Is a priest the only one who can perform transubstantiation?

[MsMedj]

Hello,

I recently attended a confirmation of a niece (in law) at a very progressive Lutheran church. I was amazed at how lax it was-including coffee drinking during the service. And then came communion. The pastor (dressed in a suit and tie) stood over a table (alter?), said something simple with regards to the body of Christ. I realize this wasn’t representative of all Lutheran churches, however, I still wondered: Do our Catholic priests alone have the power to change bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ? I was certain that transubstantiation was the only way this could happen, and only through the power of Holy Mass.

Thank you for you answer

MsMedj

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

For a valid Eucharist there needs to be a validly ordained priest or bishop. In order to be validly ordained the Bishop performing the ordination must be a validly ordained Bishop and must have the intention of doing what the Church intends in the ordination rite. Obviously when the Lutheran community first started it had many validly ordained Bishops from the Catholic Church. However Lutheran theology denied that Holy Orders was a sacrament and thus they couldn’t possibly intend what the Church intends in the ordination ritual. The Lutheran community also rejects the Eucharist as a sacrifice and therefore also cannot intend to ordain priests as the Church understands them.

Since they cannot validly ordain, they have no validly ordained priest or bishops and therefore cannot validly consecrate the Eucharist.