For anyone still reading this in 2024--Correction: the Catholic Church defined the dogma in the 1200s, but only because before that, it was so well understood that there was no need to define it. The word used to describe the belief may have developed and distinguished over time and then defined officially.
From the earliest days of the Church, we see the Church Fathers proclaiming unanimously that the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ, and that the Eucharist truly saves. We also see them articulating that the bread and wine become the Eucharist at the prayer of consecration, and that once consecrated, the bread and wine cease to be common bread and wine. Christ doesn’t just mingle amongst the elements. The elements cease to be, and become Christ instead, in what has been called transmutation, and would soon be called transelementation and eventually, transubstantiation.
But even in the Anglican Church in the beginning accepted the Idea that bread and wine, prayed over by a priest, becomes thoroughly and substantially the real body and blood of Jesus Christ. This concept has been accepted by the Catholic Church (From Rome to Constantinople) Greek, Russian, etc Orthodoxy, the Church of England, and other theologically orthodox Christian churches, and was often used as a test for the suppression of Protestants during Henry VIII's time.
1534 act in Parliament which declared Henry VIII the Supreme Head on Earth of the Church of England, formalizing the nation's break with the Roman Catholic Church.
- Ten Articles1536 act of Parliament which stated the official positions of the Church of England. It upheld orthodox teachings on the sacraments of baptism, penance, *and Transubstantiation in the Holy Eucharist*, but also introduced government opposition to traditional Catholic practices such as prayerful devotions to saints and to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.
ALSO
- Six Articles1539 revision of the Ten Articles. Asserted strongly the Church of England's commitment to orthodoxy, stating that *the doctrine of Transubstantiation was true,* priests should not marry, monastic vows were inviolable, private masses were legal, and oral confessions to a priest were necessary.
In order for the consecration of the elements (the bread and wine) to take place, it must be performed by a ministerial priest, different than the universal priesthood all believers share (I.e, a “sacrificing” priest and one with Apostolic succession going back to Christ’s delegation of His Priesthood at the Last Supper.) Since the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches, and the other ancient Christian churches have preserved the ministerial priesthood through the apostolic succession of bishops, their Eucharists are valid.
Unfortunately, the ministerial priesthood has not been retained in Protestant churches. It did not have to be this way, for the other Christian churches have retained it, but most Protestant churches (all but the Anglican/Episcopalian tradition) have rejected the existence of a ministerial priesthood distinct from the universal priesthood and thus ceased to perpetuate it, breaking the apostolic succession in their circles.
It is equally unfortunate that, while many Anglican/Episcopalians profess belief in a ministerial priesthood, the apostolic succession was ruptured in their circles also and their priesthood is no longer valid. After Henry VIII broke away from the Church, seized its infrastructure in England, and (literally) used conversion by the sword to create the Church of England (threatening bishops, priests, and laity with imprisonment and death if they did not convert to his body and thus creating the wave of Catholic martyrs in England and Wales and later in Scotland and Ireland), his successor Edward VI introduced a drastically altered and invalid version of the rite of ordination with the result that the apostolic succession (which had previously been present in the Anglican church) ceased and its ministerial priesthood stopped. (Pope Leo the VIII wrote a declaration explaining more about this.)
Thus, unfortunately, there are no valid Eucharists in Protestant churches except for those performed by priests who were ordained as priests by a bishop in the apostolic succession or ordained by bishops who were ordained as bishops by another bishop in the apostolic succession. There are some of these in Protestant circles, and so some Protestant Eucharists are valid, but, regrettably, there is no Protestant denomination of which this is true as a whole.
This does not mean that Protestants such as Lutherans and Anglicans do not experience a real encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. They can and often do receive Jesus spiritually in communion, they just do not receive him in the fully, sacramental manner he intended and which he wants them to experience.
Also, any person, including non-Catholic, is welcome to visit a Catholic Church or Chapel, to pray in the presence of the Lord, really present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. This is the place, wherein the Blessed Sacrament will normally be reserved in a Tabernacle outside of Mass times. There are also occasions to adore God in the Sacrament during "Eucharistic Adoration." A "monstrace" a sacred holder for the Host is placed on the Altar and this is a special moment of grace to pray and talk to the Lord. You don't have to be Catholic to go to Adoration, It is silent prayer. A time the Lord may speak to your heart, You will note a sanctuary lamp/candle --a light signifying the Real Presence. This is why we genuflect toward the tabernacle when entering the Church.
As a minor point, something Catholics call "A Spiritual Communion prayer" for times one may be prevented from going to Holy Communion at Mass. A spiritual Communion is a genuine, though less sacramentally perfect, sharing in the Body and Blood of the Lord. Here is an example of this prayer, if you would like to ask Jesus into your soul in a special way, as if you could receive the Eucharist.
ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION:
MY JESUS, I BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE PRESENT IN THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT. I LOVE YOU ABOVE ALL THINGS, AND I DESIRE TO RECEIVE YOU IN MY SOUL. SINCE I CANNOT NOW RECEIVE YOU SACRAMENTALLY, COME AT LEAST SPIRITUALLY INTO MY HEART. I EMBRACE YOU AS IF YOU WERE ALREADY THERE AND UNITE MYSELF WHOLLY TO YOU. NEVER PERMIT ME TO BE SEPARATED FROM YOU. AMEN.
This information is offered for anyone with an open, fair mind and heart and putting aside any bigotry and ignorance toward the Catholic faith, (the typical anti-Catholic bigotry and disrespect is unfortunately present in this thread-with Catholics the last creed its ok to mock and discriminate against apparently) toward learning factual and contextual history as well as what the Catholic Church has taught since the beginning, what the Anglican Church used to believe and changed after over 1500 years of belief, (why was the truth, acknowledged for one and a half millennia then changeable? Except for political expediency) that this is what Jesus Christ Himself taught and in fulfilling the prophecies of the old testament, offered a New Manna from Heaven, better than miraculous manna to feed His people n the desert, back when God miraculously provided His people with both bread and flesh, which they both ate and kept in the tabernacle so they might look upon it. Jesus fulfilled this as Messiah, with His very Self.