70 percent of U.S. Catholics don't believe in the Real Presence!?

[Maximian]

Every properly catechized Catholic knows

Thanks, but the OP os raising a point about the lack of proper catechism

 

[LilyM]

Gorgias:

It’s no longer bread. It has the appearance of bread.

So, strictly speaking, you’re not looking at bread.

If it has the appearance of bread then (given what the word ‘appearance’ means) you are indeed looking at bread, whatever you believe the ‘substance’ of it to be.

But things are more.than the sum.of their appearances. When you look at great art - Holbeins portraits of Henry VIII, Whistlers picture of his mother, van Goghs pictures of sunflowers or irises - there often comes a point where you go beyond just seeing paint skilfully arranged on canvas and really SEE the subject- be it Henry, the old lady or the flowers.

 

[paperwight]

When you look at great art - Holbeins portraits of Henry VIII, Whistlers picture of his mother, van Goghs pictures of sunflowers or irises - there often comes a point where you go beyond just seeing paint skilfully arranged on canvas and really SEE the subject- be it Henry, the old lady or the flowers.

That’s just using your imagination, surely?

On the subject of perceiving the Real Presence, when our parish started regular Exposition, a small group agitated for a spotlight so they could see the Host more clearly when the majority of the church lights were off. Which kind of went against the whole theology of the Real Presence, in my opinion.

 

[Shasta-Rose]

True. I was a Lutheran before I was Catholic, and I never heard that term in church.

I think it’s easier to believe that the host is both body and bread than it is to believe it has totally transformed but its looks haven’t. I mean, if you arrived here from a distant planet and were presented with both beliefs, I think it would be easier for you to go with the Lutherans. So, I think probably more Lutherans are in agreement with their church’s teachings on this than Catholics agreeing with their church’s teachings. Just a hunch on my part.

 

[WillC]

I think the arguement itself is sound. If the bread and wine cease to exist, but only the appearance remains, what does that tell people outside the Church?

Well, it would empirically tell them that the Church is nuts. I do think that it is a valid arguement it makes God a ‘deceiver’. (In the eyes of those outside the Church) Because if it truly is Christ’s flesh and blood (which it is) then why would God make it appear to be the normal elements? Doesn’t that cause doubt?

This is just saying I understand the arguement. Not that I agree with them.

 

[LilyM]

LilyM:

When you look at great art - Holbeins portraits of Henry VIII, Whistlers picture of his mother, van Goghs pictures of sunflowers or irises - there often comes a point where you go beyond just seeing paint skilfully arranged on canvas and really SEE the subject- be it Henry, the old lady or the flowers.

That’s just using your imagination, surely?

On the subject of perceiving the Real Presence, when our parish started regular Exposition, a small group agitated for a spotlight so they could see the Host more clearly when the majority of the church lights were off. Which kind of went against the whole theology of the Real Presence, in my opinion.

No, that is the skill of the artist in capturing the essence and not merely the appearance of their subject.