Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It seems that the matter of this sacrament is not bread and wine. Because this sacrament ought to represent Christ's Passion more fully than did the sacraments of the Old Law. But the flesh of animals, which was the matter of the sacraments under the Old Law, shows forth Christ's Passion more fully than bread and wine. Therefore the matter of this sacrament ought rather to be the flesh of animals than bread and wine.

Objection 2: Further, this sacrament is to be celebrated in every place. But in many lands bread is not to be found, and in many places wine is not to be found. Therefore bread and wine are not a suitable matter for this sacrament.

Objection 3: Further, this sacrament is for both hale and weak. But to some weak persons wine is hurtful. Therefore it seems that wine ought not to be the matter of this sacrament.

On the contrary, Pope Alexander I says (Ep. ad omnes orth. i): "In oblations of the sacraments only bread and wine mixed with water are to be offered."

I answer that, Some have fallen into various errors about the matter of this sacrament. Some, known as the Artotyrytae, as Augustine says (De Haeres. xxviii), "offer bread and cheese in this sacrament, contending that oblations were celebrated by men in the first ages, from fruits of the earth and sheep." Others, called Cataphrygae and Pepuziani, "are reputed to have made their Eucharistic bread with infants' blood drawn from tiny punctures over the entire body, and mixed with flour." Others, styled Aquarii, under guise of sobriety, offer nothing but water in this sacrament.

Now all these and similar errors are excluded by the fact that Christ instituted this sacrament under the species of bread and wine, as is evident from Mt. 26. Consequently, bread and wine are the proper matter of this sacrament. And the reasonableness of this is seen first, in the use of this sacrament, which is eating: for, as water is used in the sacrament of Baptism for the purpose of spiritual cleansing, since bodily cleansing is commonly done with water; so bread and wine, wherewith men are commonly fed, are employed in this sacrament for the use of spiritual eating.

Secondly, in relation to Christ's Passion, in which the blood was separated from the body. And therefore in this sacrament, which is the memorial of our Lord's Passion, the bread is received apart as the sacrament of the body, and the wine as the sacrament of the blood.

Thirdly, as to the effect, considered in each of the partakers. For, as Ambrose (Mag. Sent. iv, D, xi) says on 1 Cor. 11:20, this sacrament "avails for the defense of soul and body"; and therefore "Christ's body is offered" under the species of bread "for the health of the body, and the blood" under the species of wine "for the health of the soul," according to Lev. 17:14: "The life of the animal is in the blood."

Fourthly, as to the effect with regard to the whole Church, which is made up of many believers, just "as bread is composed of many grains, and wine flows from many grapes," as the gloss observes on 1 Cor. 10:17: "We being many are . . . one body," etc.

Reply to Objection 1: Although the flesh of slaughtered animals represents the Passion more forcibly, nevertheless it is less suitable for the common use of this sacrament, and for denoting the unity of the Church.

Reply to Objection 2: Although wheat and wine are not produced in every country, yet they can easily be conveyed to every land, that is, as much as is needful for the use of this sacrament: at the same time one is not to be consecrated when the other is lacking, because it would not be a complete sacrament.

Reply to Objection 3: Wine taken in small quantity cannot do the sick much harm: yet if there be fear of harm, it is not necessary for all who take Christ's body to partake also of His blood, as will be stated later (Question 80, Article 12).

Articulus 1

Argumentum 1

Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod materia huius sacramenti non sit panis et vinum. Hoc enim sacramentum perfectius debet repraesentare passionem christi quam sacramenta veteris legis.

Sed carnes animalium, quae erant materia sacramentorum veteris legis, expressius repraesentant passionem christi quam panis et vinum. Ergo materia huius sacramenti magis debent esse carnes animalium quam panis et vinum.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, hoc sacramentum est ubique celebrandum. Sed in multis terris non invenitur panis, et in multis non invenitur vinum. Ergo panis et vinum non est conveniens materia huius sacramenti.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, hoc sacramentum competit sanis et infirmis. Sed vinum nocet quibusdam infirmis. Ergo videtur quod vinum non debeat esse materia huius sacramenti.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod Alexander Papa dicit, in sacramentorum oblationibus panis tantum et vinum aqua permixtum in sacrificium offerantur.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod circa materiam huius sacramenti aliqui multipliciter erraverunt. Quidam enim, qui dicuntur Artotyritae, ut Augustinus dicit, in libro de haeresibus, offerunt panem et caseum in hoc sacramento, dicentes a primis hominibus oblationes de fructibus terrae et ovium fuisse celebratas.

Alii vero, scilicet cataphrygae et pepuziani, de infantis sanguine, quem de toto eius corpore minutis punctionum vulneribus extorquent, quasi eucharistiam suam conficere perhibentur, miscendo eum farinae, panem inde facientes.

Quidam vero, qui dicuntur aquarii, aquam solam, sub specie sobrietatis, in hoc sacramento offerunt.

Omnes autem hi errores, et similes, excluduntur per hoc quod christus hoc sacramentum sub specie panis et vini instituit, sicut patet Matth. XXVI.

Unde panis et vinum sunt materia conveniens huius sacramenti. Et hoc rationabiliter. Primo quidem, quantum ad usum huius sacramenti, qui est manducatio. Sicut enim aqua assumitur in sacramento baptismi ad usum spiritualis ablutionis quia corporalis ablutio communiter fit in aqua, ita panis et vinum, quibus communius homines reficiuntur, assumuntur in hoc sacramento ad usum spiritualis manducationis.

Secundo, quantum ad passionem christi, in qua sanguis a corpore est separatus. Et ideo in hoc sacramento, quod est memoriale dominicae passionis, seorsum sumitur panis ut sacramentum corporis, et vinum ut sacramentum sanguinis. Tertio, quantum ad effectum consideratum in unoquoque sumentium. Quia, ut Ambrosius dicit, super epistolam ad Corinthios, hoc sacramentum valet ad tuitionem corporis et animae, et ideo caro christi sub specie panis pro salute corporis, sanguis vero sub specie vini pro salute animae offertur, sicut dicitur Levit. XVII, quod animalis anima in sanguine est.

Quarto, quantum ad effectum respectu totius ecclesiae, quae constituitur ex diversis fidelibus, sicut panis conficitur ex diversis granis, et vinum fluit ex diversis uvis, ut dicit Glossa super illud I Cor. X, multi unum corpus sumus, etc..

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, licet carnes animalium occisorum expresse repraesentent christi passionem, tamen minus competunt ad communem usum huius sacramenti, et ad ecclesiasticam unitatem significandam.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod, licet non in omnibus terris nascatur triticum et vinum, tamen de facili ad omnes terras deferri potest quantum sufficit ad usum huius sacramenti. Nec propter defectum alterius, est unum tantum sine altero consecrandum, quia non esset perfectum sacrificium.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod vinum in modica quantitate sumptum non potest aegrotanti multum nocere. Et tamen, si nocumentum timeatur, non est necesse quod omnes accipientes corpus christi, etiam sanguinem accipiant, ut infra dicetur.