How does transubstantiation explain Christ’s presence in the Eucharist?

In Christianity, transubstantiation is the doctrine explaining that during the Eucharist, the substance of the bread and wine is changed into the real presence—the body and blood—of Christ.1

This explanation relies on a distinction between "substance" and "accidents":

• Substance: The fundamental reality of the elements is entirely transformed into the body and blood of Christ.23
• Accidents: The empirical appearances, such as the taste, texture, and physical form of the bread and wine, remain unchanged.12

Elaborated by Scholastic theologians and later affirmed by the Council of Trent, this doctrine aims to safeguard the literal truth of Christ’s presence while acknowledging that no observable physical change occurs to the elements. While some 20th-century theologians proposed alternative concepts like transsignification or transfinalization to emphasize a change in meaning, the Roman Catholic Church maintains the traditional terminology of transubstantiation to express this mystery of faith.12