Chapter I: Various Notions concerning Mass

— Mass, more anciently called missio, first designated the dismissal of catechumens before the offertory, and of the faithful after the consummation of the sacrifice. After the former dismissal had been removed by use, it began to designate the whole ceremony whose end it of itself announced.

Therefore it is sometimes taken for the sacrifice itself, and then Mass can be defined: "the sacrificial oblation of the body and blood of Christ" (Mysterium Fidei, p. 319). But more properly it is that sacred ceremony in which the sacrifice of the New Law is offered (Trent, s. 22, can. 1).

While in the sacrament we passively receive the gift of God, in the sacrifice we act, we offer the victim; the sacrament immediately infuses grace into us, while the sacrifice intercedes for us before God. In the sacrament, the effect ex opere operato is owed to God as principal cause, to the sacrament as instrumental cause; in the sacrifice, the effect ex opere operato is had because God, in view of the sacrifice itself as such, with consideration of our devotion omitted, is prepared to concede to us, yet with fitting reason, the goods for obtaining which the sacrifice is offered (Mysterium Fidei, p. 321).

In the eucharistic sacrifice also there can be distinguished sign only, reality and sign, reality only. Sign only is attended to in the species, which constitute a certain apparent sacrifice, not a true one, of bread and wine, designative of the true sacrifice, not an apparent one, concerning the body and blood of Christ. Reality and sign is the true sacrifice itself concerning the body and blood of Christ, designated by the apparent sacrifice of bread and wine. For the species, together with the words, avail to signify the division of body and blood made in the Passion for the redemption of the human race. Therefore in the Mass they represent the past immolation of the Cross, just as in the Supper they pre-signified the imminent immolation of the Cross. But in that very pre-signification consisted the oblation which Christ made, ritual and sensible, of his death; and likewise in the representation of death consists the oblation which we make of Christ, who by his Passion and death was left in the state of a victim consummated forever by heavenly glory. This oblation, from what has been said, is wholly perfected in each consecration; in this, therefore, as the more common opinion holds, the essence of the Mass is to be placed. But Communion is not oblation, but participation of the offered victim. A few have thought that either consecration suffices for the essence of the sacrifice. This opinion is judged improbable by Lehmkuhl, II, 229, but not by Ballerini-Palmieri, Opus theolog., IV, 989; and it must be called improbable by all for whom it is certain that the sacrifice of the Mass is essentially representative, and that the oblation of the body and blood of Christ is so true and real that nevertheless it consists in a certain symbol of death, which is called mystical immolation. Finally, reality only is our interior worship signified by the oblation of that divine victim, or our internal immolation.

— The primary and essential end of the Sacrifice, the end of the work, is latreutic: it is offered in recognition of the supreme dominion of God and as sign of our servitude. Wherefore sacrifice also is offered to God alone. But since thanksgiving for benefits received also pertains to the due honor of God, the end of praise and thanksgiving, or the eucharistic end, is closely joined with the former. In our present condition, divine worship also contains the postulation of benefits of every kind. Hence sacrifice becomes impetratory. Finally, from our condition after the fall of Adam, God must be placated, lest the benefits of him, liberal and merciful, be impeded by our sins. Wherefore sacrifice is offered as propitiatory. Propitiation of itself says: a) compensation for a misdeed, by which fault is redeemed and the offended one is rendered as it were unharmed; and b) the punishment of vindicative justice is supplied by which satisfaction is made to him. In the former way the offended one is placated; in the latter, the penal debt is extinguished. Therefore propitiation comprehends two things; but propitiation strictly so called regards laying aside wrath or placation, while extinction of punishment is more properly called satisfaction.

Distinct sacrifices were deputed to these ends in the Old Law, while, from the very law of its institution, the sacrifice of the Mass is at the same time latreutic, eucharistic, impetratory, and propitiatory (Trent, s. XXII, c. 1, end of c. 2).

Moreover, the propitiatory sacrifice itself is of itself latreutic, eucharistic, and impetratory. Cf. Mysterium Fidei, Elucidation I.

By a certain secondary reason it is also offered, not indeed to the saints, but to God in honor of the saints (Trent, s. 22, c. 3).

The victim of this sacrifice is Christ himself, who because of our conjunction with him has been made our victim, whom we can offer.

— The principal offerer is Christ, at least insofar as he himself offered the sacrifice of redemption and commanded its perpetual renewal, competent power having been given for this end to priests who, by virtue of the Lord's oblation once made, would themselves offer the victim of Christ.

We say at least, because according to the opinion of Suarez (in 3 p., q. 83, art. 1, d. 77, s. I), which very many after him embrace, the priest so "confects in the person of Christ and as his legate representing him" (St. Thomas) that Christ concurs with the individual sacrifices as actual offerer. Yet that opinion, already disapproved by Vasquez (in 3 p., q. 19, a. 4, d. 76, c. 1, n. 6) and then by several others, does not please all even today. Thus it is rejected in the work Mysterium Fidei, Elucidation XXIII, p. 276 ff. Wherefore, that we might omit this controversy, which belongs to the dogmatic theologians, we have made Christ the offerer at least by that reason which all Catholics admit.

Therefore the priest is minister of Christ insofar as he is endowed by Christ with instrumental power for offering the sacrifice; but he is minister of the Church as its procurator and mandatary.

Therefore the priest bears a public person; the spiritual society sacrifices through him as through a Superior.

The celebrant is besides offerer, just as a singular private person who stands by the sacrifice can be an offerer.

The remaining faithful are offerers, both mediately through the Church, if they are its members, and immediately, if morally, by a peculiar reason, they are joined with the sacrifice itself and cooperate in some active way toward this sacrifice: whether they pay a stipend, minister, or assist at Mass. Contrary to what Noldin thinks, p. 166, the merely mental union by which someone joins himself with Masses which are celebrated cannot constitute an offerer, since sensible participation is desired, and sacrifice is a sensible oblation. Cf. Suarez, Euchar., d. 77, s. 3, n. 3.

Therefore the celebrating priest, besides his own person, represents Christ and the Church; as offerer, he disposes concerning the impetration of Christ and concerning the impetration of the Church. But as performing the consecration, just as in the confection of any sacrament, he is the ministerial cause of Christ alone, who principally operates. Cf. Palmieri, IV, 992.

— a) The fruit of the Mass, or the reward, gift, effect which, on account of the celebrated sacrifice, comes either to the priest, or to those for whom it is offered, or to others, is distinguished as one from ex opere operato, another from ex opere operantis. The former belongs to the sacrifice especially on the part of Christ, who, although now he can neither merit nor satisfy, nevertheless annexed his infinite merits and satisfactions to that sacrifice, and impetrated benefits of every kind for us through it. In some measure also the value which arises from the impetration of the Church, always, though in varying degree, the beloved spouse of Christ and pleasing to God, is said to be ex opere operato, because it does not depend on the devotion of the minister.

The fruit ex opere operantis belongs to that sacrifice from the disposition or fervor of the priest celebrating and of those who, by requesting the sacrifice, ministering, or assisting, actively cooperate toward this sacrifice. For through this good work they merit and satisfy, and through this most worthy prayer they impetrate various things for themselves or for others.

b) On the part of the principal impetratory cause, that is, Christ, the effect of the Mass is absolutely infallible; on the part of the object, if there is question of an actual help that someone dispose himself to grace, or of remission of temporal punishment, it is again infallible; if concerning other things, it is necessary that they be expedient for salvation and be according to the ordinary laws of Providence.

On the part of the subject, apt disposition is required. And as regards remission of punishment, it is required and suffices that, fault having first been blotted out, the state of grace be had.

c) On the part of the mode by which the fruit is acquired, the sacrifice profits both those who offer it and those for whom it is applied by the offerers, that is, by way of suffrage; and it can profit by a twofold title at the same time. But the faithful can offer the sacrifice immediately by joining themselves with the celebrating priest; and they can also do so through the celebrant, as he who pays the stipend and thus is as it were cause of the celebrated Mass.

But every priest, with Christ alone excepted, first offers for himself, then can offer for all with whom he is joined by charity (Hebrews 5:3). From the very institution of Christ and of the Church, the celebrant offers for all living and dead Christians; for the salvation of the whole world (Order of Mass, at the offertory). Finally, by perpetual usage it is certain that it is in the power of the priest to make a special application to a definite intention. Cf. proposition 30 condemned by the Constitution Auctorem Fidei, August 28, 1794, Denzinger, 1530. Wherefore, besides the merit which each one necessarily obtains for himself through the good act of offering or participating in Mass, there is distinguished the general fruit, or common or universal; the special, or middle and ministerial; and the most special, which some call special, others personal.

The general fruit comes, without peculiar intention, to all for whom, from the institution of Christ and of the Church, the sacrifice is offered. Even those who are disposed, or who are impeded by no obstacle, participate in this fruit unequally, so that the participation is greater of those who are more joined with the priest. Therefore those who are present at Mass participate in the benefits more than the absent; the faithful more than those who are outside the Church; indeed certain persons, in punishment, are deprived of direct participation by excommunication.

The most special fruit comes of itself and without necessity of any intention to the priest, and cannot be communicated with others. Yet insofar as it is of impetration, he is not prohibited from using it for others.

The special fruit is in the power of the offerer, and it yields to him who is designated by the intention of the priest. Therefore this application demands the definite will of the priest.

Suarez, De Sacramentis, 3 p., d. 78, s. 2, n. 3, thinks that the general fruit is circumscribed by impetration.

— On the Value of the Mass. 1. Principles. On the part of the victim offered, the Mass is of infinite dignity and infinite value: it contains an infinite treasure. But insofar as it is our oblation of an infinite thing, now its value is not infinite, but it has measure principally from the devotion and affection of the Church, which, although always holy and the beloved spouse of Christ, nevertheless can vary in degree of sanctity; secondarily, from the devotion and fervor of the other offerers, who indeed can subtract nothing from the value which the Church confers, but can add something to the same.

But the application can be impeded or diminished by an obstacle or lesser disposition of the subject to whom it is made.

In the living, dispositions are easily desired: thus affection for venial sin impedes application of satisfaction to the penal expiation of that sin. In the dead, present dispositions are indeed best; but in this application, which is made by way of suffrage, several contend that the past dispositions of souls are also attended to. Cf. Schmid, S.J., Zeitschrift für kath. Theologie, Innsbruck, 1893, p. 297 ff., De applicatione per modum suffragii; and Genicot, II, n. 222.

— 2. Corollaries. a) A Mass offered for several profits each one less, since the total fruit, which is exacted according to the devotion of the offerers, must be divided among several;

b) A Mass offered by several titles for one and the same person will profit him more than if it is applied to the same by one title alone. Therefore he who, according to the intention of Titius, is present at the Mass which at the same time he ordered to be celebrated for Titius, profits Titius more than if he had merely paid the stipend; and the utility for Titius grows if several offer the Mass for him by assisting at it, than if the author of the stipend alone were present;

c) The more persons are present at the sacrifice, the more, of itself, or other things being equal, the value of the Mass grows;

d) The value of the Mass is not diminished for individuals because there are more distinct concelebrating priests, or others offering. For from the inexhaustible treasure, a thousand offer just as well as one.

Yet do not gather thence with Cajetan (Opuscula, tom. II, tr. 3, q. 2) that a Mass which a priest celebrates for two stipends profits each offerer equally as if two Masses were celebrated.

For, after an agreement has been made with one offerer concerning a fitting stipend, no other can now be an offerer of the same sacrifice through a stipend; but if another has contributed something, "that will be found outside the ambit of the matter corresponding to the celebration of that sacrifice. The reason of this is because, where something is adequate not only materially but also formally, that is, given and accepted as such, nothing will accede, while such a pact stands, except what is altogether extrinsic. Just as tribute cannot be paid twice; but after tribute has been rendered, whatever is spent over and above has another account. If therefore the priest sacrifices according to the intention of Titius formally giving the integral stipend, he cannot at the same time sacrifice according to the intention of Caius as one giving a stipend" (de la Taille, op. cit., p. 352).

Observe that the case is altogether diverse of one who offers a richer alms for Mass. For he is judged from greater devotion to stand forth more liberal with respect to one sacrifice; and therefore he will receive greater fruit.

Thus also solemn Mass profits more than private Mass. Yet several Masses repeat acts of devotion of the celebrant and those standing by. Therefore it is difficult to establish what of itself profits the deceased more: whether a solemn sacred rite be offered for him, or, for the same sum of money, several private Masses. Therefore it will be more satisfactory to accommodate oneself to received usages. Thus also de la Taille, l. c., in the note.

e) The faithful in general are at once offerers and subjects for whom Mass is offered. But the more numerous the offerers are, the more the total value of the offered Mass grows. Therefore the diminution which follows the division of total value among several is of itself compensated by the total value increased;

f) Besides the limitation which the devotion of the offerers brings to the value of the Mass, another is had from the disposition of him to whom the application is made.

— In this plainer way the controverted question concerning the infinite or finite force of efficacious application seems to be solved. Several admitted that the efficacy is intensively infinite, insofar as if nothing were lacking to the application and disposition of the subject, the effect of impetration or propitiation would be circumscribed by no certain breadth, and one sacrifice would avail for impetrating every benefit. There have also been those who contended that the efficacy is extensively infinite, insofar as application made for several would profit each one equally as if Mass had been celebrated for only one; this was defended by St. Alphonsus himself in his Moral Theology. Yet from that opinion, as we are taught by the editor P. Gaude in l. 6, n. 312, he receded in various little works, such as De caerimoniis missae, etc.; and he propounded, as the more common, the opinion which said that the fruit was intensively and extensively finite.

But indications of limitation are both the common custom in the Church of offering the sacred rite for individual persons, whether living or dead, and not generally for all; and the prohibition lest someone attempt by one Mass to satisfy an obligation arisen from stipend, vow, precept of a Superior, etc. But others seek the finite efficacy from a positive will of God which would have attached the infinite satisfactions of the Cross to individual sacrifices not infinitely, but according to a certain mode. Better, as it seems to us, a will of this arbitrary kind is excluded.

— That priests can validly concelebrate is sufficiently certain from episcopal consecration, in which the consecrator with the consecrated, and from presbyteral ordination, in which the new priests with the one ordaining, concelebrate. It is certain also from the usages of the Oriental rite. And they admit also that it is lawful for individual concelebrants to receive a stipend for their oblation.

Yet the explanation of the matter is not so easy, so that Cajetan, in 3 p., q. 82, art. 2, after difficulties had been proposed, attending only to the concelebration of priestly ordination and episcopal consecration, denied that the new priests truly consecrate, but thought that they merely recite the Mass together with the bishop; but he admitted that the consecrated bishop truly consecrates the bread and wine with the consecrator, because physical simultaneity in the pronunciation of the form could then be obtained. This opinion of Cajetan, as regards the new priests, cannot be composed with the practice and sense of the Church.

Concerning the matter itself, these things besides can be established as certain: a) that priests truly concelebrate, there is need that each one efficaciously influence the consecration. For in each consecration itself the essential oblation consists; b) that each one efficaciously influence, it is necessary that transubstantiation not happen before all have pronounced the essential form. For words cannot influence into a transubstantiation already performed. From St. Thomas, q. 82, art. 2, we can gather only this: that no consecration is repeated, but one consecration is made by the concelebrants, since the intention of all is borne toward the same instant of consecration; and that the plurality of celebrants is not superfluous, because all consecrate in the person of Christ, in whom all are one.

An explanation seems able to be attempted in two ways. Since the instrumental causality of the consecrating priest is not properly physical, in order that the concelebrants efficaciously influence into one consecration, which God as principal cause operates by total causality, it suffices that they morally pronounce the essential words at the same moment. In this explanation, therefore, a proper action of consecrating is ascribed to each. Or all are said, from agreement, to consecrate in solidum as one individual presbyterium, so that all utterances constitute only one sacramental sign and therefore one form of consecration, which is not complete until all have completed their recitation. This latter explanation is proposed in Mysterium Fidei, p. 354 ff.

In the former explanation, since all things have themselves as if each one made a separate consecration, the individual priestly oblations are manifestly worthy of stipend. In the other explanation, each is judged to take a quota part of the total stipend, which is to be fitted to the number of celebrants. And since the fruit grows from the number of those devoutly offering, concelebrants can also then apply the Mass for the separate stipend which they have received.

But the words uttered in the Mass of ordination, "Have the intention of consecrating with the Reverend Bishop," do not signify: "Have the intention of consecrating then when the Bishop has pronounced the words, whether your pronunciation has already been completed or is still to be completed"; but it is a simple admonition that they strive as much as they can to pronounce the words together with the Bishop, and that by moral conjunction they will to perform one consecration with the Bishop.

— I. Mass, which is sometimes taken for the sacrifice itself of the New Law, is strictly the sacred ceremony in which the sacrifice of the New Law is offered.

The essence of that sacrifice is commonly placed in each consecration of bread and wine; and it is at the same time latreutic, eucharistic, impetratory, and propitiatory.

The principal offerer is Christ, at least insofar as he himself offered the sacrifice of the Cross and commanded its perpetual renewal in the Church, suitable power having been given to priests. The Church offers the sacrifice through the ministry of the priest deputed by her; the celebrant also offers, as he is a private person; the remaining faithful offer mediately through the Church and immediately if morally, by a peculiar reason, they are joined with the sacrifice. The celebrant is minister of the Church as offerer; minister of Christ and instrument of God as performing the consecration.

The fruit of the Mass is distinguished as one from ex opere operato, which belongs to it on the part of Christ and in some measure also on the part of the impetration of the Church; another from ex opere operantis, from the disposition of the celebrant and of those who actively cooperate with the sacrifice; with at least the impetratory fruit attended to, general, which comes to all for whom it is offered from the institution of Christ and of the Church; special, which is in the power of the offerer, and therefore demands a definite will of the celebrant; most special, which comes to the priest.

The fruit is infallible on the part of Christ and on the part of the object, if it is an actual help for disposing oneself to grace, or remission of temporal punishment, or if the thing is expedient for salvation and is according to the ordinary laws of Providence; but on the part of the subject it requires an apt disposition. For remission of punishment it suffices that, fault having been blotted out, the state of grace be had. Application is made to the dead by way of suffrage, and perhaps their past dispositions are attended to.

From the offered victim, the sacrifice of the Mass is of infinite value. Yet the efficacy of the application is finite both intensively and extensively. Intensively, insofar as, although the thing offered induces a value far surpassing our acts, nevertheless the devotion of the offerer is also to be considered: hence the value of the application is fitted principally to the devotion of the Church offering commonly through the priest, and to the devotion of those offering more specially, that is, of the celebrant, of the one giving the stipend, and of those assisting. Extensively, insofar as, when applied for many, application to each individual becomes less perfect. But the fruit is not diminished because of a greater number of concelebrants, offerers, or faithful.