According to the doctrine of transubstantiation in the Roman Catholic Church, what is believed about the bread and wine?

• A. They are symbolic only
• B. They become bread and wine only metaphorically
• C. The priest embodies the divine
• D. Jesus is actually present in the bread and wine in communion

Answer: (D)

During the Eucharist, Catholic teaching holds that the substances of bread and wine are transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ, while the outward appearances remain bread and wine. This means Jesus is truly present in the sacrament, not merely symbolically or metaphorically. The change is a real, substantial one, even though the sensory qualities we associate with bread and wine stay the same. The priest’s role is to perform the consecration, acting in the person of Christ, but this does not reduce the bread and wine to remain mere symbols or to become metaphorical; the presence is genuine and real. Therefore, the belief is that Jesus is actually present in the bread and wine in communion.