The "culture of digitality" (Felix Stalder) is a global megatrend that is increasingly influencing the coexistence of modern societies, but also everyday behavior. The global Covid-19 pandemic has not only tested how social life is possible in virtual spaces, but also how religious rituals can be celebrated in the virtual world. The theological discussion centered primarily on the question of sacramental celebrations. Is the sacramental encounter with God in virtual space just as real as in the established non-virtual spaces or is there something fictitious about the virtual? The debate about the reality of virtual spaces has been going on intensively in philosophy for several years. Schematically, a distinction can be made between "virtual realism" (e.g. David Chalmers) and "virtual fictionalism" (e.g. Steffen Koch). Virtual realism argues that virtual objects are to be understood as real objects. Virtual objects are therefore just as genuine as non-virtual objects. Virtual fictionalism does not deny that there are genuine encounters between people in the virtual world, but emphasizes that virtual objects remain fictitious, i.e. that there is a difference between virtual and non-virtual objects in terms of their reality. Sacramental theology is called upon to take a well-founded position in the discussion about the reality of virtual spaces. On the one hand, there is a need for practical orientation in the debate about the possibility of virtual sacramental celebrations. On the other hand, the debate requires a sharper understanding of the 'materia' in the sacrament: What is the relationship between the healing presence of God in the sacrament and the sacramental 'materia'? How must the sacramental 'materia' be given so that we can speak of a sacrament? The paper reflects on the relationship between 'materia' and sacrament against the background of the debate on virtual realism and virtual fictionalism.