The Essential Guide to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist: Part One - Pew Survey

Have you heard about the recent survey of Catholics conducted by the Pew Research Center? Pew found that only 26% of Catholics under age 40 believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Here's an article about it from the National Catholic Register.

Here's one under-40 Catholic that absolutely believes in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. This article will give you a few dozen reasons why you should, too.

Plus, here's a few more under-40 Catholics providing their reasons for not just believing in the Real Presence, but being blown away by this awesome reality. Basically, here's a brain (and heart) dump of all the most amazing things we know about the Real Presence. Enjoy!

Hit play below if you would rather listen to all this on the Catholic Nerds Podcast. Here's the Apple/iTunes link to the podcast, too ... and Podbean.

Here are all the topics that will be covered in upcoming articles:

• Pew Survey of Catholics
• Flannery O'Connor and her amazing quote on the Real Presence
• Jesus on the Real Presence - Gospel of John, Chapter 6
• Early Church Fathers on the Real Presence - St. Justin Martyr and St. Ignatius of Antioch
• Protestants and the Real Presence - Martin Luther argues from the Real Presence against Ulrich Zwingli

The Pew Survey on the Real Presence: Let's look at those numbers 

26% is a terrible number, right?

Without doubt. Of course, that's 26% of self-identified Catholics. The number goes way up when you ask Mass-going Catholics. (That sounds sort of redundant, doesn't it? But anyway ...)

Among Catholics who attend Mass weekly, the number shoots way up. 63% of the most observant Catholics - those who attend Mass at least once a week - accept the church’s teaching about transubstantiation. That's still not good.

That means 37% of weekly mass-goers do not believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. That's pretty unbelievable.

Get this, though. That 37% is made up of 23% of who don’t even know that the Church teaches that the Eucharist is truly the body and blood of Jesus. Seriously?  The other 14% know the Church’s teaching but do not believe it. If these numbers can even be believed - a big IF - that basically means 1 out of every 7 Sunday Mass-goers are in serious danger of profaning the Eucharist.

Scary!

That's why I along with the Catholic Nerds are preparing the following Essential Guide to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Check back next week for the article, Flannery O'Connor & the Real Presence!

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