Liturgical abuses

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I was reading through the page on Liturgical abuses and was wondering how many abuses does it take to invalidate a Mass. Is it based on severity, number of abuses? What criteria is used to decide and who makes the final decision (I’m assuming the Bishop), or are the abuses on the chart used as a guidelines for simple corrective action. PAX
 
In order for a Mass to be valid, it must be celebrated by a validly ordained priest. Valid matter (bread made from wheat, and wine made from grapes) must be used, the correct words of consecration (This is My Body … This is the cup of My Blood …) must be spoken, and the priest must receive the Body and Blood of Christ.

Many other abuses can make a Mass illicit (illegal, improper), but not invalid (the Mass still “happens”).
 
Vogie said:
I was reading through the page on Liturgical abuses and was wondering how many abuses does it take to invalidate a Mass. Is it based on severity, number of abuses? What criteria is used to decide and who makes the final decision (I’m assuming the Bishop), or are the abuses on the chart used as a guidelines for simple corrective action. PAX
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Page on Liturgical abuses? I’m not sure to what you are referring.

But in any case, the term “invalidate”, or rather “invalid” since we need an adjective, is not really applicable to the Mass. The term “illicit” (meaning unlawful) would be applicable.

Now the sacrament of Holy Eucharist can be valid. I suppose technically it doesn’t make sense to say that a sacrament is invalid because then there would have been no sacrament. But for the sake of description we refer to an invalid sacrament if essential elements are missing.

That’s probably what you should have asked in your question.

Now a sacrament can also be illicit. That means the sacrament really happened but some Church law(s) was/were broken in the process. I will leave the argument as to whether the number of or the seriousness of the broken laws can eventually invalidate a sacrament.

But it only takes one essential element of a sacrament to be missing for it to be invalid.
 
I appreciate the quick response and I understand what you said…but…what standing does an illicit Mass have for the congregation and is any abuse enough to make it illicit. Still a might bit confused. Thanks
 
A person who attends a valid (though illicit) Mass has fulfilled his or her obligation to attend Mass, if that is what you are looking for.

As for other effects an illicit Mass might have on the congregation, it might make them confused, annoyed, or, over time, deprive them of the beauty and meaning of the rites the Church has so carefully prepared. I suppose it depends on the nature of the abuse.
 
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