Mysterium Fidei: Encyclical on the Holy Eucharist

Encyclicals of Pope Paul VI #3

by Pope Paul VI

Mysterium Fidei was issued just as the closing session of the Second Vatican Council was beginning. Written in a stern and troubled tone, its purpose was to counter certain theological movements which he perceived were gaining ground in the Roman Catholic Church. Using terminology such as "pastoral concern" and "anxiety," the letter sends a direct and unequivocal message to the Church regarding the Eucharist. The Pope clearly feared that these novel teachings were threatening the Eucharistic piety which had marked the Catholic Church since the earliest centuries. To emphasize the centrality of the Eucharist in the Church, the Pope echoed the words of St. Ignatius of Antioch, referring to the Blessed Sacrament the "medicine of immortality." The Pope acknowledged that there were many "real" presences of Christ, but that in the Communion bread this presence is real and "substantial."

The letter, however, received little attention as the world's interest was focused at the time was on the final works of the council fathers, particularly Lumen gentium, issued in November of the same year at the conclusion of the Council.

Genres: Catholic

43 pages, ebook

First published September 3, 1965

About the author

Pope Paul VI (Latin: Paulus VI; Italian: Paolo VI), born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini (26 September 1897 – 6 August 1978), reigned as Pope from 21 June 1963 to his death in 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, he continued the Second Vatican Council which he closed in 1965, implementing its numerous reforms, and fostered improved ecumenical relations with Eastern Orthodox and Protestants, which resulted in many historic meetings and agreements. Montini served in the Vatican's Secretariat of State from 1922 to 1954. While in the Secretariat of State, Montini and Domenico Tardini were considered as the closest and most influential colleagues of Pope Pius XII, who in 1954 named him Archbishop of Milan, the largest Italian diocese. Montini automatically became the Secretary of the Italian Bishops Conference. John XXIII elevated him to the College of Cardinals in 1958, and after the death of John XXIII, Montini was considered one of his most likely successors.

Upon his election to the papacy, Montini took the pontifical name Paul VI (the first to take the name "Paul" since 1605) to indicate a renewed worldwide mission to spread the message of Christ, following the example of Apostle St. Paul.[citation needed] He re-convened the Second Vatican Council, which was automatically closed with the death of John XXIII, and gave it priority and direction. After the council had concluded its work, Paul VI took charge of the interpretation and implementation of its mandates, often walking a thin line between the conflicting expectations of various groups within Catholicism. The magnitude and depth of the reforms affecting all fields of Church life during his pontificate exceeded similar reform policies of his predecessors and successors. Paul VI was a Marian devotee, speaking repeatedly to Marian congresses and mariological meetings, visiting Marian shrines and issuing three Marian encyclicals. Following his famous predecessor Saint Ambrose of Milan, he named Mary as the Mother of the Church during the Second Vatican Council. Paul VI sought dialogue with the world, with other Christians, other religions, and atheists, excluding nobody. He saw himself as a humble servant for a suffering humanity and demanded significant changes of the rich in North America and Europe in favour of the poor in the Third World. His positions on birth control, promulgated most famously in the 1968 encyclical Humanae vitae, and other political issues, were often controversial, especially in Western Europe and North America.

Pope Benedict XVI declared that the late pontiff lived a life of heroic virtue and conferred the title of Venerable upon him. Pope Francis beatified him on 19 October 2014 after the recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession. His liturgical feast is celebrated on the date of his birth on 26 September.

Reviews

[Drew Meisel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mysterium Fidei is the first document to come out of the second Vatican Council, written by Pope Paul VI in 1965 on the topic of the Eucharist

The Eucharist has always been the apex of the Catholic Faith, and this document talks about the how’s and whys of this Blessed Sacrament. Vatican II does not rewrite the teachings on the Eucharist in any way, but emphasizes the importance of devotion and reverence to the Divine Sacrament.

A criticism I’ve often come across when talking about Vatican II is that it invited a more “Luke-warm” culture into Catholicism. However, this document shows that that was never an intended consequence of the most recent council, and that this Luke-warmness seen in the Catholic Church today is present from other sources.

While this document is jam-packed with good information and references, it isn’t the most interesting read, which is why it loses a star for me. Then again, the intention of the document is not to be interesting, but to be informative.

[Tom Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, two major take-aways here. First, things must have been pretty grim in 1965, during the Second Vatican Council, for Paul VI to need to issue an Encyclical letter reiterating such basic a teaching as the True Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Second, I am surprised to find myself longing for what I can now identify as the "good old days" of the 50s and 60s when papal letters were incisive and brief, getting to the heart of the issue quickly, and largely concerned with addressing doctrinal matters. This was before John Paul II and his massive tomes of philosophical and phenomenological ponderings. He taught, to be sure, but it would seem that he also initiated a new era in the genre of the encyclical. One that the current holy father is clearly at home in. Amoris Laetitia may not be an encyclical, but it is massive and unrelenting and almost aggressively prosaic.

I guess a third takeaway would be that this is just another nail in the coffin of the sedevacantist, hyper-traditionalist conspiracy theory in which John XXIII and Paul VI are modernist freemasons who rejected everything the Church ever taught. This encyclical cites Trent more often than I cared to count.

[John Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today in my retreat, I read this 1965 encyclical by the now St. Paul VI on the theme of the Eucharist. It is a must read for Catholics! My heart was filled with wonder and joy to hear Paul VI affirm every teaching of the Church on Jesus real and abiding presence in Eucharist, particularly as he wrote his letter during a time of unrest, error, and confusion that the devil sowed in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council. Neither the council nor the pope ever condoned the heresies, lies, and irreverence that were spread and are sometimes still spread regarding the Eucharist. The Church from her earliest times as clearly evidenced in the Gospels, the New Testament writings, and the Fathers of the Church has always recognized Jesus in the Breaking of the Bread and shown Him profound adoration and devotion. Those who fail to do so today, be they simple lay persons, priests, or great politicians are guilty of irreverence and if they willingly receive him unworthily they are bringing condemnation on themselves (1 Cor 11:29). I highly recommend this encyclical to Catholics so that their love for the Church's greatest treasure will grow!

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful encyclical. I love the copious quotes of Early Church Fathers. All sedevecantists should read this! (particularly the quotes from ECF's on Eucharist as sacrifice.)

This is one I will be referencing again and again.