Consecration With Children

[robert_ambrose]

My wife and I were at a mass last Sunday in melbourne Australia, the priest invited the children to stand around the the altar, he gave the ciborium to one child to hold, gave the chalice to another , and the plate to a third. he then proceeded with the eucharist , at the end of the Lord’s Prayer the children then went back to their seats. was the priest acting correctly.?

 

[PhilotheaZ]

No. This should not have happened. Nobody should be in the sanctuary except those who have a specific role (priest, deacon, altar servers, etc.). What you have described risks confusing the roles of the priest and the laity, and the Church has warned against it.

 

[LilyM]

My wife and I were at a mass last Sunday in melbourne Australia, the priest invited the children to stand around the the altar, he gave the ciborium to one child to hold, gave the chalice to another , and the plate to a third. he then proceeded with the eucharist , at the end of the Lord’s Prayer the children then went back to their seats. was the priest acting correctly.?

They weren’t holding them DURING the Consecration, were they? How did he do the Consecration if that was the case? Speak the words over the vessels as the children held them?

IIRC the vessels must be on the altar for the Consecration to be valid. In any event I’d certainly tell the Bishop immediately.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

. . .

IIRC the vessels must be on the altar for the Consecration to be valid. In any event I’d certainly tell the Bishop immediately.

It was certainly illicit, but the vessels don’t have to be on the altar. The celebrant just has to have the intent to consecrate them. Note the large papal masses where there is not enough room for them all to be on the altar.