Christ is ‘truly, really, substantially’ present in the Eucharist, Pope says in letter
June 05, 2017
As Angola prepares to celebrate its first national Eucharistic congress, Pope Francis said in a letter to his special envoy that “Christ Himself is truly, really, substantially present” in the Eucharist.
The Pope’s May 17 letter to Cardinal Manuel Clemente, Patriarch of Lisbon, was released on June 3.
Noting that the word Eucharist means thanksgiving, Pope Francis called upon the faithful to give thanks “for the great gifts of faith and baptism, which make us partakers of Christ’s death, resurrection, and life, and for the Eucharistic Bread, about which the Savior Himself teaches: ‘I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever’ (Jn. 6:51).”
The Pope also asked Cardinal Clemente to exhort the faithful to assist others in their bodily and spiritual needs.
Angola, a nation of 20.2 million, is 41% Catholic and 38% Protestant.
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Posted by: james-w-anderson8230 -
Jun. 05, 2017 6:35 PM ET USA
I try NOT to read anything the Pope says because he invariably throws in a zinger that undermines what I have known for years.
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Posted by: DanS -
Jun. 05, 2017 5:36 PM ET USA
Uh oh. This Pope's (rare) statements of doctrinal certainty are usually followed by formation of a commission to "explore" the doctrine.
