Catholic Encyclopedia
1917 Catholic Encyclopedia
CONCELEBRATION
Concelebration is the rite by which several priests say Mass together, all consecrating the same bread and wine. It was once common in both East and West. As late as the ninth century priests stood around their bishop and “consented to his sacrifice” (Corp. Jur. Can., Decr. Grat., Pars III, dist. I, cap. 59). The rite of Concelebration was modified at Rome (perhaps in the time of Pope Zephyrinus, 202-218) so that each priest should consecrate a separate host (the deacons holding these in patens or corporals); but they all consecrated the same chalice (“Ordo Rom. I”, 48; see also Duchesne, "Liber Pont.", I, 139 and 246). In the sixth century this rite was observed on all station days; by the eighth century it remained only for the greatest feasts, Easter, Christmas, Whitsunday, and St. Peter (“Ordo Rom. I”, 48; Duchesne, “Origines”, 167). On other days the priests assisted but did not concelebrate. Innocent III (1198-1216) says that in his time the cardinals concelebrate with the pope on certain feasts (De Saer. Altar. Myst. in Migne, P.L., CCXVII, IV, 25). Durandus, who denied the possibility of such a rite (Rationale Div. Off., IV, d. xiii, q. 3) is refuted by Cardinal Bona (Rer. Liturg., I, xviii, 9). St. Thomas defends its theological correctness (Summa Theol., III:82:2). Concelebration is still common in all the Eastern Churches both Catholic and schismatic. In these, on any greater feast day, the bishop says the holy liturgy surrounded by his priests, who consecrate with him and receive Holy Communion from him, of course under both kinds. So also, at any time, if several priests wish to celebrate on the same day, they may do so together.
In the Latin Church the rite survives only at the ordination of priests and bishops. The newly-ordained priests say the Offertory prayers and the whole Canon, including the words of consecration, aloud with the bishop, kneeling around him. The words of consecration especially must be said “slowly and rather loud” and “at the same moment with the pontiff” (Pont. Rom., do Ord. Presb., rubric). They must say the words significative, that is with the intention of consecrating (Benedict XIV, de SS. Missæ Sacr., III, xvi, 6), and must be careful not to say them before, but exactly with, the bishop (op. cit., loc. cit., 7). They receive Holy Communion under one kind. The same rite is used at a bishop's consecration, except that in this case the new bishop communicates with the consecrator under both kinds (Pont. Rom., de Cons. Electi in Episc., rubric in the text).
[Fortescue, A.]
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New Catholic Encyclopedia (1967)
CONCELEBRATION
The celebration of any liturgical action by several ministers. It may take different forms: mere participation of ministers of different hierarchical rank, such as in a solemn high Mass or the consecration of oils on Holy Thursday; the joint performance of a sacramental action by several ministers who possess the priesthood, such as the administration of the Anointing of the Sick in the Byzantine rite by seven or at least three priests; and the celebration of the Eucharist by several priests. This article deals with the historical and theological aspects of Eucharistic concelebration.
Historical Aspects. In the West, the earliest recorded incident (Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. 5.24.17; PG 20:507) seems to be that of Anicetus who “conceded the Eucharist” to Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (c. 155), an expression that can be explained best as concelebration, Church legislation from the 3d century on prescribed that visiting bishops be allowed to concelebrate the Eucharist with the local bishop [e.g, the Council of Arles (314), 19; the 5th-century Statua ecclesiae antiqua (56; Munier 89)]. In Rome concelebration of the priests with the pope was the rule until the 6th century, and on great feasts until the 12th century. The simultaneous audible recitation of the Canon of the Mass, however, is mentioned for the first time in the 8th-century Roman Ordinal 3: “On feast days . . . the cardinal priests . . . recite the canon with him . . . and together they consecrate the body and blood of the Lord” (Andrieu OR 2:131). The practice spread quickly to the rest of Europe. In Lyons, France, where certain ceremonies of the ancient Lyonese rite are preserved, sacramental concelebration of six priests with the archbishop, customary on great feasts until the 12th century, is still carried out on Holy Thursday. In the Roman rite, until 1963, sacramental concelebration was restricted to the Masses for the ordination of priests and the consecration of bishops (CIC c.803). Vatican Council II, on Dec. 4, 1963, extended it to the Masses on Holy Thursday, during councils, bishops’ conferences, synods, priests’ meetings, the blessing of an abbot, the conventual Mass of religious communities and the principal Mass in churches (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy 59).
In the East, the 3d century Syrian Didascalia Apostolorum (2.58.3; Funk DidConst 1:168) describes a Mass at which one bishop consecrates the bread, another the wine. The Council of Neocaesarea (315) prescribed that the visiting bishops be invited to concelebrate (c.18; Mansi 2:42). Documents of the 4th to 6th centuries indicate that concelebration of the priests with their bishop was customary in Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt [Leo I, Epist. ad Dioscorum 9.2 (PL 54:626); Council of Ephesus in 431 (Mansi 4:1336); Council of Chalcedon in 451 (Mansi 7:280, 285)]. In the 9th century John VIII (d. 882) permitted his delegates to concelebate with the patriarch of Constantinople (Epist. 248 ad Photium; PL. 126:871). Simultaneous vocal recitation of the words of Consecration was frst adopted by the Catholic Greeks under Western influence in the 16th century. It was introduced into the Russian Orthodox rite through the influence of the Metropolitan of Kiev, Peter Moghila (1597-1646). In 1743 Benedict XIV (d. 1758) granted permission to the Catholies of the Byzantine rite for daily concelebration. Consequently, the form of concelebration in which the celebrants recite together aloud the words of Consecration is presently in use among the Catholics of the Byzantine, Maronite, and Coptic rites and among the Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, and Rumanian Orthodox. The older silent practice continues among the Orthodox of the Greek, Coptic, and Ethiopian rites.
Dogmatic Aspects. Three forms of concelebration, each admitting great variety of execution, are of theoret cal and practical importance: (1) a verbal, expressed form in which all the concelebrants pronounce the words of Consecration together with the principal celebrant; (2) a silent, nonverbal form wherein the concelebrants intend to consecrate but do not pronounce the words of consecration; (3) a ceremonial form in which the concelebrants attend Mass as priests but do not intend to consecrate.
According to historians, silent, nonverbal concelebration was apparently widespread during the first 6 centuries and continues in some Eastern churches. These facts were unknown to medieval theologians discussing the matter, form, and other requirements of valid and licit celebration of Mass. Their starting point was the verbal concelebration in practice at ordination Masses which involved undeniable coconsecration and therefore true sacramental concelebration. Their main problem was the possibility of one of the concelebrating priests pronouncing the words of consecration prior to the others. Because of this, some, like Albert the Great and Durandus of Saint-Pourcain, opposed the practice, while the majority, with Thomas Aquinas, Suarez, and Vazquez, endorsed it.
Modern theologians, having rediscovered ecclesial unity as one of the basic concepts of true Eucharistic piety, insist that whenever possible the external celebration also of Mass must be a manifestation of the Eucharist as the Sacrament of unity. They seek to discover whether the silent practice of earlier times can be considered truly sacramental, and what form of concelebration would best express the collegiate character of the priesthood, the hierarchical nature of the Church, and the unity of the Mass in its essential relationship to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and to the entire Mystical Body. They tend to reject ceremonial concelebration, permitted by Pius XII for large gatherings of priests, as an inadequate expression of these truths because it does not permit the concelebrants really to exercise their sacramental priesthood.
One group of theologians favors verbal, formulated concelebration particularly because of Pius's XII teaching that there are as many actions of Christ as there are consecrating priests and that for valid concelebration it is necessary for the concelebrants to pronounce the words of Consecration [ActApS 48 (1956) 718]. Others find simultaneous vocal recitation awkward in practice and objectionable on the ground that it tends to obscure not only the essential unity of the ministerial priesthood in its dependence on the priesthood of Christ, but also the hierarchical structure of the Eucharistic assembly, particularly when priests concelebrate with a bishop.
Among theologians favoring the silent form we find the following argument. Each Mass, as the represention of Christ’s infinite sacrifice on the cross, is of infinite value. Since the glory given to God and the fruits received by man can be limited only by the disposition of the participants, that form of Mass is preferable which allows for more meaningful and fervent partipation.
Another argument advanced is drawn from the nature of the Sacraments as sacred signs that effect what they signify. Since the Eucharist was instituted as the Sacrament of unity, the sacramental action should as far as possible clearly express this unity in order to produce in full measure the desired effect. Therefore, that form of celebration which manifests this unity more perfectly will correspond more truly to the will of Christ.
It is also argued that the Mass as a cult act of the Church is more than transubstantiation and that it is possible for several ministers to perform a sacramental cult act by a joint action. From this would follow that concelebrating priests, even if they do not coconsecrate, could still exercise their priesthood by offering the sacrifice as priests together with the principal celebrant who alone consecrates.
Christ has left to his Church the power to determine the liturgical ceremonies and the requirements of sacramental celebration. Whereas Vatican Council Il did extend the use of concelebration, it did not determine its ritual form (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy 57, 58). Final liturgical legislation concerning it will have to be the result of a careful consideration of all the dogmatic, historical, and pastoral factors involved.
Bibliography: P. de Puniet, DACL 3.2:2470-88. J. A. Jungann and K. Rahner, LexThk(2) 6:524-825. J. C. McGowan, Concelebration: Sign of the Unity of the Church (New York 1964). A.G. Martmort, “Le Rituel de la concébration eucharistque.” EphemLiturg 77 (1963) 147-168. C. Munier, Les Statuta ecclesiae antigua (Parks 1960). P. Tihon, "Eucharistic Concelebration,” YrbkLitStud 6 (1968).
[A. Cornides]