Corpus christi meaning (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Corpus Christi:

Corpus Christi, which in Latin means 'body of Christ', is a feast of the Catholic Church to celebrate the presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

The purpose of this feast is to remember the institution of the Eucharist, which took place on Holy Thursday, during the Last Supper, when Jesus Christ converted the bread and wine into his body and blood, and invited the apostles to commune with him.

As such, Corpus Christi is celebrated sixty days after Easter Sunday, the Thursday following the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity, which takes place on the Sunday after Pentecost.

Thus, the feast of Corpus Christi is the Thursday following the ninth Sunday after the first full moon of spring in the northern hemisphere, and of autumn in the south.

As such, Corpus Christi celebrations include processions in the streets and public places in which the body of Christ is exhibited and accompanied by crowds of the faithful.

The holiday is highly relevant in countries such as Panama, Spain, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador. In some, it is even considered as a holiday.

Origin and history of Corpus Christi

The celebration arose during the Middle Ages, when the religious Juliana de Cornillon began to promote the idea of ​​celebrating a feast that paid tribute to the body and blood of Jesus Christ present in the Eucharist.

Thus, the first Corpus Christi celebration took place in 1246 in the city of Liège, in present-day Belgium.

It is also said that, in 1263, while a priest was celebrating mass in the church in the town of Bolsena, in Italy, it happened that, when he pronounced the words of consecration, blood began to flow from the host.

This event, known to the Catholic community as "the miracle of Bolsena", was perceived as a holy event, and ended up strengthening the celebration of Corpus Christi.

In the year 1264 Pope Urban IV finally instituted the feast of Corpus Christi in the bull Transiturus hoc world on August 11.

See also:

• Maundy Thursday Eucharist.