According to page 339 of William Bennett’s “Trial by Fire: the story of Christianity’s first thousand years” transubstantiation became codified doctrine of the Catholic Church by the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215.
Dr. Bennett gives a short history of the debate within Catholicism over whether the wine and bread were real or symbolic. The debate began around 831 A.D. with a treatise by the Frankish abbot Pachasius Radbertus in which he presented the case for bread and wine of communion were literally Jesus’ blood and body.
I recommend to all Catholics and Protestants, Dr. Bennett’s book “Trial by Fire” as good reading of the history of the early Christian Church between the time of Jesus and 1054, where Bennett concludes it.
Certainly in those times where unity was difficult, there were misunderstandings and heresies. Please be clear: for about 1000 years, if you were Christian, you believed in the Real Presence. The early writings of the saints are clear. For example, one of the earliest, St Ignatius of Antioch:
“Consider how contrary to the mind of God are the heterodox in regard to the grace of God which has come to us. They have no regard for charity, none for the widow, the orphan, the oppressed, none for the man in prison, the hungry or the thirsty. They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not admit that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, the flesh which suffered for our sins and which the Father, in His graciousness, raised from the dead.”
“Letter to the Smyrnaeans”, paragraph 6. circa 80-110 A.D.
“Come together in common, one and all without exception in charity, in one faith and in one Jesus Christ, who is of the race of David according to the flesh, the son of man, and the Son of God, so that with undivided mind you may obey the bishop and the priests, and break one Bread which is the medicine of immortality and the antidote against death, enabling us to live forever in Jesus Christ.”
-”Letter to the Ephesians”, paragraph 20, c. 80-110 A.D.
“I want the Bread of God which is the Flesh of Christ, who was the seed of David; and for drink I desire His Blood which is love that cannot be destroyed.”
-”Letter to the Romans”, paragraph 7, circa 80-110 A.D.
“Take care, then who belong to God and to Jesus Christ - they are with the bishop. And those who repent and come to the unity of the Church - they too shall be of God, and will be living according to Jesus Christ. Do not err, my brethren: if anyone follow a schismatic, he will not inherit the Kingdom of God. If any man walk about with strange doctrine, he cannot lie down with the passion. Take care, then, to use one Eucharist, so that whatever you do, you do according to God: for there is one Flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup in the union of His Blood; one altar, as there is one bishop with the presbytery and my fellow servants, the deacons.”
-Epistle to the Philadelphians, 3:2-4:1, 110 A.D.
“transubstantiation became codified doctrine of the Catholic Church by the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215.”
Thanks for that. Just a few posts up from yours I made a mental note to myself to start researching the topic. Now I have a whole book I need to read. :)