real presence

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In Christianity, the doctrine that Jesus is really present in the consecrated Eucharist.

The nature of the real presence is disputed. The Roman Catholic Church believes in the doctrine of transubstantiation: that only the appearance of the consecrated bread and wine remains and that its actual substance becomes Jesus' body and blood. The Lutheran churches believe in consubstantiation: that the substances of the bread and wine and of Jesus' body and blood coexist in union with one another. The Anglican churches avoid speculation about the nature of the real presence and regard it as a mystery.

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