The celebration of Corpus Christi is one of the most important celebrations of the Catholic Church, which takes place every year, on different dates, on the Thursday of the second week after Pentecost, that is, 60 days after Easter Sunday.
It has its origin in the Middle Ages, when in the 13th century the Augustinian religious, Jualiana de Cornillon, promoted the idea of adding a festivity to the liturgical calendar in honor of the Body and Blood of Christ.
This feast honors Jesus Christ under the appearances of bread and wine, in a change that the Church calls transubstantiation (change of substance), at the moment in which the priest, during the consecration of the mass he says the same words that Christ uttered: “This is my body, this is my blood, do this in memory of me.”
Pope Francis, who will not be able to celebrate mass in the Vatican due to pain in his knee, urged the Catholic faithful to pray to God to be able to give oneself to others serving with joy, especially those most in need.
In our city, mass will be celebrated this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. at the foot of Christ the Redeemer, in the Papal Atrium. At the end, a procession will depart to the Cathedral. 3,000 free seats have been enabled in the place, which can be occupied from noon.