Does transubstantiation occur by the power of the Holy Spirit?

[martre]

Being 63 years old, I was taught by the Baltimore Catechism and the Catholic schools I attended that Transubstantiation occurs by the words of institution, the priest speaking “in persona Christi.”. Now I find that the new Catechism says nothing about Jesus Christ, but quotes St. John Damascene saying that is by the Holy Spirit, no mention of Christ. It is very disturbing to me that the Church should tell me we believe this and then later, no, we believe something else. This is not a development of doctrine. Where is the continuity?

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

It is true that the Catechism quotes St. John Damascene in #110 ”I shall tell you that the Holy Spirit comes upon them and accomplishes what surpasses every word and thought….Let it be enough for you to understand that it is by the Holy Spirit, just as it was of the Holy Virgin and by the Holy Spirit that the Lord, through and in himself, took flesh.” That the Holy Spirit is involved in the consecration does not remove Jesus from the situation. The Holy Spirit is involved in everything that the Father and the Son accomplish. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states at the end of # 1140: “The presence of Christ by the power of his (Jesus’) word and the Holy Spirit.”

In the second part of # 1375 it states: “Thus St. John Chrysostom declares “It is not man that causes the things offered to become the Body and Blood of Christ, but he who was crucified for us, Christ himself. The priest, in the role of Christ, pronounces these words, but their power and grace are God’s.”

So there is no contradiction. The Baltimore Catechism is correct in what it states. But the Catechism of the Catholic Church goes into more detail.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.