According to the catechism of the catholic church, the most valued sacrament among the seven sacraments of the eucharist is t
According to the catechism of the catholic church, the most valued sacrament among the seven sacraments of the eucharist is the body and blood shared by its adherents. It is a symbol of the presence of Christ through His soul and divinity. However, 28% of Catholics who believe that the wine and bread used in church as sacraments symbolize the blood and body of Christ are not fully aware that the church holds the occurrences of transubstantiations (Smith, 2019). The position of the catholic church is defined by the 43% of Catholics who believe that the bread and wine are a true representation of Jesus Christs’ body and blood. It means that they acknowledge the faith of the church that Christ died on the cross for their sins and the Eucharist shared during mass a symbol of His love. Despite the value attached to transubstantiation, many Catholics don’t see the need to attend mass regularly (Goodson & Stein, 2019). A survey shows that seven out of ten self-identified Catholics do not show up for mass. 22% of Catholics strongly reject the idea of transubstantiation despite knowing the catholic church’s teaching.
A large percentage of people in America identify with the Catholic faith, almost like a cultural category or an ethnic background. This factor can be attributed to their upbringing in catholic faith households and the practices they were subjected to as they grew up (Stevens III, 2021). Most of these believers received at least two sacraments out of the seven eucharist sacraments in their lifetime because of their family traditions. However, it does not necessarily mean that they believe in the actual presence of Christ when receiving the sacraments. Research shows that most people above the age of sixty believe in the actual presence of Christ during mass (Smith, 2019). 63% of strong observers of catholic doctrines across all age groups believe in the symbolism concept propagated in the church and adhere to them.
References
Goodson, J. L., & Stein, Q. C. (2019). William James on the Doctrine of Transubstantiation. American Philosophers Read Scripture, 165.
Smith, G. A. (2019). Just one-third of US Catholics agree with their church that Eucharist is body, blood of Christ. Pew Charitable Trust, 5.
Stevens III, R. W. (2021). The Meaning of the’Real Presence’in the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper between Protestants and Roman Catholics (Doctoral dissertation, Regent University).
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