Transubstantiation

1. Humprey Ian Olarte Sagabaen
BSED-RVED 3
RVED 108: Christology

2.  Transfiguration?
 Transformation?
 Transfusion?
 Transition?
 Translation?
 Transmission?
 Transplantation?
 Transportation?
 Transposition?
 You notice that these
words contain the
common prefix TRANS,
which means change or
transference.
 Thus, transfiguration
means change in figure,
transformation means
change in form,
transfusion means
transfer from one thing,
and so on.

3.  TRANSUBSTANTIATION
simply means change in
substance.
 It refers to the process
whereby the substance of
bread and wine become
the substance of Christ’s
body and blood. (Knox,
1999)

4.  It is a traditional teaching
of the Catholic Church
decreed by the Council
ofTrent (1545-1563).
 Precisely how this
conversion takes place is
a deep mystery. (Knox,
1999)

5.  The medieval theologians
already had a normative view
with regard to
Transubstantiation.
 Saint Thomas Aquinas, a
Dominican friar, theologian, and
philosopher wrote the greatest
work in medieval theology, the
Summa Theologiae or Summa
Theologica (“The Totality of
Theology”). He began to write it
in Latin in 1265 and was left
unfinished at the time of his
death.

6.  Saint Thomas’s
approach on
Transubstantiation
became normative for
medieval Catholic
theology.
 His view was greatly
influenced by
Aristotelian philosophy
involving accident and
substance.

7. Thomas was born
about the year 1225 into
the family of the Count of
Aquino. He first studied at
the monastery of Monte
Cassino and later at the
University of Naples.
Afterward he joined the
Friars Preachers (Order of
Preachers/Dominicans) and
completed his studies at
Paris and Cologne, his
instructor being Saint
Albert the Great.

8. Becoming himself a
teacher, he wrote many
learned volumes and was
especially renowned for his
philosophical and theological
studies. Saint Thomas died
near Terracina on March 7,
1274, but his memory is
honored on January 28, the day
his body was transferred to
Toulouse in 1369.
(from the CHRISTIAN PRAYER:
Liturgy of the Hours pg. 1069)

9.  The term ACCIDENT refers to the outward
appearance of a matter. It is perceivable by
the senses. People can see, feel, smell, taste,
etc.
 While SUBSTANCE refers to its inward
reality.

10.  Former view: the
substance of bread and
wine remain in the
sacrament after
consecration.
 According to Saint Thomas
Aquinas, this position
cannot be maintained
because it destroys the
reality of the sacrament
which demands that in the
sacrament there should be
the TRUE body and blood
of Christ, which was not
there before consecration.

11.  A thing cannot be in a
place where it was not
before except either by
change of position, or
by the conversion of
some other thing into
it.

12.  By Change of Position:

13.  By Conversion:

14.  It is clear that the body of Christ does not
begin to be in the sacrament through change
of position. Therefore it remains that the
body of Christ can only come to be in the
sacrament by means of conversion
 Ergo, the former view is to be avoided as
heretical.

15.  Former View: The
substance of bread or
wine does not remain
in the sacrament, some
have thought it
impossible that their
substance should be
converted into that of
the body or blood of
Christ,

16.  and therefore have
maintained that
through the
consecration the
substance of bread and
wine is either:
1. Resolved into
underlying matter.
2. Annihilated
(completely
destroyed)

17.  Saint Thomas Aquinas
argued that this view is
impossible, because it
is impossible to
suppose the manner in
which the TRUE body
of Christ begins to be
in the sacrament,
unless by conversion of
the substance of
bread.

18.  This conversion is ruled
out by the supposition
(guess) of the
annihilation of the
substance of the
bread, or its resolution
into underlying matter.

19.  Saint Thomas Aquinas
stated that this
conversion is not like
natural conversions but
it is wholly supernatural,
brought about only by
the POWEROFGOD.
 All conversion which
takes place according to
the laws of nature is
formal.

20.  But God can produce not only a
formal conversion (i.e. the
replacement of one form by another
in the same subject) But also the
conversion of the whole being (i.e.
the conversion of the whole
substance of A into the whole
substance of B.

21.  According to Saint Thomas, this is
done in this sacrament by the power
of God, for the whole substance of
bread is converted into the whole
substance of Christ’s body.
 Ergo, this conversion is properly
calledTRANSUBSTANTIATION.

22.  Obviously, the accidents of bread and wine
remain in the sacrament.
 By Divine Providence, there is a good reason
for this:
1. Because it is not normal for people to eat
human flesh and to drink human blood; in
fact, they are revolted by this idea
(Cannibalism.)…

23. …Therefore, Christ’s flesh and blood are set before
us to be taken under appearances of those
things which are of frequent use, namely, bread
and wine.
1. If we ate our Lord under his proper appearance,
this sacrament would be ridiculed by
unbelievers.
2. In order that, while we take the Lord’s body and
blood invisibly, this fact may avail toward the
merit of FAITH.

24. THANK YOU
FOR
LISTENING! =)