Memories of Corpus Christi Day aka Fête Dieu aka Fronleichnam

At the end of Holy Mass, there is often a procession of the Blessed Sacrament, generally displayed in a monstrance. The procession is followed by the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.[7] A notable Eucharistic procession is that presided over by the Pope each year in Rome, where it begins at the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran and passes to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where it concludes with the aforementioned Benediction. Corpus Christi wreaths, which are made of flowers, are hung on the doors and windows of the Christian faithful, in addition to being erected in gardens and fields.[7]

The celebration of the feast was suppressed in Protestant churches during the Reformation for theological reasons: outside Lutheranism, which maintained the confession of the Real Presence, many Protestants denied the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist other than as a merely symbolic or spiritual presence. Today, most Protestant denominations do not recognize the feast day,[8] with exception of certain Lutheran churches and the Church of England, the latter of which abolished it in 1548 as the English Reformation progressed, but later reintroduced it.[9] Some Anglican churches now observe Corpus Christi, sometimes under the name Thanksgiving for Holy Communion.

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Feast of Corpus Christi - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This Thursday is another public holiday in some parts of Germany and, if you're in the right place at the right time, you will be treated to the sight of large processions of people parading through the streets in traditional clothing, chanting prayers and singing hymns, accompanied by parishioners carrying jewelled statues of the Virgin Mary and other saints. Meet Corpus Christi, known as Fronleichnam in Germany.

Celebrated at the beginning of summer, 10 days after Whitsun, Corpus Christi always falls on a Thursday and commemorates the Holy Eucharist – the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The festival – once controversial – is not celebrated as widely around the globe as other Christian festivals such as Christmas and Easter.

Origins of Corpus Christi​

So what exactly is Corpus Christi, and why is it celebrated?

Word origins​

The German name for this festival, Fronleichnam, comes from the Middle High German word "vronlicham" – "vron" meaning "lord" and "licham" meaning "body". Thus, the name literally translates to “body of God”. The English name, Corpus Christi, comes from Latin, and also holds the same meaning (Body of Christ).

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Fronleichnam: What is being celebrated in Germany on Corpus Christi?

In parts of Germany, Fronleichnam is celebrated with processions, decorations and prayers as a veneration of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist of Christ.

www.iamexpat.de

Corpus Christi procession in London, 2019​

Where is Fronleichnam celebrated?​

Nowadays, Corpus Christi is generally only a public holiday in areas with a predominantly Catholic population. In some countries, including Germany, the feast was suppressed in the aftermath of the Protestant Reformation.

Martin Luther believed processions with consecrated elements to be blasphemous, idolatrous and conflicting with Christ’s order and establishment. He spoke out several times against Corpus Christi, referring to it as “the most shameful festival”. In fact, it is also believed that the extroverted and bombastic character of the celebrations had the political motive of showing the Protestants how great it was to be a Catholic.

Later, during the Nazi era, this was used as a means of passive resistance against the secular state rulers. This tradition carries on even today, with these parades intended to point out that religion belongs just as much to the public sphere as to the private.

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Fronleichnam: What is being celebrated in Germany on Corpus Christi?

In parts of Germany, Fronleichnam is celebrated with processions, decorations and prayers as a veneration of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist of Christ.

www.iamexpat.de

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Eucharistic Procession Through Times Square – Principled Entrepreneurship 2022 Conference​