“If It’s a Symbol, to Hell with It” – Or, Why Flannery Was Right About the Wrong Word

Two essays published by Catholic Outlook examine the theological depth of the Eucharist as a sacrament and the Church's use of the language of sign and symbol. The writing explores the historical struggle to define Christ's presence and the distinction between a mere symbol and a hidden saving reality made visible.

The essays note that while figures such as Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and the Council of Trent used terms like sign and symbol, the Church intended these words to describe something more real than language can contain. The text highlights a shared conviction among Guardini, Pope Francis, and Pope Leo XIV that the Church must become capable of symbol once again.

The first part of the work uses an essay by Rita Ferrone as a starting point to address the meaning of sacrament, which serves as the Latin rendering of the Greek mysterion. The second part addresses a pastoral question involving the famous exchange between Mary McCarthy and Flannery O’Connor regarding whether the Eucharist is a symbol.