Corpus Domini redirects here. For other uses see Corpus Domini (disambiguation)The
Feast of Corpus Christi (
Latin for
Body of Christ), also known as
Corpus Domini, is a
Latin Rite liturgical
solemnity celebrating the tradition and belief in the body and blood of
Jesus Christ and his
Real Presence in the
Eucharist. It emphasizes the joy of the institution of the Eucharist, which was observed on
Holy Thursday in the somber atmosphere of the nearness of
Good Friday.
In the present
Roman Missal, the feast is designated the solemnity of
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. It is also celebrated in some
Anglican,
Lutheran, and
Old Catholic Churches that hold similar beliefs regarding the Real Presence.
The feast is liturgically celebrated on the Thursday after
Trinity Sunday or, "where the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is not a
Holy Day of Obligation, it is assigned to the Sunday after the Most Holy Trinity as its proper day". At the end of
Holy Mass, there is often a
procession of the
Blessed Sacrament, generally displayed in a
monstrance. The procession is followed by
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
A notable Eucharistic procession is that presided over by the
Pope each year in
Rome, where it begins at the
Archbasilica of St. John Lateran and makes its way to the
Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where it concludes with Benediction.