Is Cannibalism Taugh in the Catholic and Anglican Churches?

Question

I had a Anglican Priest tell me yesterday that he serves the "EuChrist."

I had never heard the term and was facinated by it. Apparently through the Doctine of Trans-Substanciation, This Bread and Wine, Literally and Physically becomes the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

I cannot help but stand back in horror at the thought!

Are these religions practicing a Cultist Ritual depicting the brutal act of Hannibal Lecter style Cannibalism on the Messiah?

I don't know, but physically feasting on his body and blood through some ritual sounds crazy and...well... "Cultist"

Someone please explain this to me?

Well so... He Finally Speaketh...
Hello again Father K.
Yes Father K is the one responsible for this question. I like how he changes his doctrine whenever he gets pulled up on it. Funny how you teach "Trans-substanciation" one second and when you're asked if you're a Hannibal the Cannibal you twist it around or deny it to ease the shock of the term.

Answer 1

Cannibalism is humans eating the flesh of other humans.

The word "Eucharist" comes from the Greek word eukharistos meaning grateful or thankful.

In the Eucharist, Catholics eat the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ, God the Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity.

Humans eating God at God's command is not cannibalism. It also does not injure God in any way.

At the Last Supper, Jesus said, “Take this bread. It is my body.” Then he said, “Take this and drink. This is my blood. Do this in memory of me.”

Catholics believe this was the First Eucharist, that through a miracle the bread and wine actually became the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Catholics reenact the Last Supper during every Mass, where God, acting through the priest, changes the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

This is a great sacrament of thanksgiving and unity of Catholics.

By the way, the Orthodox, Lutheran and many Anglican Churches also believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 1322 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt1art3.htm

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

First of all, the term is "Eucharist", not "EuChrist". The term Eucharist comes from the Latin "eucharistia", the virtue of thanksgiving or thankfulness.

In addition to being the Body and Blood, it is also the Soul and Divinity of Christ, who is substantially present under the appearance of bread and wine. What this means is to the senses, it still tastes, smells and feels like bread and wine. It was instituted by Christ himself at the Last Supper.

Is it difficult to comprehend? Yes, it is. Even some of Jesus' disciples had too difficult of a time when Jesus taught about the Eucharist. (See John 6:25-66). But in verse 66, it states, "After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him." These that drew back, could not see beyond the idea of Jesus' flesh just being real food.

But some stayed with Jesus and that is why we celebrate the Eucharist to this day.

Answer 3

Silly person, you need to understand that the Eucharist ("Thanksgiving") commemorates the Death AND Resurrection of Christ, therefor the body of Christ is the Glorified, post-Resurrection Body. There is no cannibalism involved here, as the Glorified Body of Christ is in no way diminished by our eating it, but rather multiplied.
Actually, I think some Anglicans and Roman Catholics still use the old term transubstantiation, but the more popular term is "the Real Presence," i.e., the Body of Christ is REALLY present in the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist.

Answer 4

As a very fervent Catholic, I really know where you are coming from. I think you have a very good point. I suspect the big difference is that cannibals eat a dead body while we eat and drink the live Body and and Blood of Jesus who is God. However, it could be that since our material body and blood are actually nourishing, we have agreed amongst ourselves not to eat each other since it is possible. But we do eat the flesh of all other animals. You will do it or die. Just as there is big difference between eating other humans and animals, there is a very big difference between eating humans and the flesh of God. Many of the followers of Jesus left Him because of this, but Jesus refused to water it down and did not back down, and insisted we had to do it. He knew it was a hard saying and asked them to believe because of the other miracles He performed in their presence. However, the Eucharist is much more than the physical Body and Blood of Jesus. It is a Spirtual food feeding our souls. We actually share in the Life of God Himself who feeds us. In other words, God is our spiritual oxygen, food and water. The body and its needs symbolize how God feeds us spiritually. So we are actually eating God in the Person of Jesus Christ. I am glad you asked the question since I will be interested in how other Catholics explain it.

Answer 5

It is merely a symbolic ritual as is any Christian service. It is part of the act. Only in the Mass is the body and blood of Christ invoked. The Mass is a symbolic gathering of believers to enforce the Papal edicts and collect money for the parish. Think about it. If it didn't exist, where would the money come from? Most professed believers would not send a check without the brethren looking over the shoulder! This is not meant to insult or demean, it is how I feel about it.

Answer 6

Actually, if you would pull your nose out of the Book of Mormon and learn a little Greek, you would know that the word "Eucharist" is Greek for Thanksgiving.

Secondly, NO Anglican would ever use the word "transubstantiation". "Strike two", my deluded friend. Nor the "Literally and Physically" part. We are Anglicans.....not Aristotelian meta-physicians.

You really ought to find a way to get a real education. You will not appear so utterly foolish.

Oh...my handicap is now 10.4 - and I'd love to play golf some time....but we really need to NOT talk theology!

[Edit] See....even my favorite atheist Bibiana knows better.

[Edit 2] I do NOT teach Transubstantiation. It is not a word that is even remotely part of my vocabulary. It's not a term any Anglican would use - not in public, not in private. It is a term that is unique to Roman Catholicism, it was never used by the Ancient Fathers (oh...since you don't know anything about Church History, let me fill you in: that means THE CHURCH that was in place about 1850 years before your buddy Jos. Smith) and certainly would not be taught by any Anglican theologian. As I said before, (sorry if you don't have a decent dictionary....) "Trans" (L. "to change") "Substancia" (L. for "substance" - I'm sure even YOU could have figured that one out...) as a term is something foreign to Anglican Sacramental Theology. It's a term (action) that the Roman Catholics borrowed from Aristotelian metaphysics and is a term that I do not utter, nor I do not use it to teach as doctrine. In case you have had another case of "LDS-induced selective amnesia" - I am not Roman Catholic. As a matter of fact, I am forbidden from using that term, so I daresay you are wrong when you say that I do. Imagine that....you're wrong.

Answer 7

There is much misnderstanding about ths topic. When Jesus asked us to partake of his body and blood it as an invitation to partake in suffering for his sake and accepting his blood for our sins. When he asked us to do this he said do this in memory of me. He didn't say it is literally me. I do remember one amusing situation when I was an altar boy and the priest dropped some breads from the chalice on the floor. I wasn't quick enough catching them with my patton (a little gold shaped plate you hold under the receiver's chin). The hosts fell to the floor and the priest angrily scrambled to pick them off the floor and shove them in his mouth. When I think of it now and I mean no disrespect I have to laugh that this poor guy actually thought he dropped Jesus Christ on the floor.

Answer 8

That is spirtual and in no mean,s literal,so no they do not eat
the body and drink the blood of Christ,Christian,s to
have this as the Lord,s supper and we eat a wafer and drink
grape juice and wash the feet of saint,s.

Answer 9

You seem to have encountered a linguistic problem.

"Eucharist" is from the Greek and means "Thanksgiving."

There is probably a great deal more you don't know but if you keep reading, you may learn. No guarantees, of course, but then "with God all things are possible, " n'est pas?

Answer 10

As Heinlein pointed out, it is ritual cannibalism. The practice is, of course, founded on the tale of the Last Supper.