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Quotations on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

The Constitution of the Old Roman Catholic Church, 1986

ARTICLE XVII
RITES AND CEREMONIES
SECTION 1.
TEXTS; COLLECTIONS; EXTRACTS. -- The texts used in the Mass, Liturgy and administration of the Sacraments (Missale Romanum, Pontificale, Breviarium) shall conform to the Typical Editions issued by the Holy See prior to 1964. Ritual collections and extracts may be used only insofar as these agree with the appropriate typical edition.

SECTION 2.
 LANGUAGE. -- The Mass, Sacraments, Office and other ceremonies may be conducted either in the Latin Language or in the vernacular, as pastoral requirements dictate and according to local custom, but in all cases such linguistic renderings shall be uttered with precision. The use of the Latin Canon in Masses offered in the vernacular, as well as the use of Latin for the essential form of the administration of the Sacraments, may be determined as appropriate by local authority.


Pope Saint Pius V, Quo Primum Tempore, July 14, 1570

    .... So that the rite of the Holy Roman Church, the mother and teacher of all churches, may be adopted and observed everywhere, henceforth perpetually, in all future times, throughout the provinces of the Christian world; in Patriarchates, Cathedrals, Colleges, and Parishes, whether secular or those of religious orders; in monasteries, whether of men or of women, as well as in the military orders, even in churches and chapels without the cure of souls; when High Mass is sung aloud with a choir, or in Masses merely recited; those who by custom or law celebrate in accordance with the rites and customs of the Roman Church are to make use of this Missal edited by Us for the chanting and reading of Mass....

    .... Furthermore, by these presents, in virtue of Our Apostolic Authority, We concede and grant, in perpetuity, that for the chanting or reading of Mass in whatever church, this Missal may be followed absolutely, without scruple of conscience, or fear of any other penalty, sentence, or censure, and may be used freely and lawfully. Nor are Superiors, Administrators, Canons, Chaplains, and other secular priests, or religious by whatever order or title designated, obliged to celebrate Mass otherwise than ordered by Us. We likewise order and declare that no one is to be forced or coerced to alter this Missal, and that this present document can never be revoked or modified but always will remain valid and in full force. Previous constitutions and decrees of the Holy See, general and special constitutions and edicts of provincial or synodal councils, the practice and custom of the aforementioned churches, established by long and immemorial prescription -- saving only usages over two hundred years -- to the contrary notwithstanding....


Council of Trent, "Canons on the Sacrifice of the Mass," 17 September 1562:

    Canon 3. If anyone says that the Sacrifice of the Mass is one only of praise and thanksgiving; or that it is a mere commemoration of the sacrifice consummated on the cross but not a propitiatory one; or that it profits him only who receives, and ought not to be offered for the living and the dead, for sins, punishments, satisfactions, and other necessities, let him be anathema.

    Canon 9. If anyone says that the rite of the Roman Church, according to which a part of the canon and the words of consecration are pronounced in a low tone, is to be condemned; or that the Mass ought to be celebrated in the vernacular tongue only ... let him be anathema.


The Roman Catechism, 1566, Pt. II, Ch 4., No. 24.

    The additional words, "for you and for many -- pro vobis et pro multis"... serve to declare the fruit and the advantage of His passion, for if we look to its value we must confess that the Redeemer shed His blood for the salvation of all; but if we look to the fruit which mankind have received from it, we shall easily find that it pertains not to all, but to many of the human race.... When He added, 'and for many,' He wished to be understood to mean the remainder of the elect from among the Jews or Gentiles.

    With reason, therefore, were the words 'for all' not used, as in this place the fruits of the Passion are alone spoken of, and to the elect only did His Passion bring the fruit of salvation. And this is the purport of the Apostle (Hebrews ix: 28) when he says: 'Christ was offered once to exhaust the sins of many'; and also of the words of our Lord in John: "I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them whom Thou hast given Me, because they are Thine."


Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica  IIIa, Q. 78, A.3 & A.5 
Regarding the Words of Consecration:

    "This is the chalice of My blood, of the New and Eternal Testament, the Mystery of Faith, which shall be shed for you and for many unto the forgiveness of sins."

    Christ's passion sufficed for all; while as to its efficacy it was profitable for many....

    Some have maintained that the words "This is the chalice of My blood" alone belong to the substance of this form, but not those words which follow. Now this seems incorrect, because the words which follow them are determinations of the predicate, that is, of Christ's blood; consequently they belong to the integrity of the expression.

    These words are pronounced in the person of Christ, Who says of Himself (John xiv: 6): _I am the truth._

    I answer that, There have been many opinions on this point. Some have said that in the expression, "This is My body," the word "this" implies demonstration as conceived and not as exercised, because the whole phrase is taken materially, since it is uttered by a way of narration: for the priest relates that Christ said: "This is My body."

    But such a view cannot hold good, because then these words would not be applied to the corporeal matter present, and consequently the sacrament would not be valid....


Pope John XXIII, Missale Romanum, 1962 "On the Defects Which May Occur in the Celebration of Mass"

V - Defects of the form Defects on the part of the form may arise if anything is missing from the integrity of the words required for the act of consecrating. Now the words of the Consecration, which are the form of this Sacrament, are: "For this is My body," and "This is the chalice of My blood, of the New and Eternal Testament, the Mystery of Faith, which shall be shed for you and for many unto the forgiveness of sins." If the priest were to shorten or change the form of the consecration of the Body and the Blood, so that in the change of wording the words did not mean the same thing, he would not confect the Sacrament. If, truly, he were to add or take away anything which did not change the meaning, the Sacrament would be valid, but he would be committing a grave sin.


Pope Pius XII

Encyclical Mediator Dei

62. Assuredly it is a wise and most laudable thing to return in spirit and affection to the sources of the sacred Liturgy. For research in this field of study, by tracing it back to its origins, contributes valuable assistance towards a more thorough and careful investigation of the significance of feast-days, and of the meaning of the texts and sacred ceremonies employed on their occasion. But it is neither wise nor laudable to reduce everything to antiquity by every possible device. Thus, to cite some instances, one would be straying from the straight path were he to wish the altar reduced to its primitive table-form; were he to want black excluded as a color for the liturgical vestments; were he to forbid the use of sacred images and statues in churches; were he to order the crucifix so designed that the Divine Redeemer's Body showed no trace of his cruel sufferings; lastly were he to disdain and reject polyphonic music or singing in parts, even where it conforms to regulations issued by the Holy See.

  

 


Dei via est íntegra

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