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Articles

The Blood of Christ, Eucharistic blood or blood relic ?

by Sandra Alvarez
February 8, 2011

The Blood of Christ, Eucharistic blood or blood relic ?

Vernard, Marc (Université de Paris X-Nanterre)

Tabularia « Études », n° 9, (2009)

Abstract

There is an intriguing coincidence between the moment when the Latin Church abandoned the rite of receiving communion wine and the development of the cult of the « natural » precious Blood relic, of Christ on the cross. Might there be a link between the two phenomena ? It is precisely in the twelfth century, when the devotion of the Precious Blood [relic] at Fécamp develops, that the latin Church terminates the practise of receiving communion wine. In the knowledge that the devotion of the Holy Blood widely expands in the twelfth century, the question arises whether this evolution more or less derived from the abandonment of the practise of receiving communion wine.

Résumé

On observe une curieuse concomitance entre le moment où L’Église latine abandonna le rite de la communion au calice et le développement du culte de la relique « naturelle » du Précieux Sang, celui du Christ crucifié. Les deux phénomènes sont-ils liés ? C’est précisé- ment au XIIe siècle, alors que se développe la dévotion au Précieux Sang de Fécamp, que l’Église latine met fin à la pratique de la communion par le calice de vin. Sachant que la dévotion au Saint Sang connaît un grand essor au XIIe siècle, la question est de savoir si cette évolution ne constitua pas une sorte de dérivatif à l’abandon de la pratique de la com- munion par le vin.

Click here to read this article in French from Tabularia

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TagsChristianity in the Middle Ages • French Language in the Middle Ages • Later Middle Ages • Liturgy in the Middle Ages • Medieval Ecclesiastical History • Medieval France • Medieval Hagiography • Medieval Religious Life • Medieval Social History • Medieval Theology • Reliquaries • Twelfth Century

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