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Hi, Ryan —
I must say transmutation is
a new one on me.
Given its Latin
roots, it seems to say that a mutation
takes place. Given that a mutation
is a species of the original, this
does not fit, at all, in the Church's
faith in the Eucharist. The bread
and wine are not mutated or changed
into another form of bread and wine. For example, white wheat bread is
not changed into whole wheat. White wine
is neither changed into red wine.
What indeed takes place is a total transformation
of the substance or essence of
the bread and wine. No longer do
we have bread and wine but instead,
we have the Body and Blood of Christ.
Although, for obvious reasons, the
Encyclical Mysterium Fidei of Paul VI is dated 1965,
he expressly denies the suitability
and usage of such terms as:
- transfiguration and
- transignification because
they too, leave the substance
untouched.
There is much pseudo-theology that
is attempting to express the teaching
of the Church, in many areas, using
a "subjective epistemology".
In other words, the emphasis is on
what the subject "knows" rather,
than on the "objective epistemology", which
is the tried and true inheritance
of the ancients. Both Greek and Christian
philosophers, who do not despair
of arriving at the Truth or the "truth
of the thing" allow the "being" to
reveal itself truly, and really,
to the knower.
In short, transubstantiation cannot be
used interchangeably with transmutation.
It is mixing apples and oranges and,
sadly, it is not only shortchanging
what we can know, it is mutilating
the teaching of the Church concerning
the Eucharist.
Fr. Francis
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