Corpus Christi, also known as The Feast of Corpus Christi, is a Christian holiday observed annually on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday, which falls on June 8 this year. On this day, devoted Christians commemorate the sacrosanct body of Jesus Christ. The day is also known as Corpus Domini, which literally translates to ‘body and blood of Christ,’ while others refer to it as the Feast of Corpus Christi. In contrast to other Christian holidays, Corpus Christi is commemorated differently throughout the world’s cultures. Consuming bread and wine — symbols of Christ’s body and blood — is the most common method of commemorating the holiday.
The Feast of Corpus Christi is also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, while the Church of England refers to it as the Thanksgiving Day for the Institution of Holy Communion. In some locations, celebrations include elaborate processions in which consecrated bread is paraded through the streets on flower-decorated pathways. After the solemn observance of Maundy Thursday, the Feast of Corpus Christi is a more festive commemoration.
HISTORY OF CORPUS CHRISTI
Corpus Christi is also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. This celebration of the Roman Catholic Church honours the Eucharistic body of Jesus Christ. The holiday is celebrated on a Thursday or a Sunday after Trinity Sunday. It is a national holiday in many nations.
In the past, the Feast of Corpus Christi was one of the few feasts that laypeople actively promoted. Juliana of Liège, a canoness from modern-day Belgium, desired a feast day outside of Lent to honour the Eucharist in the 13th century. Juliana collaborated with John of Lausanne, a teenage monk, to establish the feast day after receiving multiple visions of Christ, which began when she was 16 years old. She devoted more than four decades pursuing this objective. Collectively, they crafted a ceremony for the holiday. In 1246, their diocesan bishop authorised the texts following their success.
On August 11, 1264, Pope Urban IV declared Corpus Christi a feast day. Due to the efforts of Eva of Liège, Corpus Christi spread to neighbouring cities and gained in prominence. Eva was an anchorite who continued Juliana’s efforts following her passing. Ironically, Urban IV’s successors disregarded his edict and cancelled the festival. Pope Clement IV reinstated the celebration at the Council of Vienne in 1311.
The Catholic Church is more likely to implement the holiday than government entities. Nonetheless, the day, also known as Holy Thursday, is widely recognised as a day of celebration. Every region in the world celebrates Corpus Christi differently, but wine and bread must always be consumed. Only in the 15th century did Corpus Christi become one of the most important Christian holidays. In Catholicism, the festival is celebrated with a street procession and spectacle, which is typically organised near the parish. Devotees congregate in churches to pray and sing hymns under the direction of chief priests.
Early Eucharistic celebrations were lavish spectacles involving entire cities. The celebrations were attended by sovereigns and nobility of European Catholic monarchies, as well as court officials and military officers. Commoners knelt in front of their houses as these magnificent processions passed. In modern times, Pope John Paul II led annual feast day procession from St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican to the streets of Rome. The Feast of Corpus Christi continues to be one of the most important celebrations emphasising the core beliefs of Christianity and Catholicism.
Corpus Christi is observed by some Anglican and Lutheran churches, contrary to conventional belief. In comparison to their Catholic counterparts, these congregations celebrate in a very distinctive manner. The Anglican and Lutheran Churches do not hold street processions, and the majority of their celebrations are confined to church events. Protestants typically do not observe the holiday. In the majority of cultures, the Holy Communion is an integral element of the celebration.
Five IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT CHRISTIANITY
The Spanish have a unique term for it.
In Seville, Spain, the festival is also known as ‘Thursday that beams brighter than the sun.’
The English maintain a closeness
While Corpus Christi is commemorated with great fervour in the majority of nations, churches in the United Kingdom observe the day with modesty.
Sacred wheat
Symbols of Corpus Christi include an image of consecrated bread and a chalice representing the Eucharist, a ciborium, an altar, and a cup with an arched cover.
The first universal feast sanctioned by the Pope
Corpus Christi was the first universal feast sanctioned by the Pope in the Latin Rites.
Additionally honours the Eucharist.
The day not only commemorates the sacred body of Christ, but also the institution of the Eucharist
CORPUS CHRISTI DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | June 16 | Thursday |
| 2023 | June 8 | Thursday |
| 2024 | May 30 | Thursday |
| 2025 | June 19 | Thursday |
| 2026 | June 4 | Thursday |
