Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It seems that Christ's body is not truly there when flesh or a child appears miraculously in this sacrament. Because His body ceases to be under this sacrament when the sacramental species cease to be present, as stated above (Article 6). But when flesh or a child appears, the sacramental species cease to be present. Therefore Christ's body is not truly there.

Objection 2: Further, wherever Christ's body is, it is there either under its own species, or under those of the sacrament. But when such apparitions occur, it is evident that Christ is not present under His own species, because the entire Christ is contained in this sacrament, and He remains entire under the form in which He ascended to heaven: yet what appears miraculously in this sacrament is sometimes seen as a small particle of flesh, or at times as a small child. Now it is evident that He is not there under the sacramental species, which is that of bread or wine. Consequently, it seems that Christ's body is not there in any way.

Objection 3: Further, Christ's body begins to be in this sacrament by consecration and conversion, as was said above (Question 75, Articles 2,3,4). But the flesh and blood which appear by miracle are not consecrated, nor are they converted into Christ's true body and blood. Therefore the body or the blood of Christ is not under those species.

On the contrary, When such apparition takes place, the same reverence is shown to it as was shown at first, which would not be done if Christ were not truly there, to Whom we show reverence of "latria." Therefore, when such apparition occurs, Christ is under the sacrament.

I answer that, Such apparition comes about in two ways, when occasionally in this sacrament flesh, or blood, or a child, is seen. Sometimes it happens on the part of the beholders, whose eyes are so affected as if they outwardly saw flesh, or blood, or a child, while no change takes place in the sacrament. And this seems to happen when to one person it is seen under the species of flesh or of a child, while to others it is seen as before under the species of bread; or when to the same individual it appears for an hour under the appearance of flesh or a child, and afterwards under the appearance of bread. Nor is there any deception there, as occurs in the feats of magicians, because such species is divinely formed in the eye in order to represent some truth, namely, for the purpose of showing that Christ's body is truly under this sacrament; just as Christ without deception appeared to the disciples who were going to Emmaus. For Augustine says (De Qq. Evang. ii) that "when our pretense is referred to some significance, it is not a lie, but a figure of the truth." And since in this way no change is made in the sacrament, it is manifest that, when such apparition occurs, Christ does not cease to be under this sacrament.

But it sometimes happens that such apparition comes about not merely by a change wrought in the beholders, but by an appearance which really exists outwardly. And this indeed is seen to happen when it is beheld by everyone under such an appearance, and it remains so not for an hour, but for a considerable time; and, in this case some think that it is the proper species of Christ's body. Nor does it matter that sometimes Christ's entire body is not seen there, but part of His flesh, or else that it is not seen in youthful guise. but in the semblance of a child, because it lies within the power of a glorified body for it to be seen by a non-glorified eye either entirely or in part, and under its own semblance or in strange guise, as will be said later (XP, Question 85, Articles 2,3).

But this seems unlikely. First of all, because Christ's body under its proper species can be seen only in one place, wherein it is definitively contained. Hence since it is seen in its proper species, and is adored in heaven, it is not seen under its proper species in this sacrament. Secondly, because a glorified body, which appears at will, disappears when it wills after the apparition; thus it is related (Lk. 24:31) that our Lord "vanished out of sight" of the disciples. But that which appears under the likeness of flesh in this sacrament, continues for a long time; indeed, one reads of its being sometimes enclosed, and, by order of many bishops, preserved in a pyx, which it would be wicked to think of Christ under His proper semblance.

Consequently, it remains to be said, that, while the dimensions remain the same as before, there is a miraculous change wrought in the other accidents, such as shape, color, and the rest, so that flesh, or blood, or a child, is seen. And, as was said already, this is not deception, because it is done "to represent the truth," namely, to show by this miraculous apparition that Christ's body and blood are truly in this sacrament. And thus it is clear that as the dimensions remain, which are the foundation of the other accidents, as we shall see later on (Question 77, Article 2), the body of Christ truly remains in this sacrament.

Reply to Objection 1: When such apparition takes place, the sacramental species sometimes continue entire in themselves; and sometimes only as to that which is principal, as was said above.

Reply to Objection 2: As stated above, during such apparitions Christ's proper semblance is not seen, but a species miraculously formed either in the eyes of the beholders, or in the sacramental dimensions themselves, as was said above.

Reply to Objection 3: The dimensions of the consecrated bread and wine continue, while a miraculous change is wrought in the other accidents, as stated above.

Articulus 8

Argumentum 1

Ad octavum sic proceditur. Videtur quod, quando in hoc sacramento miraculose apparet vel caro vel puer, quod non sit ibi vere corpus christi. Corpus enim christi desinit esse sub hoc sacramento quando desinunt esse species sacramentales, ut dictum est.

Sed quando apparet caro vel puer, desinunt esse species sacramentales.

Ergo non est ibi vere corpus christi.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, ubicumque est corpus christi, vel est ibi sub specie propria, vel sub specie sacramenti. Sed quando tales apparitiones fiunt, manifestum est quod non est ibi christus sub specie propria, quia in hoc sacramento totus christus continetur, qui permanet integer in forma qua ascendit in caelum; cum tamen id quod miraculose apparet in hoc sacramento, quandoque videatur ut quaedam parva caro, quandoque autem ut parvus puer.

Manifestum est etiam quod non est ibi sub specie sacramenti, quae est species panis vel vini.

Ergo videtur quod corpus christi nullo modo sit ibi.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, corpus christi incipit esse in hoc sacramento per consecrationem et conversionem, ut supra dictum est.

Sed caro aut sanguis miraculose apparens non sunt consecrata, nec conversa in verum corpus et sanguinem christi.

Non ergo sub his speciebus est corpus vel sanguis christi.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod, tali apparitione facta, eadem reverentia exhibetur ei quod apparet, quae et prius exhibebatur. Quod quidem non fieret si non vere esset ibi christus, cui reverentiam latriae exhibemus. Ergo, etiam tali apparitione facta, christus est sub hoc sacramento.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod dupliciter contingit talis apparitio, qua quandoque in hoc sacramento miraculose videtur caro aut sanguis, aut etiam aliquis puer. Quandoque enim hoc contingit ex parte videntium, quorum oculi immutantur tali immutatione ac si expresse viderent exterius carnem aut sanguinem vel puerum, nulla tamen immutatione facta ex parte sacramenti. Et hoc quidem videtur contingere quando uni videtur sub specie carnis vel pueri, aliis tamen videtur, sicut et prius, sub specie panis; vel quando eidem ad horam videtur sub specie carnis vel pueri, et postmodum sub specie panis. Nec tamen hoc pertinet ad aliquam deceptionem, sicut accidit in magorum praestigiis, quia talis species divinitus formatur in oculo ad aliquam veritatem figurandam, ad hoc scilicet quod manifestetur vere corpus christi esse sub hoc sacramento; sicut etiam christus absque deceptione apparuit discipulis euntibus in emmaus.

Dicit enim Augustinus, in libro de quaestionibus evangelii, quod, cum fictio nostra refertur ad aliquam significationem, non est mendacium, sed aliqua figura veritatis.

Et quia per hunc modum nulla immutatio fit ex parte sacramenti, manifestum est quod non desinit esse christus sub hoc sacramento, tali apparitione facta.

Quandoque vero contingit talis apparitio non per solam immutationem videntium, sed specie quae videtur realiter exterius existente. Et hoc quidem videtur esse quando sub tali specie ab omnibus videtur; et non ad horam, sed per longum tempus ita permanet.

Et in hoc casu quidam dicunt quod est propria species corporis christi. Nec obstat quod quandoque non videtur ibi totus christus, sed aliqua pars carnis; vel etiam videtur non in specie iuvenili, sed in effigie puerili, quia in potestate est corporis gloriosi, ut infra dicetur, quod videatur ab oculo non glorificato vel secundum totum vel secundum partem, et in effigie vel propria vel aliena, ut infra dicetur.

Sed hoc videtur esse inconveniens. Primo quidem, quia corpus christi non potest in propria specie videri nisi in uno loco, in quo definitive continetur. Unde, cum videatur in propria specie et adoretur in caelo, sub propria specie non videtur in hoc sacramento. Secundo, quia corpus gloriosum, quod apparet ut vult, post apparitionem cum voluerit disparet, sicut dicitur, Luc. Ult., quod dominus ab oculis discipulorum evanuit.

Hoc autem quod sub specie carnis in hoc sacramento apparet, diu permanet, quinimmo quandoque legitur esse inclusum, et multorum episcoporum consilio in pixide reservatum; quod nefas est de christo sentire secundum propriam speciem. Et ideo dicendum quod, manentibus dimensionibus quae prius fuerunt, fit miraculose quaedam immutatio circa alia accidentia, puta figuram et colorem et alia huiusmodi, ut videatur caro vel sanguis, aut etiam puer. Et, sicut prius dictum est, hoc non est deceptio, quia fit in figuram cuiusdam veritatis, scilicet ad ostendendum per hanc miraculosam apparitionem quod in hoc sacramento est vere corpus christi et sanguis. Et sic patet quod, remanentibus dimensionibus, quae sunt fundamenta aliorum accidentium, ut infra dicetur, remanet vere corpus christi in hoc sacramento.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, facta tali apparitione, species sacramentales quandoque quidem totaliter manent in seipsis, quandoque autem secundum illud quod est principale in eis, ut dictum est.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod in huiusmodi apparitionibus, sicut dictum est, non videtur propria species christi, sed species miraculose formata vel in oculis intuentium, vel etiam in ipsis sacramentalibus dimensionibus, ut dictum est.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod dimensiones panis et vini consecrati manent, immutatione circa eas miraculose facta quantum ad alia accidentia, ut dictum est.