Eucharist Miracle of Bolsena-Orvieto, Italy, 1263
This
Sunday we celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (formerly
called Corpus Christi). It was instituted in 1264. The miracle happened the
year before.
Bolsena
is located in central Italy. Fr. Peter of Prague, a Bohemian priest, was
traveling on pilgrimage to Rome and stopped in Bolsena on the way. Purportedly
Fr. Peter’s spiritual director had recommended that Fr. Peter make the
pilgrimage to Rome as a spiritual aid to his troubled soul about temptations to
doubt that Christ was really present in the Eucharist.
The
doctrine of transubstantiation had already formally been proclaimed in 1215 at
the Fourth Lateran Council. Transubstantiation means that, pursuant to the
command of Jesus to “do this in remembrance of Me,” the priest ordained in
Apostolic succession, when calling down the Holy Spirit at Mass and speaking
Jesus’ own words of consecration, the Holy Spirit then changes the full
substance of the unleavened bread and wine into the Body, Blood, Soul, and
Divinity of Jesus Christ, with only the mere appearances remaining.
(Ordinarily, that is; but sometimes, God does the extraordinary!) This has been
the consistent teaching of the Church since Christ.
Yet
Fr. Peter had temptations to doubt. Was he, that day, coming to the church,
still troubled? Probably. He went to the Church of St. Christina and began Mass
at the altar located directly over the tomb of this Third Century martyr. St
Christina was only 11 years old and suffered incredible tortures while holding
fast to Christ. Before she died, she had converted over 300 people by her
testimony. (Did her heavenly
intercession bring about this miracle?)
Fr.
Peter now held in his hands the unleavened bread and spoke the words of Christ:
“Take and eat you all of this, FOR THIS IS MY BODY.” Right then, just as he
said, “MY BODY,” Blood started to seep from the now-consecrated white Host and
trickled over his hands onto the corporal (the white linen cloth on the altar),
some falling on the stone floor.
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Now
10 miles from Bolsena is the town of Orvieto, and the French Pope Urban IV
(1261–1264) was residing there (as he did most of his papacy). Fr. Peter was so
shaken that probably all he could think was, “I’ve got to tell the Pope!” He
went and related what had happened. Pope Urban then sent emissaries back to
Bolsena to immediately investigate. When all the facts were ascertained, the
Pope determined it was a miracle and ordered the Bishop of the diocese to bring
to Orvieto the Host and the linen cloth bearing the stains of the Blood. This
was done with a great procession. The linen corporal bearing the Precious Blood
is still reverently enshrined and exhibited in the Cathedral of Orvieto today.
In the Basilica of St. Christina in Bolsena are preserved the four stones where
the Precious Blood fell.
It
is said that Pope Urban IV was prompted by this miracle to commission St.
Thomas Aquinas to compose the prayers and hymns for Corpus Christi, which the
Pope introduced to the Church the following year.
In 1964, Pope Paul VI went to Orvieto to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the institution of the feast of Corpus Christi, celebrating at the altar where the holy corporal with the Precious Blood is kept in its golden shrine. In 1976, he visited Bolsena and spoke from there via television to the 41st International Eucharistic Congress held in Philadelphia. He said, the Eucharist is “... a mystery great and inexhaustible.” Indeed!
Dibby Allan Green