Concelebration

File:Concelebration mass community of saint Martin Evron chapel.jpg

Concelebration France, seminary of the Community of Saint Martin (2024)

In Christianity, concelebration (from the Latin con + celebrare, 'to celebrate together') is the leadership of a congregation by a number of presbyters (priests or ministers) at the celebration of the Eucharist, for Catholics and Evangelical-Lutherans, respectively, during Mass. A senior presbyter, bishop, or archbishop generally acts as the principal celebrant, with other presbyters and bishops present—each participating in the celebration of the Mass and prayerfully assisting at the consecration in particular—known as concelebrants. The concelebrants typically assist the principal celebrant by reciting the Words of Consecration together with them, thus invoking the spiritual change in the eucharistic elements that is at the sacramental heart of the Mass. Certain concelebrants may also individually recite pre-assigned portions of the Eucharistic Prayer while gathered with the principal celebrant around the altar.

Concelebration is often practiced by ministers within a particular church (it is common in major Catholic Masses, for example) and by ministers from Churches that are in full communion with one another (e.g. the Anglican Communion and the Old Catholic Church).

History

Concelebration occurs in Eastern Christianity and has done for many centuries. In the Roman Catholic Church the practice fell into disuse for several centuries but was revived with the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council and as directed by the papal document Sacrosanctum Concilium.^{: Paragraph 57} Theologians Orlando O. Espín and James B. Nickoloff write that "Eucharistic concelebration has ancient roots (Hippolytus, Apostolic Tradition, early third century) and was practiced primarily as a sign of ecclesial unity of the local church and of union with other churches when eucharistic hospitality was offered to visiting bishops or presbyters."

It is known from early Christian art uncovered through archaeology that concelebration took place in the Early Church in the West, although it is not known precisely when it fell into disuse. It is known that the practice gradually came to be reserved for the greater festival days and other solemn occasions. Columba of Iona, in the 6th century, is recorded to have been requested by a visiting Irish bishop in disguise to celebrate Mass with him. The Second Synod of Seville in 619 ordered that priests could not concelebrate Mass with a bishop or archbishop, or an apostolic administrator if he is a bishop, able to celebrate. According to Pope Innocent III (r. 1198–1216) the cardinals in Rome still concelebrated with the pope on certain feast days. It is known that from the medieval period (particularly following the Black Death) up to the Second Vatican Council there were only two occasions when concelebration took place in the Roman Rite:

• At the ordination of a priest, where the newly ordained concelebrated with the ordaining bishop, and;
• At the consecration of a bishop, when the newly consecrated bishop concelebrated with the consecrating bishop.

Contemporary practice

Roman Catholic Church

The liturgical reforms following the Second Vatican Council provided for the return to the practice of concelebration of Mass: the Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy stated that

The pre-eminent manifestation of the Church consists in the full active participation of all God's holy people in these liturgical celebrations, especially in the same eucharist, in a single prayer, at one altar, at which there presides the bishop surrounded by his college of priests and by his ministers.^{: Paragraph 41}

Thus, communities with more than one priest could have several priests concelebrate the Eucharist rather than each celebrating it in private, emphasizing its communal nature. Liturgical law allows concelebration on any occasion, but it is more common on feasts, especially those at which the bishop traditionally presides, such as the Chrism Mass on Maundy Thursday. If a diocese or archdiocese is vacant and an apostolic administrator that is a bishop is not able to celebrate, a selected group of priests within the diocese will then concelebrate the feast with one of them being a principal celebrant.

An article in La Civiltà Cattolica of 2 October 2004 pointed out that the reintroduction of Eucharistic concelebration in the Latin Church was in line with the teaching of Pope Pius XII, who taught that the two "assistant bishops" at the consecration of a new bishop should speak all the words of consecration, thus indicating clearly that, instead of being merely witnesses, they were co-consecrating, concelebrating the sacrament of orders. He applied the same rule to concelebration of the Eucharist (at that time in use only at ordination to episcopacy and to priesthood) in his talk of 22 September 1956.

Evangelical-Lutheran Churches

In the Evangelical-Lutheran Churches, there are different meanings of the word "concelebration": the word can mean, as in the Catholic Curch, that more than one cleric celebrates the Mass. This occurs when a bishop is visiting a congregation or if a priest from one congregation visits another.

It also refers to joint services led by clergy from different denominations.

Anglican Communion

The Anglican Book of Common Prayer directs other clergy to "stand with the celebrant at the Altar, and join in the consecration of the gifts, in breaking the Bread, and in distributing Communion", without calling this procedure "concelebration". Anyhow, the word "concelebration" exists in Episcopalian theology.

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

Concelebration is the rite by which several priests say Mass together, all consecrating the same bread and wine. It was once common in both East and West. As late as the ninth century priests stood around their bishop and "consented to his sacrifice" (Corp. Jur. Can., Decr. Grat., Pars III, dist. I, cap. 59). The rite of Concelebration was modified at Rome (perhaps in the time of Pope Zephyrinus, 202-218) so that each priest should consecrate a separate host (the deacons holding these in patens or corporals); but they all consecrated the same chalice ("Ordo Rom. I", 48; see also Dechusne, "Liber Pont.", I, 139 and 246). In the sixth century this rite was observed on all station days; by the eighth century it remained only for the greatest feasts, Easter, Christmas, Whitsunday, and St. Peter ("Ordo Rom. I", 48; Duchesne, "Origines", 167). On other days the priests assisted but did not concelebrate. Innocent III (1198-1216) says that in his time the cardinals concelebrate with the pope on certain feasts (De Saer. Altar. Myst. in Migne, P.L., CCXVII, IV, 25). Durandus, who denied the possibility of such a rite (Rationale Div. Off., IV, d. xiii, q. 3) is refuted by Cardinal Bona (Rer. Liturg., I, xviii, 9). St. Thomas defends its theological correctness (Summa Theol., III:82:2). Concelebration is still common in all the Eastern Churches both Catholic and schismatic. In these, on any greater feast day, the bishop says the holy liturgy surrounded by his priests, who consecrate with him and receive Holy Communion from him, of course under both kinds. So also, at any time, if several priests wish to celebrate on the same day, they may do so together.

In the Latin Church the rite survives only at the ordination of priests and bishops. [Note: Concelebration was fully restored to the Latin Church after the Second Vatican Council.] The newly-ordained priests say the Offertory prayers and the whole Canon, including the words of consecration, aloud with the bishop, kneeling around him. The words of consecration especially must be said "slowly and rather loud" and "at the same moment with the pontiff" (Pont. Rom., do Ord. Presb., rubric). They must say the words significative, that is with the intention of consecrating (Benedict XIV, de SS. Missæ Sacr., III, xvi, 6), and must be careful not to say them before, but exactly with, the bishop (op. cit., loc. cit., 7). They receive Holy Communion under one kind. The same rite is used at a bishops consecration, except that in this case the new bishop communicates with the consecrator under both kinds (Pont. Rom., de Cons. Electi in Episc., rubric in the text).