Archdiocese of Manila Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines– Episcopal Commission on the Laity, has lauded the result of the recently conducted Veritas Truth survey which showed that “97 percent of Filipino Catholics believe of Christ’s ‘real presence’ in the Blessed Sacrament.”
Pabillo, however, said that the “Church needs to reach out to the three percent who believe that the wine and bread used in the Holy Eucharist were just symbolic.”
The bishop enjoined the faithful to attend the Holy Masses physically especially now that the government has allowed churches to fill up 50 percent of their capacity.
“As we mark the Solemnity of Corpus Christi on Sunday, June 6, let us go to Church to receive Holy Communion,” Pabillo said over Radio Veritas. The Solemnity of Corpus Christi commemorates the institution of Christ of the Holy Eucharist to His apostles.
Pabillo reminded the faithful to observe safety measures when they go to church to help prevent coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
A recent survey by Church-run Radio Veritas showed that the majority of Filipino Catholics believes that the “Holy Eucharist is the actual Body and Blood of Christ.”
The Veritas Truth Survey series done in celebration of the 500 Years of Christianity in the country was conducted from April 25 to May 25 using a stratified sample of 1,200 respondents from different parts of the country with a +/- 3% margin of error. The survey involved text and online data gathering.
Based on the survey, 97 percent of Filipino Catholics believe that “the Holy Eucharist is the actual Body and Blood of Christ.” Two percent believed that the wine and bread were just symbols, while one percent was not sure with their answer.