During Consecration is EVERYTHING on the altar Consecrated?

[rosarywarrior]

During the consecration at Mass, the Deacon had a small ciborium with hosts on a corner of the altar which he forgot to place with the rest of the host and chalices being consecrated. When it came time for communion, the priest told him to put the ciborium in question on a side table saying it had not been consecrated. I thought anything (bread or wine), on the altar during consecration was consecrated. Is this wrong? Where specifically can I find the correct answer? Thank you.

 

[thistle]

rosarywarrior:

During the consecration at Mass, the Deacon had a small ciborium with hosts on a corner of the altar which he forgot to place with the rest of the host and chalices being consecrated. When it came time for communion, the priest told him to put the ciborium in question on a side table saying it had not been consecrated. I thought anything (bread or wine), on the altar during consecration was consecrated. Is this wrong? Where specifically can I find the correct answer? Thank you.

I don’t know the answer for sure but I thought it was only the bread and wine which are consecrated, and nothing else.

 

[tee_eff_em]

Only those elements which a priest *intends *to consecrate are consecrated.

tee

 

[rosarywarrior]

tee_eff_em:

Only those elements which a priest *intends *to consecrate are consecrated.

tee

Do you know where this is written? Like in the GIRM or some other book?

 

[rosarywarrior]

thistle:

I don’t know the answer for sure but I thought it was only the bread and wine which are consecrated, and nothing else.

Actually, that is what I meant. There was a small bowl of host on the corner of the altar and not with the rest in the center of the altar.

 

[porthos11]

rosarywarrior:

Do you know where this is written? Like in the GIRM or some other book?

I doubt you will find it in the GIRM, but tee is correct. According to standard sacramental theology, for a sacrament to be effective, there must be present proper form, matter, and intent. If the intent was not present with regards to the corner ciborium, then it wasn’t consecrated.

Usually, the priest places the matter he wishes to consecrate on the corporal, and intends to consecrate all that is on the corporal.

The principle behind this is to intend to do what the Church does. See Council of Trent DS 1611.

 

[puzzleannie]

rosarywarrior:

During the consecration at Mass, the Deacon had a small ciborium with hosts on a corner of the altar which he forgot to place with the rest of the host and chalices being consecrated. When it came time for communion, the priest told him to put the ciborium in question on a side table saying it had not been consecrated. I thought anything (bread or wine), on the altar during consecration was consecrated. Is this wrong? Where specifically can I find the correct answer? Thank you.

what is consecrated is what the priest intends to consecrate. If he did not see the other ciborium he knew he did not intend to consecrate its contents, so he was the one to judge, and acted properly.

 

[Joe_Gloor]

At my parish, they used to leave the carafe in which the wine was carried to the altar on the altar during the consecration. They have now taken the time to remove the carafe prior to the consecration. I’m not sure exactly why, but I seem to remember their saying that they were removing it so there was no question about whether or not the ‘left-overs’ in the carafe were consecrated. From the comments here, it sounds like that was an unnecessary concern.

 

[peary]

During the consecration at Mass, the Deacon had a small ciborium with hosts on a corner of the altar which he forgot to place with the rest of the host and chalices being consecrated. When it came time for communion, the priest told him to put the ciborium in question on a side table saying it had not been consecrated. I thought anything (bread or wine), on the altar during consecration was consecrated. Is this wrong? Where specifically can I find the correct answer? Thank you.

The bread and wine in front of him. Many times the hosts have previously been consecrated and placed in the tabernacle to be taken out as needed. The ciborium should have been included with all the other hosts, as the priest needs to make the conscious effort of consecrating what is before him, also with his hands over that which is being consecrated. The priest was correct.