Expert: Edward Bode - 9/4/2011

Question
QUESTION: I am looking for an explanation of how the communion wafer could hurt anyone if transubstantiation is as defined by Trent.

ANSWER: I am not familiar with Waldman.
Theologically, the substance of the bread and the wine are changed into the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ.  However, the accidents of those substances remain and so  could "hurt" someone -- whether it be an alcohol effect of wine or an bread/allergic effect of bread.
I hope these thoughts provide a satsifactory explanation.  If you desire more, please feel free to write again.
Best wishes, Bob

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QUESTION: When did the term "accidents" of the elements become a popular argument?
Be careful not to obscure the infallible at the risk of being anathema.

Answer
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1373-1377, 1413
[available at www.usccb.org/catechism/text/index.htm],speaks of transbustantiation with references to early Christian writers and the Council of Trent.  
Early writers in Greek spoke of the "ousia" [being] of bread and wine being changed into the "ousia" of Christ.  What constituted bread and wine ceased to be bread and wine and became the reality of the whole Christ.  What alone remained were the species, that is, the appearances or external properties of what looked and tasted like bread and wine.  See John Hardon, The Catholic Catechism [NY: Doubleday, 1981], pp 462-3.
Popes and councils previous to Trent spoke of the change.
I  used "accidents" in keeping with the often-used classic scholastic theologians [middle ages]about "substance" [inner reality] and "species/accidents/appearances" [properties perceived by senses].  See Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, part 3, question 77.  
For an extended discussion of transubstantiation, see George Smith, The Teaching of the Catholic Church [London: Burns Oates,second edtion 1952] pp 857-863.
I do hope that you can recognize my adherence to Catholic dogma in what I previously wrote. If not, or if you desire more, I am always available for further reponse.
Best wishes, Bob, and thanks for writing again.