Trying to remedy this grave and pressing problem is one of the most important and urgent challenges of our time. Catholics who do believe should be asking ourselves what we can do to help the majority of nominal Catholics come to real and strong Faith in Jesus Christ and in His Real Presence in His Eucharist. We should also be prayerfully pondering how we can help increase the rate of Mass attendance, which is tragically low among Catholics in many places. Catholic Tradition can definitely be a solution. Eucharistic Adoration can be another. Spreading awareness of Eucharistic Miracles that are supernatural demonstrations from Jesus Christ of His Real Presence among us could be yet another. What else? We in the Body of Christ are failing to appreciate God's Greatest Gift to His Church. : ( What else can we do to help remedy this grave problem in catechesis? It is very important we think and pray about it imo. May God restore His Church. Thoughts? The Article: " https://www.ncronline.org/news/theo...majority-catholics-dont-believe-real-presence Pew survey shows majority of Catholics don't believe in 'Real Presence' Aug 8, 2019 by Mark Pattison, Catholic News Service Theology 20170628T1236-10605-CNS-NEW-YORK-ORDAIN.jpg[/paste:font] Fr. Michael Plona, center, elevates the Eucharist while celebrating his first Mass June 25, 2017, at Our Lady of Loretto Church in Hempstead, New York. (CNS/Gregory A. Shemitz) WASHINGTON — A new study about the level of Catholic belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist showed that a majority of Catholics do not believe that the bread and wine used at Mass become the body and blood of Christ. The report drew a strong rebuke from Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron of Los Angeles, who posted Aug. 6 on Twitter: "It's hard to describe how angry I feel after reading what the latest @pewresearch study reveals about understanding of the Eucharist among Catholics. This should be a wake-up call to all of us in the Church." In a video that accompanied the post, Bishop Barron's anger is not directed at Pew, but inward. "I'm blaming myself, bishops, priests and anybody" responsible for transmitting the faith, he said. "We're all guilty." He added, "It's been a massive failure of the church carrying on its own tradition." The Pew study, issued Aug. 5, showed that 69% of all self-identified Catholics said they believed the bread and wine used at Mass are not Jesus, but instead "symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ." The other 31% believed in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, known as transubstantiation. "Most Catholics who believe that the bread and wine are symbolic do not know that the church holds that transubstantiation occurs," said Gregory Smith, associate director of research at Pew Research Center in Washington. "Overall, 43% of Catholics believe that the bread and wine are symbolic and also that this reflects the position of the church. "Still, one in five Catholics — 22% — reject the idea of transubstantiation, even though they know about the church's teaching," Smith said. ADVERTISEMENT The numbers who believe in transubstantiation are higher among Catholics who go to Mass at least once a week, but are hardly overwhelming. About five of every eight churchgoing Catholics believe in the church's teaching of transubstantiation. Split among the 37% who don't believe that the Communion bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ are 23% who don't know what the church's teaching is, and 14% who know the church's teaching but don't believe it, Smith said. According to Pew's figures, a majority in all age groups believe the bread and wine used at Mass to be symbolic, and the majority grows larger as the age group grows younger. Catholics with a high school education or less are less likely to believe in transubstantiation, Hispanic Catholics believe in it less than whites, and women believe in transubstantiation less than men. Barron sounded astounded by the findings. "Any Catholic worth his or her salt knows this is a central teaching," he said in the video. "It's a basic tenet of Catholicism." He said some are bound to react, "Oh, well, who cares? As long as they're committed to the poor, or committed to social justice. Isn't that important?" But Bishop Barron called that "a reduction of religion to morality, which is repugnant to Catholicism." He cited a list of saints and holy people — among them Dorothy Day, St. Katharine Drexel, Jacques Maritain and St. Vincent de Paul — whom he said had "a profound understanding and love for the Eucharist, and said if someone asked them, "Isn't the Eucharist a nice symbol of Jesus?", "you'd have open rebellion." "You take away the central teachings of our church at the doctrinal level, and trust me, you will take away our commitment to the poor," Bishop Barron said. "It belongs together as a whole.
Malachi Martin said years ago in an interview explaining the state of things in the Church: " we have bishops who don't believe and we know they don't. We have cardinals who don't believe and we know they don't. We have priests who don't believe and we know they dont..." so very troubling. So diabolic.
I believe that among the Eastern Orthodox the proportion of those who believe in the sacrament among the total number of baptized is greater.
Malachi Martin was pretty spot on the future of the church. I need to go back and listen to his interviews again. I always thought I would like to know the third secret of Fatima, but if I remember, he told a listener to the radio program that they really didn’t want to know it( because it was so horrific)
I'm surprised that the % of unbelievers isn't lower at this point. There is a wonderful talk by Richard May talking about the Eucharist from several years ago and he quoted a survey from the 90s that showed 2 out of 3 Catholics didn't believe. I found his talk on YT here in 2 parts, if anyone is interested - it was a very good talk with excellent advice to correct the approach in parishes.
Some good news from NC Register related to this: it's nice to see Eucharistic Faith is alive and strong among many Catholics. May God lead us all to stronger Faith. From: https://www.ncregister.com/blog/the...ist-alive-and-well-on-the-campus-of-texas-a-m "As the U.S. bishops’ conference convenes soon to discuss Christ's Real Presence, a Eucharistic procession captured on film at a secular university in College Station, Texas, offers unique insight into the faith of Catholic students fresh back from lockdown and anxious to grow in their faith. Hundreds of students come out to adore Our Lord on the campus of Texas A&M — the campus’ first Eucharistic procession — on Oct. 7. College chaplain Father Chris Smith witnessed something profound: “This Eucharistic procession is a sign of hope for our Church and the world, but we must do more. This is one small step in helping our students to be mission-oriented in order to help as many souls at Texas A&M know the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.” Serving at the university’s St. Mary’s Catholic Center, Father Smith said not only did 700 students participate, but the center had a group specifically walking to help answer questions of those coming out to see the crowds. “We had evangelization teams before and behind the procession of our students and staff who would pray with students we encountered on the path or answer questions for them. We even gave out flyers with our Mass times and some more Q&As. Our evangelization team encountered about 500 students on the 2-mile route,” Father Smith explained in an email interview. The steady stream of adorers caught the eye of many students watching from their rooms. “Students ran out of the dorms in curiosity and looked down from their classrooms high above,” Father Smith said, adding, “I believe the spiritual impact that this procession had is greater than I can imagine. Jesus Christ passed through a public university where our students live, work, study and socialize. ... It was powerful!” Father Smith hopes the visible witness of the Eucharistic procession will fuel more faith-filled moments on campus. Speaking to the Register via email, he added, “The procession was a sign to the world that Christ is reclaiming Texas A&M, and now our students must also be individual monstrances, in a sense, carrying Christ to their classmates during school each day. “The Holy Spirit is stirring in Aggieland and in the young generations of the Church across the world. We are hopeful and we are excited for what God has done and will continue to do at St. Mary’s Catholic Center in Aggieland." With a mission “to form apostles for the Church and the world,” the St. Mary's Catholic Center seems to be doing just that. The Eucharistic procession is just one of several events offered. Students back on campus after a very lonely lockdown wrought on by the COVID pandemic are bolstered by all the activity, and there is interest in Catholicism among students and a hunger for real camaraderie. “Our students were thirsting for community and a normalcy of life. The campus overall, including our Catholic Student Center, has been thriving this year,” Father Smith said. “There is lots of life and a desire to just be with people.” As recent statistics have shown a gradual drop in the belief of the Real Presence, Father Smith has been encouraged and edified by the reverence students show in approaching the Eucharist. “The students desire to know Christ more deeply and have an authentic relationship with him. They come to him in their brokenness with great faith and great love.” St. Mary’s parish on the campus offers two Masses daily, and a total of 300 students typically come. Adoration is also available daily, and Father Smith said there are typically five to 10 students present every Holy hour. “We also offer confessions Monday to Saturday, and usually there is a line of at least 30 to 40 students each day.” With a student body of 72,000, Father Smith said about a quarter of students are Catholic. More than 5,000 students are actively engaged with the St. Mary’s on campus, including attending Mass and other campus events. “We have a new church being built that will be ready in early 2023,” Father Smith said. “It will hold 1,400 people, be beautiful, and we will fill it!” As we share in this sign of hope from the current college generation of Catholics thriving on a secular campus, may we all desire the same fervor for our faith. In a message to young people, St. John Paul II reminded the faithful to embrace the Eucharist every day: “Prayer, intimate dialogue with the One who is calling you to be His disciples, must come first. Be generous in your active life, young people, and be deeply immersed in the contemplation of God’s mystery. Make the Eucharist the heart of your day.” May God bless Father Smith and his fellow chaplains who are working diligently to help form Catholics yearning to embrace this truth! “We hope that, during their four years at A&M and at St. Mary’s, our students become well-formed apostles so that they can be sent into the world ready to set it ablaze with the fire of God’s love."
Friends, I ask you to pray that the seeds I plant in the hearts of parishioners today in my homilies will bear fruit. If the majority of young Catholic men and women are graduating from college with skills that land them a good job, but finds them ambivalent to the things of God, things are very wrong. Seriously, from an eternal perspective is that good? Is God pleased when we ensure our children are confirmed, but success in one's career ends up more important than sanctity! The Holy Spirit has laid this on my heart; may Fr. Francis take it in stride. For the solution is embedded in our readings today: instruction in the truths of God, longing to be in the presence of the Lord, always pondering the wisdom of God in our hearts and living accordingly! Amen! Mary, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us!
It is impossible to believe in the Eucharist without prayer. With prayer it is impossible not to believe.
