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Bible Dictionaries
Body of Christ, Feast of the
1910 New Catholic Dictionary
or
Celebrated on Thursday after Trinity Sunday in honor of the Body of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and in commemoration of the institution of the Blessed Sacrament. It was established, 1246, at the suggestion of Saint Juliana of Mont Cornillon, by Bishop Robert de Thorete of Liege, where the first celebration was held the following year, and its observance was extended to the whole Church by Pope Urban IV, 1264. It is a holy day of obligation in England, Ireland, and Scotland. The office for the day, the most beautiful in the Roman Liturgy, was written by Saint Thomas Aquinas and the customary procession was approved and encouraged by Pope Martin V and Pope Eugene IV. The procession dates from c.1275,though originally not directly connected with the celebration of the Feast. It is held either on the feast itself, on the following Sunday, or on the day of the octave of the feast, and is of prescription, unless circumstances are such that it must be omitted. During this procession it is customary to halt at several altars, and from one or two of these Benediction is solemnly given. In many places it is customary to have this procession in the open air, weather permitting. Some country churches that have the cemetery close at hand always have two altars within the confines of the cemetery for the purpose of these stops or halts in the Corpus Christi procession. In city parishes and where it is not advisable to hold the procession outdoors, it is held inside the Church. Then the side-altars are used as stopping or halting places for the procession, and from each Benediction is given. Finally the solemnity is concluded with Benediction given, from the high altar of the church.
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Entry for 'Body of Christ, Feast of the'. 1910 New Catholic Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ncd/b/body-of-christ-feast-of-the.html. 1910.
