CORPUS CHRISTI
The Feast of Corpus Christi originated in 1246 when
Robert de Torote, bishop of Liege ordered the festival
to be celebrated in his diocese. He was persuaded to
initiate the feast by St. Juliana, prioress of Mount
Cornillon near Liege (1222-58), who had experienced
a vision of a full moon with one dark spot on it. It
was revealed to her that the full moon represented the
Church and the dark spot symbolised the fact that a
great feast in honour of the Blessed Scacrament was
missing from the liturgical calendar. When Jacques
Pantaleon formerly archdeacon of Liege became Pope
Urban IV he ordered the whole Church to observe the
feast with the promulgation of the Bull ‘Transiturus
De Hoc Mundo’ (1264). Urban’s order was confirmed
by Pope Clement V at the Council of Vienna (1311-
12). Pope Urban had also been influenced by the
‘Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena’ when the Precious
Blood flowed from the host during Mass being
celebrated by Fr. Pietro da Praga (1263) who was
struggling with belief in the Real Presence. By the
mid-14th century the festival was generally accepted
and in the 15th century it became, in effect, one of the
principal feasts of the Church.
‘The Eucharist is truly a glimpse of heaven appearing
on earth’. (St. John Paul II).
