Lutheranism
Martin Luther spoke out against processing with the consecrated elements, which he viewed as “only play-acting” and “just vain idolatry”. In one of his postils (homilies), he wrote
I am to no festival more hostile … than this one. Because it is the most shameful festival. At no festival are God and his Christ more blasphemed, than on this day, and particularly by the procession. For then people are treating the Blessed Sacrament with such ignominy that it becomes only play-acting and is just vain idolatry. With its cosmetics and false holiness it conflicts with Christ’s order and establishment. Because He never commanded us to carry on like this. Therefore, beware of such worship![31]
Many personal opinions of Martin Luther were not adopted by the Lutheran Churches, however, and because Lutheranism retained much of the pre-Reformation liturgical and devotional practices, the Lutheran Reformation is generally considered to be the most conservative among the Protestant traditions.[32][33] The Feast of Corpus Christi was retained in the calendars of the Lutheran Church until about 1600.[34] Lutherans were recorded to have prominent celebrations of the Feast of Corpus Christi in Dessau (1532), Brandenburg (1540), and Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach (1548).[35] The Feast of Corpus Christi continues to be celebrated in certain Lutheran churches, particularly those of Evangelical Catholic churchmanship.[9][36][37]
Anglicanism
The celebration of Corpus Christi was abolished in England in 1548.[38][39] However, in the Church of England since the 2000 edition of “Common Worship,” “the Thursday after Trinity Sunday may be observed as The Day of Thanksgiving for the Institution of Holy Communion (Corpus Christi)” as one of the church’s Festivals and with a special liturgy.[40]
The feast is also celebrated by Anglican parishes of Anglo-Catholic churchmanship, even in provinces of the Anglican Communion that do not officially include it in their calendars. McCausland’s Order of Divine Service, the most commonly used ordo in the Anglican Church of Canada, provides lections for the day.[citation needed]
Old Catholicism and Western-Rite Orthodoxy
Corpus Christi is also celebrated by the Old Catholic Church, the Liberal Catholic Church and by some Western Rite Orthodox Christians.
Reformed
Followers of the Reformed tradition (including the Continental Reformed, Presbyterian and Congregationalist denominations) do not observe the feast.[41]
