HistoryofCorpusChristi
TheFeastofCorpusChristi byAlesandroReinares
TheFeastofCorpusChristi , tosolemnlycommemoratetheinstitutionoftheHolyEucharist , wascelebratedonthe ThursdayafterTrinitySunday .
WhydowehavethisFeast ? ItwasinSt . JulianaofMontCornilonwherethetheideaoftheFeastbegantotakeroot . St . JulianahadagreatvenerationfortheBlesedSacramentandlongedforaspecialfeastinitshonor . Shemade knownherideastoBishopRobertdeThorete . ThentotheDominicanHughwholaterbecameCardinallegateinthe Netherlands , andlastlytotheArchdeaconofLiège , JacquesPantaléon . HewastobecomePopeUrbanIV .
Sincebishopsasyethadtherightoforderingfeastsfortheirdioceses , BishopdeThoretecaledasynodin1246and orderedthecelebrationwastobeheldinthenextyear . HealsoorderedamonknamedJohntowritetheOficeinthe RomanBreviaryfortheoccasion .
TheFeastofCorpusChristiwasfirstcelebratedbythecanonsofSt . MartinatLiège . However , BishopdeThorete wasnotabletoseethehisorderbeingperformedforhediedonOctober16,1246 . PatriarchofJerusalem Pantaléon becamePopeonAugust29,1261St . Juliana , whodiedon1258 , hadurgedBishopHenryofGuelders , Bishopof Liège , torequestthePopetoextendthecelebrationtotheentireworld . PopeUrbanIV ( Pantaléon ), whowasalways anadmirerofthefeast , publishedtheBulTransiturusSeptember8,1264 , inwhich , afterhavingextoledtheloveof JesusChristexpresedintheHolyEucharist , heorderedtheannualcelebrationofCorpusChristiintheThursday nextafterTrinitySundayandgrantingmanyindulgencestothepeoplefortheatendingtheMasandtheOfice . This Ofice , wascomposed , attherequestofthePope , bytheAngelicDoctorSt . ThomasAquinas , isoneofthemost beautifulintheRomanBreviary .
Shortlyafterthepublicationofthedecree , thespreadoftheFeastsloweddownatthedeathofPopeUrbanIVon October2,1264 . ItwasPopeClementV , whoattheGeneralCouncilofViennein1311 , oncemoreorderedthatthe Feastshouldbecelebrated . HepublishedanewdecreewhichfolowedtheoneofUrbanIV . ThesuccesorofClementV , JohnXXIurgeditsobservance .
ThedecreesofUrbanIVandClementVdonotmentiontheprocesionasapartoftheFeast . TheprocesionwasalreadyheldinsomeplacesandwasendowedwithindulgencesbyPopesMartinVandEugeneIV .
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