Key Ideas: According to tradition, a Eucharistic miracle occurred in Bolsena, Italy in 1263 when a German priest celebrated Holy Mass. Blood issued from the Host, drenched the corporal, and spilled onto the marble floor. Pope Urban IV is said to have initiated an investigation due to his excitement. Pope Urban IV is also credited for instituting the feast of Corpus Christi, but there is disagreement as to the connection between this miracle and the solemn commemoration throughout the universal Church. Some historians have not only questioned the link between Pope Urban IV’s instituting the feast of Corpus Christi and the Eucharistic miracle at Bolsena, but they are also skeptical that the miracle even happened.
Good Facts to Memorize: The feast of Corpus Christi was the first time a universal feast was instituted by a pope. The miraculous Host, the corporal stained with blood (the Corporal of Bolsena), and the cloths used to wipe the chalice and paten are kept in the Cathedral of Orvieto. These were enshrined in gold since 1337. Every year in Bolsena and Orvieto, the Solemnity of the Feast of Corpus Christi is celebrated with a great procession. In 1964, the seven hundredth anniversary of the miracle, Pope Paul VI celebrated Holy Mass at the altar where the Corporal of Bolsena is kept. Today we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi on the first Thursday after the octave of Pentecost throughout the world.
Effective Questions to Ask When Discussing the Real Presence: What standards of proof are appropriate when ascertaining the veracity of alleged miracles? Why does the Church not require Catholics to accept the reports of Eucharistic miracles as true? How might one form a reasonable conclusion about the Eucharistic miracle that is said to have been tied to the feast of Corpus Christi? 156
Prodigal Catholic 