Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
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Does transubstantiation happen? | Veritas | Tuesday, November 2, 2004 |
Question: Shalom Aleichem, Firstly, I thank you for taking the time to read my question. Protestants say that the wine and bread are not literally the blood and flesh of Jesus. Now, does it matter at all, as after all, the Communion is merely taken to commemorate the Blood Atonement of Christ : |
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Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+
Dear Sir: You are incorrect about the nature of communion. It is not merely a commemoration of the blood atonement of Christ. That is a man-made notion invented by Protestants. The first century Christians and all Christians for 1500 years, before the sinful schism and heresy of the Protestant revolution in the 16th century, believed in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Jesus Himself teaches this in John 6. As for losing one's salvation if a person does not believe in the Real Presence, the answer to that is yes, that is possible, for a Catholic who comes to deny this dogma. He would become a heretic. For non-Catholics a different expectation is applied. For Protestants and non-Christians, it cannot be expected for them to believe in this dogma. Thus, if they do not believe this through no fault of their own (in invincible ignorance) God will judge those people according to their sincerity of heart to seek, and "moved by grace, try in their actions to do His will as they know it through the dictates of the conscience." Thus Protestants, if genuinely not convinced of this dogma, and the same with non-Christians, may still find salvation according to God's love, mercy, and justice. God Bless, P.S. For more information on the Real Presence see the articles Real Presence, Christ in the Eucharist, Sacrifice of the Mass, and Institution of the Mass See this article about Salvation Outside the Church
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