Words of Institution

[CrossofChrist]

Does the priest need to lift the chalice above the altar to consecrate the wine? Or does merely holding on to it effect the transubstantiation?

 

[Elizium23]

Neither of those is required for validity. He needs to follow the rubrics for it to be licit, but leaving out the elevation is not going to result in a dud.

 

[chimo]

Does the priest need to lift the chalice above the altar to consecrate the wine? Or does merely holding on to it effect the transubstantiation?

The only thing necessary for any valid consecration are the words. When a Catholic priest says those words the change is made. The motions of the priest to lift or touching the chalice are to show us this is the time when the Holy Spirit is active to the words of the priest to change the species present. This is the same as it us done in the Eastern Churches. It is the words that effect the change and not the motions of the hands of the priests.

 

[CrossofChrist]

Ok, so what if the priest just pointed at the bread/wine and said “This is my Body…This is my Blood”? Would it still be valid then?

 

[porthos11]

Ok, so what if the priest just pointed at the bread/wine and said “This is my Body…This is my Blood”? Would it still be valid then?

He doesn’t even have to point. He can say it with his hands joined together or on the altar or with a finger up his nose, and still consecrate. He just has to intend to do so.

Of course, that said, the rubrics state he must hold the bread and chalice. He must do this out of obedience and for liciety, but not for validity.

 

[CrossofChrist]

He doesn’t even have to point. He can say it with his hands joined together or on the altar or with a finger up his nose, and still consecrate. He just has to intend to do so.

Of course, that said, the rubrics state he must hold the bread and chalice. He must do this out of obedience and for liciety, but not for validity.

Oooooh, interesting. Thanks

 

[PJM]

=CrossofChrist;13474463]Does the priest need to lift the chalice above the altar to consecrate the wine? Or does merely holding on to it effect the transubstantiation?

The Rubrics call for raising them. However it would NOT invalidate the sacrament, so long as the correct words are used.

 

[chimo]

Ok, so what if the priest just pointed at the bread/wine and said “This is my Body…This is my Blood”? Would it still be valid then?

This is how it is done in the Eastern Churches. The movements of the priest’s hands is just for ceremonial and has nothing to do with making the Sacrament valid. If you look at this way it is more for us to know the moment of Consecration has taken place.

 

[Digitonomy]

In the old Catholic Encyclopedia the entry on Elevation mentions

We find accordingly that the elevation of the Chalice was introduced much more slowly. It was not adopted at St. Alban’s Abbey until 1429, and we may say that it is not practiced by the Carthusians even to this day.

The author clarifies that he is talking mainly about elevation of the body and blood to allow the congregation to view them, as distinguished from the simple lifting of the host above the chalice during the consecration. I’m not sure whether the the chalice was ever normally lifted during consecration, before the practice of the elevation was adopted.