Bare minimum required to celebrate Mass?

[Matthew_Holford]

Of course is there is no Eucharist, then there is no Mass. The minimum for Mass would be the weekday setting. 1 reading, Gospel, no creed, no prayers of the faithful, not even hymns.

I agree with you; without the Eucharist there could be no Mass. I should also have probably stated in my previous post that at Mass it is required that the priest takes communion under both species.

We can discuss the minimum requirements for Mass as much as we like. It does not change the fact that there is no minimum requirement laid down.

 

[Digitonomy]

But it seems he could just as easily forget the words of consecration too.(What if he says, This is My Flesh, for example?)

Well, I understood the OP as asking what items would invalidate the mass due to their absence for whatever reason. Water is something that might not be available, but its absence wouldn’t invalidate the mass. A non-forgetful priest could qualify, depending on the circumstances, but it’s kind of a different category.

But it is a fair enough question: If the priest says “This is my flesh,” rather than “This is my body,” I would say it is a valid consecration since the meaning is substantially the same.

ProVobis:

Or intention, for that matter. IMO.

Lack of intention obviously invalidates the sacrament, although again it’s a bit tough to assemble the components on the makeshift altar and say “Bread - check. Wine - check. Intent - drat, we’re all out today. Maybe tomorrow morning we can scrounge some.”

ConstantineTG:

It will be valid, but the priest is committing a grave sin if he intentionally omits and there is no good reason to omit water.

Of course. The priest commits a sin if he wears the wrong color vestment without a good reason.

 

[ConstantineTG]

The priest commits a sin if he wears the wrong color vestment without a good reason.

Well, sin all boils down on intent, right? If a priest is preparing for Mass and he is walking around the sacristy with an open bottle of wine, trips, and messes all the vestments save for one that is the incorrect color for the day, what is he to do? Say Mass without vestments or say Mass with vestments even though it is the incorrect one? Its not his intention that all other vestments are made unavailable at that time.

Also for travelling priests, it may be just what they brought.

Also if Mass must be celebrated (its a Sunday, there are faithful there, there is only one priest) then as a last resort if there are really no available vestments, then the priest will have to celebrate without vestments.

Again, all these are extraordinary situations.

 

[FatHead]

This is something I have been wondering for awhile. After watching There Be Dragons, and seeing the character of St. Jose Maria celebrating a secret EF Mass in plain clothes and in what appeared to be someones apartment with a couple of people, and also in the end on the side of a mountain. My curiosity has gotten the best of me and *I got to wondering what is the basic requirements for a priest to say Mass, especially in dire circumstances such as his, where one could not safely say Mass in public. *I guess my interest also stems from my fascination with survival and post-apocalyptic scenarios, especially with a Catholic twist in my own imagination, being able to receive the Eucharist after a major disaster.

Thing I could think of that may be required??

A validly ordained priest (duh)

chalice made of precious metal, or lined with precious metal.

paten made or plated with precious metal

a purificator of other cloth to place the sacred vessels on

unleavened wheat bread ( or can any wheat bread be used??)

grape wine

the days readings

the priests knowledge of the liturgy, if from memory

Thanks!

nope, just a priest, bread, wine, and the proper words