8.128. I'm Catholic but don't believe in transubstantiation. I think the Eucharist is symbolic—Jesus said, “Do this in memory of Me.”
If you deny transubstantiation, then you are not holding the Catholic Faith. The doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is a dogma of the Catholic Church, solemnly defined and believed from the beginning, and to deny it is heretical. The notion that the Eucharist is merely a symbol is a Protestant invention, condemned repeatedly by the Church, especially at the Council of Trent.
When Our Lord said, “This is My Body… This is My Blood” (Matt. 26:26–28), He did not say, “This represents My Body.” He meant what He said—and the Church, from the Apostles onward, believed that the bread and wine are truly changed into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. This change is called transubstantiation.
The phrase “Do this in memory of Me” does not mean that the Eucharist is just a symbolic meal. In biblical language, “memorial” (Hebrew: zikkaron) means a re-presentation, a making present again of a past event—especially in the liturgical and sacrificial sense. At the Holy Mass, the one Sacrifice of Calvary is mystically made present, not merely remembered.
To reduce the Eucharist to a symbol is to fall into the heresy of Zwingli and to abandon what all Catholic saints, martyrs, and popes have held. Consider this solemn teaching:
“If anyone says that in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist the substance of the bread and wine remains together with the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ… let him be anathema.”
This is de fide (of the Faith). To reject it is to place yourself outside the Church.
Let’s compare the Catholic teaching with the modern symbolic error:
| Category | True Catholic Teaching | Symbolic / Protestant View | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature of the Eucharist | True Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ | Merely bread and wine with symbolic meaning | Denying this is heresy; contradicts all Church Fathers |
| Words of Christ | “This is My Body... This is My Blood” (literal) | Interpreted as figurative or metaphorical | Scripture is clear and solemn at the Last Supper |
| Effect of Consecration | Substance of bread and wine becomes Christ | No change occurs; remains ordinary matter | Transubstantiation is infallibly defined (Council of Trent) |
| Worship of the Host | Adoration of the Eucharist is due to God Himself | Adoration is idolatry if it’s just bread | Only makes sense if the Host is truly Christ |
| Early Church Belief | Unanimous belief in the Real Presence | Denied by Protestants 1,500 years later | St. Ignatius (A.D. 110): “The Eucharist is the Flesh of Christ.” |
| Purpose of the Mass | True re-presentation of Calvary’s Sacrifice | Commemorative meal or symbolic ritual | The Mass is not a new sacrifice, but the same Sacrifice |
| “Memory” in Scripture | Means liturgical re-presentation (*zikkaron*) | Reduced to mental or emotional recollection | In Jewish context, memorials make events present |
| John 6 – Bread of Life Discourse | Taken literally: “My flesh is food indeed” | Reinterpreted symbolically | Many disciples left because they understood Him literally (John 6:66) |
| Fruit of Communion | Unites the soul to Christ; increases grace | Purely symbolic fellowship or community | True Communion nourishes the soul supernaturally |
| State of the Communicant | Must be in the state of grace to receive | No distinction made; open to all believers | Receiving unworthily brings condemnation (1 Cor. 11:27–29) |
| Sanctuaries & Tabernacles | Reserved for the Real Presence of Christ | Often removed or neglected | Loss of belief leads to loss of reverence |
| Miracles of the Eucharist | Numerous confirmed Eucharistic miracles (e.g., Lanciano) | Dismissed or ignored | God provides visible proof to strengthen faith |
| Church’s Dogmatic Definition | Transubstantiation is a de fide dogma | Rejected after the Protestant Revolt | Denial incurs automatic excommunication (Trent) |
| Continuity with Apostolic Tradition | Unbroken teaching from Christ through the Fathers | A modern invention, 16th century onward | The Church always believed in the Real Presence |
Summary:
The Eucharist is not a symbol—it is Jesus Christ Himself. To receive Holy Communion in a state of unbelief is a grave sin. To reject transubstantiation is to reject Christ's words, the authority of the Church, and the unanimous tradition of 2,000 years.
“Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.”
Reject the symbolic lie. Believe in the Holy Eucharist as the saints did. Adore It. Defend It. Receive It worthily.