Many Christian groups believe that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Eucharist, not just as a symbol or metaphor. These groups include Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Syriac, Moravian, Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, Reformed (such as Continental Reformed, Presbyterian, Congregationalist, and Reformed Baptist), Waldensian, and Irvingian traditions. These groups differ mainly in how they explain the way Jesus is present during the Lord's Supper.
In the 1980s, these groups worked together to better understand each other’s beliefs. This led to discussions about Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry organized by the World Council of Churches.
Other Christians, such as the Plymouth Brethren, Unitarians, non-denominational churches, some followers of liberal Christianity, and parts of the Restoration Movement, do not believe in the Real Presence. They view the Lord's Supper as a simple remembrance of Jesus.
History
The belief that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist has existed for many centuries. Early Christian writers described the Eucharist as the body and blood of Jesus.
A short text called the Teachings of the Apostles (or Didache), which is one of the oldest Christian writings outside the Bible, states that only people who have been baptized should take part in the Eucharist. It quotes Jesus as saying, "Do not give what is holy to dogs."
Ignatius of Antioch, writing around the year 106 to Christians in Rome, described the Eucharist as the "flesh of Jesus Christ" and his "blood," which he called "incorruptible love and eternal life."
In the same year, writing to Christians in Smyrna, Ignatius warned against people who refused to take part in the Eucharist because they did not believe it was the actual body of Jesus.
Around the year 150, Justin Martyr wrote in his First Apology that the Eucharist is not ordinary bread and drink, but something special. He compared it to how Jesus became flesh and blood for salvation, saying the Eucharist is nourished by the power of God’s words.
Around the year 200, Tertullian wrote that when Jesus said, "This is my body," he was showing that the bread became his actual body. He argued that if the bread were not real, it could not be changed into something else.
The Apostolic Constitutions, written around 380, describe how the bishop says, "The body of Christ," and the people respond, "Amen." The deacon then says, "The blood of Christ, the cup of life," and the people respond, "Amen."
Ambrose of Milan, who lived until 397, explained that the Eucharist is not changed by natural processes but by God’s blessing. He compared it to how Elijah’s words brought fire from heaven, saying Jesus’ words have power to change the bread and wine into his body and blood. He emphasized that the Eucharist is the true body of Christ, not just a symbol.
Other writers from the 4th century used words like "change," "transformation," and "transposing" to describe how the bread becomes the body of Christ.
Augustine said the bread in the Eucharist "becomes" the body of Christ, explaining that the faithful understand this when they receive it.
In the 9th century, Charles the Bald asked questions about whether the Eucharist is the same body that Jesus had on earth. Ratramnus believed the bread and wine remain unchanged in appearance, but the faithful receive the body of Christ in a spiritual way. Radbertus argued that the Eucharist is the same body that Jesus had historically. This debate continued until the 11th century.
In the 11th century, Berengar of Tours argued that no physical change was needed for the Eucharist, which led to a major debate about the Catholic understanding of the Eucharist.
In 1215, the Fourth Lateran Council used the word transubstantiated to describe the change that happens in the Eucharist.
In the 13th century, Christian thinkers used ideas from Aristotle to explain the Eucharist, with Saint Thomas Aquinas developing this into a clear teaching.
During the medieval period, the Eucharist was widely discussed in the Western Church. After the Protestant Reformation, the question of the Eucharist became a major point of disagreement among different religious groups.
Lutherans believed in the "sacramental union," meaning the Eucharist is both bread and the body of Christ. This idea was written about in the Augsburg Confession of 1530.
The main disagreement about the Eucharist was not between Catholics and Protestants, but within Protestantism itself. Luther and Zwingli debated this at the Marburg Colloquy in 1529 but did not agree. Zwingli’s view, called "Memorialism," focused on remembering Jesus, not on the physical presence of his body.
Views
The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus Christ is truly, really, and completely present in the Eucharist. This means His presence is not just a symbol or image. It is real and objective, meaning it exists independently of whether people believe or feel something. Even if someone does not have faith, the presence of Christ in the Eucharist remains real. The Church also says His presence is "substantial," meaning the true, underlying reality of Christ—His body and blood—exists, even though the bread and wine look and feel the same as before. The physical properties of the bread and wine, like weight or taste, do not change, but their true reality has become the body and blood of Christ.
This change from bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ is called transubstantiation. The Church does not use this term to fully explain how the change happens, only that it occurs in a way that goes beyond human understanding.
A Church hymn, Ave Verum Corpus, says: "Hail, true body, born of Mary Virgin, and which truly suffered and was immolated on the cross for mankind!"
The Church also teaches that the whole of Christ—His body, blood, soul, and divinity—is present in the Eucharist. The appearance of bread and wine remains unchanged, but their true reality is now Christ’s body and blood.
The presence of Christ in the Eucharist is different from His presence in other sacraments. In other sacraments, Christ is present through His power, not through His actual body and blood.
Other Christian groups, such as the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches, also believe that the bread and wine in the Eucharist become the real body and blood of Christ. They do not use the term transubstantiation to explain the change, as it is tied to old philosophical ideas. Instead, they use terms like metousiosis, which means a change in the substance of the elements, but this term is not an official rule in their faith. Some groups, like Coptic Christians, avoid using complex words and rely on Bible passages to describe the Eucharist.
The Catholic Church teaches that the change happens during the words of consecration, while the Eastern Orthodox Church says the change occurs sometime between the preparation of the elements and the invocation of the Holy Spirit. They believe the exact time of the change is unknown and should remain a mystery.
The Coptic Church’s liturgy includes the statement: "I believe, I believe, I believe and profess to the last breath that this is the body and the blood of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, which he took from our Lady, the holy and immaculate Virgin Mary, the Mother of God."
The Eastern Orthodox Church’s Synod of Jerusalem declared: "We believe the Lord Jesus Christ to be present… truly and really, so that after the consecration of the bread and wine, the bread is changed into the true Body of the Lord, and the wine is changed into the true Blood of the Lord."
Lutherans believe the body and blood of Christ are truly present in the Eucharist, "in, with, and under" the bread and wine. They call this belief the "Sacramental Union." They reject the term consubstantiation because it is confusing and tied to old philosophical ideas. Lutherans say the real presence of Christ happens when the priest says the Words of Institution during the Mass. They believe the Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving and that it helps remove sins.
For Lutherans, the Eucharist is only a sacrament if the bread and wine are used as Christ taught—through consecration, distribution, and reception. Some Lutherans oppose keeping the consecrated elements after the service or private Masses, but others treat them with respect, similar to Catholic and Orthodox practices. Most Lutherans do not practice public adoration of the Eucharist, but they may bow, kneel, or genuflect as a sign of reverence.
Consecration, presidency and distribution
Many Christian churches that believe Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist (such as Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Moravian, Anglican, Methodist, Oriental Orthodox, Reformed, and Irvingian churches) allow only ordained clergy, like priests or ministers, to perform the sacrament of the Eucharist. These clergy may or may not also give the sacrament to members. Other churches do not use the term "ordination" but still assign these duties to church leaders who have titles such as pastor, elder, or deacon.