The Doctrine of Concomitance is a

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

theological Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

doctrine Doctrine (from la, doctrina, meaning "teaching, instruction") is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief system ...

held by some

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

which describes the nature of Christ's presence in the bread and wine of the

sacrament A sacrament is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments ...

Doctrine

The doctrine states that since Christ is indivisible, no one part of Christ's substance can be divided. Thus, Christ's body can not be separated from his blood which means that Christ's full presence is in each element fully.

Use

The Doctrine of Concomitance has been used to justify communion under one kind of species, saying that the Christ is fully present in each species alone. Further application allows those who are allergic to gluten, are

alcoholic Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomin ...

s, or otherwise wish to abstain from alcohol consumption to receive one species alone with the assurance of the fullness of the sacrament. Historically, this application contributed to the 1415 ruling by the

Council of Constance The Council of Constance was a 15th-century ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418 in the Bishopric of Constance in present-day Germany. The council ended the Western Schism by deposing or accepting the res ...

that the laity should be given only the bread at communion.

References

{{reflist Sacramental theology Eucharist Eucharist in the Catholic Church