Trouble at Mass

The concelebration of mass at the Augustinian Priory in Drogheda on Easter Sunday by three Catholic priests and a Church of Ireland rector seems to be causing some consternation among the hierarchies of both churches.

My simple understanding of the main issue arising from this mass is the opposing view of each church on the Eucharist. While catholics believe that the body and blood of Christ are actually present in the Eucharist, through the process of transubstantiation, protestants believe that the Eucharist is purely symbolic.

The catholic church has long accepted the Anglican congregation as legitimate christians. Presumably this also implies an acceptance that Protestant church services would have Christ’s blessing.

So here’s the question that is puzzling me.

If Christ is present in the catholic Eucharist, why would he not choose to be present in the protestant version also, even if protestants do not believe him to be?

If, on the other hand, belief in his presence in the Eucharist is an essential prerequisite to his actual presence, and therefore the missing ingredient, then surely a catholic taking protestant communion will, through his belief in the presence of Christ, actually achieve that result? And, of course, vice versa for a protestant taking catholic communion.