Newleaf: You made me smile with your reference to cannibalism. It is not the first time that our celebration of the Eucharist has been referred to as such and Catholics have grown accustomed to it. The Doctrine of Transubstantiation and the mystery of faith attached to it is exclusive to Catholics. As much as I would like to discuss this more broadly here, the nature of forums restrict that, apart from the fact that our doctrines and dogmas require imprimaturs in order that those we would wish to discuss with non-Catholics require to bear "nihil obstat" i.e. without error. I can however, in the simplest way, offer the following:

1215 (4th Lateran Council): The body and blood (of Jesus Christ) are in the sacrament of the altar truly contained under the species of bread and wine; the bread having been transubstantiated into the body and the wine into the blood by divine power (potestate divina).

There are many fundamental differences between the Catholic Church and other denominations of Christianity. The former rests on the amalgamation of scriptures and sacred traditions: the Sacraments, the Virgin Mary, praying to the Saints, Purgatory, the Papacy and its infallibility, the Code of Canon Law, etc. Other Christian groups are more sola scriptura (scripture alone) and scriptura prima (scriptures firstly). It is on this basis that the schism from the Catholic Church have occurred.

I believe that there are differences between the Catholic and Protestant faiths. I cannot pretend there are not as I feel it would not be ecumenical. Personally, for me to grasp true ecumenism is to understand others as they really are, their beliefs as they really are so that I can appreciate what is truly ecumenical, which is, to get around the differences to see what commonality there is and to cooperate based on that commonality. And there are layers upon layers of these. I hope and trust that all of us can continue to learn from each other. There is much room for honest and good-natured discussion of our differences. How appropriate it is and the better it serves the Lenten season and Easter to discuss these.