The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-06-11
Corpus Christi Festival
 To Be Celebrated To-day

Corpus Christi, one of the most splendid of Roman Catholic fesd- vals, will be celebrated to-day by all Christians who look to Rome as the source of spiritual authority Hs-' pecially in the Latin countries of Europe and America is this feast gen eraIly observed, and it is distinguish ed by magnificent processi ons. Tn France it is known as the Fete Dieu, and. in Germany as the Fronleieh- namsfest. In Mexico and other Spanish-America nations the fesa- val is one of the most speczacular of the many fetes of the religious ca1en- dar.
 In Rome and throughout Italy, Corpus Christi is general Holiday to the church. Perhaps the most in teresting observance of the day is that at 5Torre del Greco, near Naples, where the Festa dei Quattro Atari. or Feast of the Four Altars, a patriotic fiesta, p is coupled with the religious celebration The Four AItars festi- val commenorates the abolition of afeudaI dominion in 170O, and, like so many other Italian holidays, it Is characterized by many features which originated in the pagan feasts Of ancient Rome. In many ways the feast is reminiscent of the Florealis festival in honor of Flora, the god- dess of flowers Four altars are erected in the principal squares of the town, and decorated with flowers. A floral procession is held and the al tars are blessed by priests. The Corpus Christi eucharistic procession, in addition to it's religious signifi- canoe, serves as a thanksgiving dem onstration to commemorate the city's freedom.
 Corpus Christi is a special festival E1n honor of the blessed sacrament. In the thirteenth century the doctrine of the real pr esence of Jesus Christ in the eucharist was denied by some churchnen. and it was to express the profound belief of the church in this doctrine that in 1244 Pope Urban ". decreed the institution of the feast of CorpJ1s Christi. The Pope died a little later, and the Bull did not have it's full effect until 1882, whens after the council of VIenne. the feast of the Blessed Sacrament, or Corpus Christi was generally adopted throughout the Catholic world Pope Urban ", who had promised to all the penitent who took part in the festival indul- gence for a period of. from forty to a hundred days, also set the date as the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, and this date has been adhered to ever since.
 The feast of Corpus Christi is an ex4 pression of faith in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Eucha- rist. The church has always attach ed a profound and vital importance to this belief in transubstantiatio and Catholic theologians hold that It is the very essence and necessary groundwork of Christianity The Catholic Church teaches that eff Jesus Christ be not present really and corporeally under the elements of bread and wine, His word is no long CT reliable, He is no longer God. and there remains of religion naught save a beautiful but sterile pniIos- ophy, which each one can remodel after his own mind
 American Unitarians will celebrate day the centenary of the birth of one of their most distinguished cIer- sgyn1en and writers, Rev. Henry Whit ney Bellows, who was born on June II, 1874. After graduating from Harvard Divinity School he became pastor of All Souls Church in New York, and ranked as4one of the fore most pulpit orators and theologians of his time. He was the chief found CT and long the editor of the Christian Inquirer. Dr. Bellows was also one of the chief founders of the United States Sanitary Commission, and it's president during the civil war.
 ssTaE PRAYER FROM THE HILLS |