Minimum components required for a mass to occur

[agapewolf]

I guess we should understand what the word “mass” is, and even further dissect the question.

Are we asking what is needed for a valid consecration? Can we have a valid consecration wtihout any liturgy of the word?

I do remember hearing/reading…from a catholic answers source that because the Priest is supposed to genuflect after saying “this is my body”… and then again later after “this is my blood”… that this means that each is consecrated seperately.

I think it was in this same context there was a question asked as when the change happens in the Eastern Churches or orthodox churches…

apparently, there is an option for a Eucharistic prayer, in an orthodox (not in communion with rome) church, that doesn’t actually have the words of consecration, so the change is considered to happen during the epicleses equivalent.

I’m sure the OP wasn’t intending to get THAT specific…but this previous post got a little more specific, so I did too.

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

I think it is without doubt that a consecration is necessary. Whether communion is required is not clear yet - Andreas Hofer believes it is, but if the priest were assassinated before consuming the Eucharist, or if government troops burst in and confiscated the Eucharist after consecration but before the priest consumed them, would it still qualify as a mass? I’m eager to hear what others have to say on this.

Whether a Liturgy of the Word is necessary is also up in the air, and we may be able to get some insight into how critical that and some of the other parts of the mass are if we can find out what is included when priests say a private mass, as Uncle Norbert and mschrank alluded to.

Pope Pius XII indicated the priest’s communion as an element integral to the sacrifice -
“But, as all know, the integrity of the sacrifice only requires that the priest partake of the heavenly food. Although it is most desirable that the people should also approach the holy table, this is not required for the integrity of the sacrifice.” (Mediator Dei, 112)
vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_20111947_mediator-dei_en.html

That is not to say it’s required for the validity of the consecration, but it is an integral part of the Mass. If the priest were assassinated, I argue that it would fall upon another priest, if possible, to complete the sacrifice by receiving, just as if only one species were at that point consecrated it would fall to another priest to consecrate the second species.

Priests saying private Mass do not omit anything particularly substantive, only:
“GIRM 254. Mass should not be celebrated without a minister or at least one of the faithful, except for a just and reasonable cause. In this case, the greetings, the introductory or explanatory remarks (monitiones), and the blessing at the end of Mass are omitted.” (emphasis mine)
usccb.org/liturgy/current/chapter4.shtml#sect3