Corpus Christi in Poland
Observance of Corpus Christi in Poland takes the form of a religious procession by each church through the streets of their parish. Following mass, the Blessed Sacrament (which is normally held in a tabernacle behind the altar) is taken from the church and prayers and speeches are made outside.
When is Corpus Christi?
The Feast of Corpus Christi ("Fronleichnam" in German) is a Catholic festival celebrated on the second Thursday after Whitsun.
Corpus Christi means the Body of Christ and refers to the elements of the Eucharist also called the Holy Communion, Last Supper or Lord's Supper.
In the Church of England, this day is called 'Day of Thanksgiving for the Institution of Holy Communion'.
History of Corpus Christi
The emergence of Corpus Christi as a Christian feast didn't happen until the second half of the thirteenth century with the efforts of a nun called Juliana of Liège.
Since childhood, Juliana had been claiming that God had been telling her that there should be a feast day for the Eucharist and eventually she petitioned the Bishop of Liège. In those days bishops could order feasts in their local dioceses. The bishop agreed to the feast and convened a synod in 1246 and ordered that a celebration of Corpus Christi should be held annually.
The Corpus Christi celebration only started to become more widespread after both Juliana and the Bishop had died. In 1264 Pope Urban IV issued the papal bull Transiturus in which Corpus Christi was made a feast throughout the entire Latin Rite. He fixed it for Thursday after the “octave” of Pentecost when only designated celebrations or special feasts were blessed. This feast is celebrated on a Thursday in remembrance of the institution of the Eucharist (the last supper) which takes place on Maundy Thursday, the eve of Jesus’ death on the Cross.
Corpus Christi is primarily a Roman Catholic feast, but it is also acknowledged in the calendar of a few Anglican churches, most notably the Church of England. It is also celebrated by some Western Rite Orthodox Christians. Across many parts of medieval Europe, Corpus Christi was a popular time for the performance of mystery plays.
Along with Lent, Advent, Easter, Pentecost and Christmas, Roman Catholic Bishops have a duty to be present at their cathedrals on Corpus Christi.
The festival of Corpus Christi gives rise in many places to a procession, during which the priest carries the Eucharist, on display in a special receptacle (called “monstrance”), in the middle of the streets and squares that were once richly decked out with draperies and garlands. The Blessed Sacrament is sheltered under a canopy.
Valencia
In Valencia, Spain, Corpus Christi is one of the major festivals. It was first celebrated in 1335 and continuously since 1372. Rich in symbolism and representations about the mystery of life, harking back to the mystery plays of the middle ages, the festival takes place on the streets of Valencia on the eighth Sunday after Easter Sunday.
Seville
In Seville, Spain, the festival is also known as the ‘Thursday that shines brighter than the sun.’
Mexico
In Mexico, as in other Latin American countries, the celebration of Corpus Christi is carried out with various processions. It is customary for children to be dressed as "inditos" on this day. The costume consists of wearing a blanket camisole and a moustache painted with burnt cork. The girls wear a skirt, also called a chincuete, and both decorate their clothes with guaraches and baskets full of fruit or sweets.
The custom of Corpus Christi dates back to the first settlers, who on the days of the festival, arrived at the center of the city accompanied with their mules, adorned with flowers or colored fabrics, in turn, loaded merchandise to be sold to the population.
Corpus Christi in Poland
The feast of Corpus Christi is one of the most enduring festivals in this devoutly Catholic country.
The first Boże Ciało ceremony was held in Kraków in 1320, with the cult growing over the next century until the Gniezno Council of 1420 decreed that it be celebrated annually across the country.
Observance of Corpus Christi in Poland takes the form of a religious procession by each church through the streets of their parish. Following mass, the Blessed Sacrament (which is normally held in a tabernacle behind the altar) is taken from the church and prayers and speeches are made outside.
Even during the most turbulent periods in Poland’s history, such as when the nation was under foreign rule for 123 years until 1918, Corpus Christi processions remained popular and were seen as patriotic as well as purely religious.
As it is an official off day in Poland, in villages and small towns almost everything is closed; in larger cities like Warsaw and Kraków however, most restaurants, bars and major businesses remain open.
