Christ’s real and true presence

The bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church unfolded that Catholics and Orthodox are not coherent as for the Eucharist, notwithstanding, they are consistent in their belief that Christ is actually and truly present in the Eucharistic bread and wine after its consecration.

It was also highlighted that the Orthodox Church firmly believes that the Eucharistic celebration – or as their denomination calls, the Divine Liturgy – is an all-encompassing worship overstepping both space and time. “It unites the heavenly realm with the earthly realm, the living with the dead, the angels with the people, and the saints with the sinners.” – said the Orthodox bishop.

“The road to salvation is inconceivable without the Eucharist and there is no salvation without the Church” – revealed the bishop, adding that: “the Church is also inconceivable without the Eucharist, thus the terms of Church, Eucharist and salvation are ‘inseparably linked together in our theology.”

“Jesus Christ is not semi-human and semi-divine: he is fully human and fully divine” – pointed out the Archbishop, adding that Christ’s human nature is fully deified, while his divine nature is ‘humanized’.

When we receive the Holy Communion, we unite with Christ not only in our mind and hearts, but also in our bodies – emphasized the bishop, underlying that though Catholics and Orthodox differ in terms of terminology, still “we all share the deep faith for the opportunity of unification.”

At the same time, it is not enough to receive the Holy Communion so as to reach the state of ‘divinization’ until Christ fully unites with us once his body and blood enter our flesh and blood, we are the ones who are not always able to unite with him – explained bishop Hilarion. “He is in us, but we are often outside of him.”

In conclusion of his catechesis, the Metropolitan stated: “we are only unworthy custodians of the rich tradition that was left us from Christ himself and the early fathers of the Church.”