ABSTRACT
This chapter shows how the importance of the Eucharist in Tridentine Catholicism led to the development of meticulous regulations concerning the sacrament. First and foremost, these related to its preservation, defining the spaces and ways in which the Eucharist had to be stored, the materials that were allowed to come into contact with it and the complex set of furnishings and fittings dedicated to the body and blood of Christ. Infractions reported in the various parishes during pastoral visits are then examined: a very complex situation emerges, revealing how sacred buildings took a long time to adapt to the Tridentine norms and, especially in peripheral areas, often exhibited serious shortcomings. The faithful also behaved inappropriately towards the sacrament. The third section examines several cases that show how the host was abused in numerous ways, from multiple communions to viaticum practices that resembled magic rites. A final section is devoted to the co-existence of different liturgical rites, especially in southern Italy, and their impact on the perception and life of the faithful.
