Eucharistic Prayer

[firebrand]

Can a Eucharistic prayer, paraphrased or otherwise incorrectly said, ruin a Mass, make it illicit or invalid, can it wrech Holy Communion, the Sacrifice itself?

 

[benedictgal]

Can a Eucharistic prayer, paraphrased or otherwise incorrectly said, ruin a Mass, make it illicit or invalid, can it wrech Holy Communion, the Sacrifice itself?

No priest has the authority to paraphrasea the Eucharistic Prayer (or any part of the Mass, for that matter). He has to have the matter, form and intention in order for the Eucharistic Prayer to be valid.

Here is what Redemptionis Sacramentum hsa to say:

51.] Only those Eucharistic Prayers are to be used which are found in the Roman Missal or are legitimately approved by the Apostolic See, and according to the manner and the terms set forth by it. "It is not to be tolerated that some Priests take upon themselves the right to compose their own Eucharistic Prayers"129 or to change the same texts approved by the Church, or to introduce others composed by private individuals.130

[52.] The proclamation of the Eucharistic Prayer, which by its very nature is the climax of the whole celebration, is proper to the Priest by virtue of his Ordination. It is therefore an abuse to proffer it in such a way that some parts of the Eucharistic Prayer are recited by a Deacon, a lay minister, or by an individual member of the faithful, or by all members of the faithful together. The Eucharistic Prayer, then, is to be recited by the Priest alone in full.131

I hope this helps.

 

[Digitonomy]

Can a Eucharistic prayer, paraphrased or otherwise incorrectly said, ruin a Mass, make it illicit or invalid, can it wrech Holy Communion, the Sacrifice itself?

As long as the matter is valid, and the proper intent is there, all that is needed is the form, the minimum of which is generally the words of institution. If those three things are present, it doesn’t matter how badly the priest screws up the rest of the Eucharistic Prayer, the Eucharist itself is still valid. Obviously any deviation from the precise wording of the EP renders it illicit.

I’m not as sure of what is required for a mass to “count.” I don’t think masses are themselves described as valid or invalid, it is the sacrament which gets those adjectives. If there is a valid Eucharist, and some semblence of a Liturgy of the Word, then I suspect you have a real mass. I hope the masses you attend far exceed such a minimal standard.

 

[firebrand]

I’m sending a copy of that first part to the priest in question. We have a new pastor who is good and the Cardinal just visited the parish. I think it can be calmed down quietly, I hate to criticize a priest.

 

[benedictgal]

I’m sending a copy of that first part to the priest in question. We have a new pastor who is good and the Cardinal just visited the parish. I think it can be calmed down quietly, I hate to criticize a priest.

It’s not so much that you are criticizing the priest, as you are addressing this issue in genuine fraternal charity. Furthermore, Catholics have the right to have the Mass celebrated under the rubrics and norms prescribed by the Church. That has been affirmed by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and reaffirmed by our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.

It’s not the easiest position to be in to have to discuss this with the priest in question. Believe me, I’ve been in your shoes. And, sometimes, it’s the faithful who give the most grief because you get criticized for trying to stand up for what is right.