Tuesday, July 24, 2007

The subject of the Eucharistic accidents

This is a quote a propos of a conversation I had with a certain someone a year or so ago, regarding the question of whether the accidents of the bread and wine can inhere in the substance of Christ. For what it's worth, this is what St. Thomas has to say.

ST IIIa q. 70 a. 1:

Respondeo dicendum quod accidentia panis et vini, quae sensu deprehenduntur in hoc sacramento remanere post consecrationem, non sunt sicut in subiecto in substantia panis et vini, quae non remanet, ut supra habitum est. Neque etiam in forma substantiali, quae non manet; et, si remaneret, subiectum esse non posset, ut patet per Boetium, in libro de Trin. Manifestum est etiam quod huiusmodi accidentia non sunt in substantia corporis et sanguinis Christi sicut in subiecto: quia substantia humani corporis nullo modo potest his accidentibus affici; neque etiam est possible quod corpus Christi, gloriosum et impassibile existens, alteretur ad suscipiendas huiusmodi qualitaties.

So, basically, two reasons the accidents of the bread and wine can't inhere in the substance of Christ: 1) the human body is unable to be modified by such accidents, 2) Christ's glorified body is impassible.

3 comments:

Michael Sullivan said...

Is this post a stealth move to subliminally indicate to your readership that you've read this far in the Summa? It won't work, my friend.

Lee Faber said...

It was merely offered to you in light of our conversations last christmas. besides, i've already read two summae.

Michael Sullivan said...

Pff!

All in jest, my foe.