Article I. On the Remote Matter of the Eucharist

I say. Bread and wine, and indeed only wheaten bread and wine from the vine, are the valid remote matter of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is required, however, that a very small amount of water be mixed with the wine, not by necessity of the sacrament, but of ecclesiastical precept. The first is clear from many Councils, but especially from Florence in the Decree of Union, and from Trent, sess. 13, in nearly all the chapters. But the other is had both from the same Councils and from the Catechism of the Council of Trent, which, after it taught that this mixing cannot be omitted without mortal sin, adds: "Yet if it [water] is lacking, the sacrament can stand." - Cf. De Augustinis, part 2, art. 2 and 3.

The most holy Sacrifice of the Mass must be offered from bread and wine, to which a very small amount of water is to be mixed (Can. 814).

§ 1. The bread must be merely wheaten and recently made, so that there is no danger of corruption.

§ 2. The wine must be natural, from the fruit of the vine, and not corrupt (Can. 815).

Wine, even if it is from the vine, from which nevertheless by the aid of art all spirit of wine (alcohol) is removed, is not valid and licit matter of consecration. - Holy Office, 1 June 1910.

Question 1. Is bread confected from rye, oats, barley, and the like valid matter?

Resp. Negatively, according to the more common and more probable opinion; because although all these seem to pertain to the species of wheat, nevertheless they are not properly wheat as this is commonly employed and understood. - But concerning spelt it must be said that the solution depends on the diversity of the thing which is understood by such a word, since by the name spelt the same thing is not signified everywhere. - Cf. St. Alphonsus, n. 200. - Lehmkuhl, n. 119.

Question 2. Is both unleavened and leavened bread valid and licit matter?

Resp. Affirmatively, as regards validity, both because each is true bread, since it is confected from wheaten flour and natural water, and because each is called simply bread in Scripture. But it must be answered negatively as regards liceity; for, as is clear from the practice of each Church and from the Council of Florence in the Decree of Union, Latins are bound under grave obligation to consecrate in unleavened bread, and Greeks in leavened bread; and no other reason seems to excuse from this precept, excepting the necessity of completing the sacrifice. Even a traveling priest, if a church of his own rite is lacking, must conform himself to his own rite, and cannot conform himself to another rite. - Cf. St. Alphonsus, n. 203. - Lehmkuhl, n. 121. - Cf. Can. 816.

Question 3. Whether the matter becomes invalid if, besides natural water, something of milk, butter, or another liquid is placed for mixing with the flour?

Resp. Negatively, if the amount of natural water is far greater than that of the other liquid, so that true bread is had according to the common estimation of men. The same must be said if some grains from oats, millet, almonds, peas, beans, etc., are mixed with wheaten flour; but certainly he would sin gravely who used such matter. - Cf. Kenrick, tract. 17, nn. 1 and seq.

Question 4. Does a priest consecrating in souring wine sin gravely?

Resp. Affirmatively, and the reason is taken from the irreverence which in such a case would be inflicted upon the sacrament, from the common consent of theologians, and from the Rubric de defect., tit. 4, n. 2, where these things are had: "If the wine has begun to sour or to corrupt, or has been somewhat sharp . . . the sacrament is confected, but the one confecting sins gravely." - But several theologians probably say that this Rubric is not to be accepted with such rigor that it also comprehends the first degrees of sharpness, but only those which proximately begin to constitute souring wine. Observe, however, 1st. that the question here is about souring wine, for if the wine were certainly corrupt and had properly become vinegar, then the consecration would be invalid and certainly gravely illicit. Observe 2nd. that a priest who after consuming the chalice doubts concerning acidity must not consecrate again, and must stand for validity, because wine somewhat sharp is accustomed to appear much sharper to a fasting priest. - Cf. St. Alphonsus, n. 207; and Hom. Ap., Append. 3, Exam. Ordinand., n. 98.

Question 5. Is frozen wine valid matter?

Resp. Some deny, because it is not drink; but several more probably affirm, because from the Rubric of the Missal the frozen species of wine after consecration must be liquefied, with heated cloths having been brought near, and then reverently consumed; for it is a true sacrament: therefore the sacred species are not changed substantially by freezing. - Cf. Rubr. de defect., tit. 10, n. 11. - St. Alphonsus, n. 207.

Question 6. What must be said concerning must, and what concerning wine of our region?

Resp. Natural wine from the vine, incorrupt, and every wine from the fermented juice of ripe grape, is valid and licit matter of this second consecration. Another sense has been given by men to this word wine, so that it signifies must, new wine, as it is called, genuine juice of ripe grape not adulterated, containing the elements by which fermentation is naturally procured. The first sense is the most used among men; in this way the word is understood by the Councils, in tradition, and by Theologians for signifying the licit matter of this consecration. Eugene IV, Const. Exsultate Deo; Holy Office, 30 Aug. 1901; 22 July 1706; 7 May 1897; 4 May 1887; 30 July 1890; 5 Aug. 1896. In the Roman Missal, tit. 4, n. 2, we read: "If the wine has begun to sour, or to corrupt, or has been somewhat sharp, or must pressed then from grapes . . . the Sacrament is confected, but the one confecting sins gravely." In the Decree of Gratian, c. 7, D. 1, de consecr.: "If it is necessary, let a cluster be pressed in the chalice and water be mixed." In these cases there can be no question of perfect fermentation, or scarcely even imperfect fermentation, except in a broader sense: fermentation lasts for some time; at most there is had an inception of fermentation of the genuine juice of ripe grape, which contains the elements by which fermentation can be naturally obtained. Such matter can be employed in necessity, as is plain from the Ritual and from the Decree: "This necessity would be verified if fermented wine absolutely could not be had in the region." Gasparri, De Eucharistia, n. 819; Prümmer, vol. 3, p. 139: "Must, or juice recently pressed from ripe grapes, is indeed valid matter but gravely illicit." Biel, Sacri Canonis Missae Expositio, lect. 35: "And in necessity the pressing of wine from a cluster in the chalice is conceded." Suarez, disp. 45, Sect. 1, n. 6; Vasquez, disp. 175, c. 1, 2; Sylvius, q. 74, a. 5; Toletus, vol. 4, p. 162; Génicot-Salsman, vol. 2, n. 171; Gopfert, n. 126. Practically the reason of all is this: because that is wine in substance. "Likewise it is clear from the effect," says Suarez, "because must is warm, intoxicates, and from intrinsic and proper power is purified and ripened, and brings itself to the perfect state. Therefore it is a sign that it is substantially wine." - Cf. Alex. Alensis, De Sacr. Eucharis., q. x. Wine in its ordinary sense, or fermented juice of ripe grape, is valid and licit matter of this sacrament. Must is valid matter, but outside the case of grave necessity is gravely illicit. But concerning wine of our region it must be said that the Fathers of Baltimore wish it to be preferred to any other, even if it is naturally sharp or less flavorful, because it is more easily established that it is genuine. It is licit to employ in the Sacrifice of the Mass wine confected from dried grapes provided that the liquid to be extracted from them is discerned by color, odor, and taste to be true wine. Holy Office, 7 May 1879. For preserving wine it is licit to add a quantity of spirit or alcohol, provided that the spirit was extracted from the fruit of the vine, and the alcoholic quantity added, together with that which the wine in question naturally contains, does not exceed the proportion of seventeen or eighteen percent, and the mixture is made when tumultuous fermentation has begun to subside: this wine is licitly employed in the Sacrifice of the Mass. Holy Office, 5 Aug. 1896. The wine about which there is question in that decree exceeds twelve degrees of alcoholic strength. Concerning weak wine the following response was given: "Provided that the spirit (Alcohol) was extracted from the fruit of the vine, and the alcoholic quantity added, together with that which the wine in question naturally contains, does not exceed the proportion of twelve percent, and the mixture is made when the wine is very recent, nothing stands in the way of the same wine being employed in the sacrifice of Mass." Holy Office, 31 July 1890.

Besides, by the same decree of the Holy Office, 5 Aug. 1896, it was declared: that it is licit to use wine obtained from must which before vinous fermentation has been condensed by fiery evaporation, "provided that a decoction of this kind does not exclude alcoholic fermentation, and the fermentation itself can be obtained naturally, and in fact is obtained." - Cf. Second Plenary Council of Baltimore, n. 373. - St. Alphonsus, nn. 206 and seq. - Kenrick, nn. 5 and seq. - Lehmkuhl, n. 119, with note 1.¹

¹ Cf. Addenda, p. 1124, n. 79.

Question 7. What quantity of water is to be mixed into the chalice?

Resp. A very small quantity suffices according to the Council of Florence, and therefore, generally speaking, the priest ought not to exceed eight or ten little drops. But if by chance too great a quantity of water falls in, some wine will have to be added over and above. - Cf. St. Alphonsus, n. 210.