By Msgr. Pedro Lopez-Gallo
The Council of Trent decreed as dogmatic belief that there are seven sacraments, and that they are efficacious signs bringing grace by their administration itself (ex opere operato) and not simply by the faith of the recipient (ex opere operantis).
Then came the theological definition of transubstantiation: "That wonderful and singular conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the Body of Christ, and the whole substance of the wine into the Blood of Jesus - only the species of the bread and wine remaining." Only the "accidents" remain: the colour, taste, weight. "Substance" here means what something is in itself.
To explain further, a hat is not a hat because of its colour, size, softness, or anything about it that is perceptible by the senses. A hat is a substance that has a shape, but yet it can be distinct. It could be white or pink, but it is still a hat.
Another example: size, race, or weight do not make a man. His substance is what makes him a man, not his colour, talents, or qualities. Philosophically, he possesses substance, but the accidents could be distinct. While the appearances (accidents) are perceptible by the senses, the substance is not.
When Jesus said, "This is My Body," what He held in His hands still had all the appearance of bread: the accidents remained unchanged. This is what we call transubstantiation: a change of the substance of the bread into the Body of Christ, while the external species of taste, colour, etc. remain.
Another way to express this distinction between "substance" and "species" is by the philosophical terms "form" and "matter" according to the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas following classical Aristotelian philosophy. We see the matter or the species, not the substance or form.
Unfortunately the Lutheran Reformation and many other Protestant confessions question the doctrine of transubstantiation. This is a mystery that our Anglican brothers who respond to the invitation of Pope Benedict XVI must believe and accept in order to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church.
Many other subjects were discussed during the Council of Trent that we cannot deal with here, but during the 16th century so many historic events took place that we can only marvel when we consider God's divine plan when directing His creation. It is amazing how God juxtaposes contrasting personalities.
Take, for instance, St. Teresa of Avila and Martin Luther. While both proclaimed to reform the Church, one did it in the silence of the convent, restoring the Old Rule of the Carmelite monks and nuns through austerity, fasting, and contemplation, and the other publicly announced his 95 Theses against the Catholic Faith. This led to the sad separation of Catholics and Protestants.
Then there was the libidinous Pope Alexander VI, who brought shame on the Church with his sinful actions, producing and favouring two ambitious children. He died in 1503. One year later Antonio Ghislieri, who was to become Pope St. Pius V, was born. In him the Church gained a glorious saint who enforced the decrees of the Council of Trent, by whose wisdom and regulations we are still governed. Celibacy for secular priests was also reaffirmed.
The glorious vitality of Christianity in this age was seen in the work of Michelangelo: architect, painter, sculptor, theologian, and poet, who started his mighty work on the ageless basilica of St. Peter in Rome, Caput Mundi (Rome, Head of the World).
In the meantime there was King Henry VIII, who initially was a devout servant of the Pope and given the title of Defensor Fidei (Defender of the Faith) for his book which highlighted the errors in the theses of Luther. Then he moved towards continental Protestantism after being excommunicated by Pope Clement VII.
The Ten Articles of 1536 and the Bishops' Book of 1537, both (but especially the first) Lutheran in places, were followed by a project for a full alliance with the Lutheran princes of Germany. Anglicanism was influenced by Lutheran thinking, but still retained its own doctrine.
In the centuries after the Reformation there were many times that the Anglican and the Roman Catholic Churches looked to each other seeking reunification, at least through some of their members. I have already written about the Oxford Movement, which took place in the middle of the 19th century.
Two cardinals, John Henry Newman and Henry E. Manning, entered the Catholic Church under the influence of Cardinal Nicholas Patrick Wiseman, who entertained high hopes for England's proximate conversion.
In my long life I, too, have witnessed a great number of Anglican ministers become Catholic priests. We in British Columbia have some of them.
The most emotional encounter was recently described by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the retired Archbishop of Westminster, England: "Tears came to my eyes as I saw Pope John Paul II and Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie walking together, and hopes were high that one day, at least between the Anglican Communion and ourselves, there would be a real and substantial unity."
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