The Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament (CBS) (the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ) is a devotional society in the Anglican Communion dedicated to venerating the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It is the oldest Anglican devotional society and was founded in 1862 by Thomas Thellusson Carter during the Catholic Revival in the Church of England and has worked to promote the Mass as the weekly main service, regular confession, and the Eucharistic fast. The society's motto is, "Adoremus in aeternum sanctissimum sacramentum", or in English, "Let us forever adore the Most Blessed Sacrament." The Confraternity as now constituted represents the amalgamation of two earlier societies, namely, the Society of the Blessed Sacrament, founded in 1860, and the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament, founded in 1862. The two societies united on 26 February 1867.
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Associates and Priests-Associate (the Constitution differentiates between the two, but requirements upon them are identical) of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament strive to promote reverence for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist through the witness of their lives, words, prayers and teaching. They pray for one another at Mass and before the Blessed Sacrament and make use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
The Confraternity consists of autonomous Provinces, of which there are currently two - the English (and original) CBS and the American CBS - each led by a Superior-General and administered by a Secretary-General and Treasurer-General. Additionally there are semi-autonomous branches of CBS in both Canada and Australia, though currently neither has the numerical strength to become a fully autonomous province, and so they remain part of the English CBS. The English CBS is also active in Sweden, Wales, and the Channel Islands. Currently lacking structure, there are fledgling CBS movements in parts of Africa.
Within an autonomous Province of CBS there may be a further level of structure known as a 'District'. The English CBS is divided into 23 Districts. A District is led by a 'District Superior', who may appoint a 'District Secretary', and is a collection of all the Wards within a particular region.
The local unit of CBS is known as a 'Ward'. Members of the Confraterity meet together in local Wards for prayer, worship and mutual support under the guidance of a priest as 'Ward Superior', assisted by a 'Ward Secretary'. Each individual Ward decides its own annual programme of events, and the Ward Superior has authority to admit new Associates (although he must consult the District Superior or Superior-General before admitting a new Priest-Associate).
Many Wards are attached to a local parish of the Anglican Church, although this is not necessary according to the Constitution, which merely requires a Priest-Associate (as Ward Superior) to gather other Associates around himself in order to form a Ward. In recent times a number of Priests-Associate have formed Wards which are not attached to any parish church. Examples in the English CBS include:
There remain unattached Associates of CBS, who live too far from any Ward to be able to participate in its life. These unattached Associates receive updates and news directly from the Secretary-General.
The English CBS has beneifited from a number of generous bequests and careful financial management, and has consequently built up considerable financial reserves. These allow it to provide grants of vessels and vestments to priests celebrating the Eucharist and reserving the Blessed Sacrament in poorer parishes, and also to provide financial support to large projects and conferences, including the annual Caister Conference.
In early July, 2011, controversy broke when it was first rumoured, then reported in 'The Times', that the Confraternity had made a grant of £1 million to the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, thus divesting itself of more than half its assets. Fr. Pearson, Superior-General of the Confraternity was reported in 'The Times' as stating that the Trustees believed, having taken legal advice, that the grant was compatible with the charitable objects of the Confraternity. This has been disputed by Paul Williamson who has brought several other major legal challenges to religious developments in England during the last three decades.
The English CBS publishes a quarterly newsletter and prayer schedule, known as the Quarterly Paper or QP, and sent to all Associates. Other publications include The Constitution, The Manual, and The Directory (of Districts and Wards).
There are copies of the society's manuals in the Library and Museum of Freemasonry in London, listed under Classmark 1295 CON.[1]
The Reverend Christopher Pearson, formerly Vicar of St Agnes' Kennington Park, is the current Superior-General in the United Kingdom. The Secretary-General of the American branch is the Very Reverend Father William Willoughby III. The Reverend Canon Brian Freeland leads the Canadian organisation.