you, on condition that
a man be blameless, married only
once, with believing children who
are not accused of licentiousness
or rebellious.
It must be noted that neither verse requires nor encourages
marriage to those in holy orders; they simply reflect the state of
those in orders in the apostolic Church. It offers no mandate
nor counsel for the universal Church either then or now.
It was the state of the early Church and available clergy.

The law of celibacy has no doctrinal bearing in the Catholic

Church--it is a mere disciplinary law.

Even today, there are married Catholic priests in the United

States. Each is a former Episcopalian priest who joined the
Catholic Church. There are Uniate Churches, churches in
union with Rome, e.g., the Greek Byzantine Church, that
have a married clergy.

Priestly celibacy became law in the Roman Church in the

6th century.
 Priests as "Father"

Catholic Christians have a long custom--tradition--to address

their priests as "father." Many Christians feel that this practice
is in disagreement with the word of God.

Matthew 23:8-10
As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.' You have but one
teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth
your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not
be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Messiah.
If this passage was meant to be taken literally, then we all
offend the Scripture. We all have used "father" to designate our
birth father; and "teacher," our instructors at school. On the
other hand, the meaning of the scripture is that no person
should be given the respect and honor due ultimately to God
the Father.

Catholic Christians call the priests "father" with the sense

understood by Paul.

1 Corinthians 4:14-16
I am writing you this not to shame you, but to admonish
you as my beloved children. Even if you should have
countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many
fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus
through the gospel. Therefore, I urge you, be imitators
of me.
1 Thessalonians 2:11-12
As you know, we treated each one of you as a father
treats his children, exhorting and encouraging you and
insisting that you conduct yourselves as worthy of the
God who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
 • Questions or comments?
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