A PASTORAL LETTER FROM BISHOP MARTINO

 
February 25, 2005
  
My Dear Priests,

 On April 23, 2004 , the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issued the Instruction on the Eucharist, Redemptionis Sacramentum. This Instruction was given to the Church as the companion document to Ecclesia de Eucharistia published one year earlier, in which Pope John Paul II writes so beautifully about the relationship between the Eucharist and the Church. In this encyclical letter, our Holy Father writes that the Eucharist is “the most precious possession which the Church can have in her journey through history,” (no.9).  Throughout the Church’s history, the Eucharist has been the central source of life and holiness, and in every age, great care and attention has been given to its celebration so that this wondrous mystery would not become diminished by the various misunderstandings of the ages.

 In our present age, we are grateful to God for the many rich blessings the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council has given to us. The goal of full, conscious and active participation on the part of the faithful so earnestly called for in Sacrosanctum Concilium has inspired many positive developments in the liturgical life of the Church. Yet in order for the faithful to participate fully, consciously and actively in the Eucharistic mystery, the rites must be performed with absolute clarity.  Unfortunately, since the Second Vatican Council, certain negative developments have obscured the true meaning of the Eucharist, and therefore, have prohibited the faithful from participating fully in these sacred rites.

 One of the principal reasons for the ‘shadows’ which have developed since the Second Vatican Council is a diminished understanding of the Mass in its sacrificial nature. The Eucharist is above all else a sacrifice.  Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 47, states so clearly, “...our Savior instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of his Body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the centuries until he should come again.” We believe that Jesus is with us even today, most especially and really present in the gift of the Eucharist. If we wish to participate in this gift of his marvelous presence, we must therefore allow ourselves to participate fully in the Sacrifice which brings us to him. As the sacrifice of the Cross is offered by Jesus Christ the High Priest, so the Sacrifice of the Mass is the action of the priestly office of Jesus Christ.

 The Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, describes the People of God in virtue of the priesthood of Jesus Christ, for out of this people he “made a kingdom and priests to God his Father” (Revelation 1:6). Through the royal priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood of the ordained, this People of God participates in the priesthood of Jesus Christ (no. 10). As the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ the High Priest is perpetuated through the ages through the Sacred Liturgy, Redemptionis Sacramentum holds that the Church’s teaching on the nature of the Eucharist as pre-eminently a Sacrifice is one of the principal keys to the full participation of the faithful in this Sacrament (no. 38). Thus, in order to bring to fruition the full, conscious and active participation in the Eucharist called for by the Second Vatican Council, this current Instruction seeks to eliminate those practices which obscure this most crucial aspect of the Sacrament of redemption.

 The Second Vatican Council clearly defined the Eucharist as the source and summit of the whole Christian life. As such, this treasure must be safeguarded and promoted by the Church with utmost fidelity and care. The celebration of the Eucharist is always an ecclesial event, for the Eucharist is not the action of mere individuals, nor is it the work of a particular gathered human assembly, but rather is “an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ.....performed by the Mystical Body of Christ, both the Head and His members” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, no.7).  The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy holds that this liturgy is “the outstanding means by which the faithful can express in their lives, and manifest to others, the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true Church” (no.2).

 In light of the supreme importance the Church places on the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy, there is need of rectifying the ‘shadows’, or abuses, which have crept into the celebration of the Eucharist, even in our own day.  These abuses “contribute to the obscuring of the Catholic faith and the doctrine concerning this wonderful sacrament”, and “hinder the faithful from re-living in a certain way the experience of the two disciples of Emmaus” (Redemptionis Sacramentum, no. 6). Whether these misguided liturgical practices are the result of a false sense of liberty, or misunderstanding of the Church’s teaching, the task of the Church at present is to ensure a conformity to the liturgical regulations “of thought and of word, of external action and of the application of the heart” (ibid., no.5). The Eucharist, which both gives birth to the Church and is born of the Church, must be celebrated with complete transparency to the norms laid down by the Church, so that its celebration may more clearly reveal the transcendent realities which occur therein.

 Therefore, having received from the Holy See the Instruction, Redemptionis Sacramentum, I now wish to implement in the Diocese of Scranton the prescriptions and norms which are contained therein. It is my intention to implement the contents of this Instruction in their entirety; however, I will summarize below certain areas of the document which will be of particular concern in the Diocese of Scranton:

 

The Regulation of and Participation in the Sacred Liturgy

 While the regulation of the Sacred Liturgy depends solely on the authority of the Church specifically expressed by the Apostolic See and the Bishop, each member of the Body of Christ is charged with the preservation and promotion of this sublime gift of grace. The Diocesan Bishop is the first steward of the Eucharist, and is the moderator, promoter and guardian of the liturgical life of the diocese. Through his ordination as a bishop, he has received the solemn task of elucidating the meaning of the sacred rites and the liturgical texts, and as a result, it is his duty to regulate, encourage and reprove in matters pertaining to the celebration of these sacraments (no. 19). Within the limits of his competence, he is to “set forth liturgical norms in his Diocese, by which all are bound” (no.21). By this, the Bishop is not to remove the legitimate liberties provided for in the liturgical books themselves, but rather to provide for a unified adherence to liturgical norms throughout the Diocese.

 Priests are indispensable co-workers of the order of Bishops. They preside at the Eucharist in persona Christi when the Bishop is unable to be present, and are charged with making the Eucharist the center of parish life. The priest encourages the faithful in their proper way to take part in the Eucharistic celebration fully and actively, yet he never cedes to others what is properly his role in the Sacred Liturgy. Also, the priest is charged with supervising the carrying out of the Sacred Liturgy in his parish lest abuses occur. Finally, the priest must never, out of a false sense of liberty with the liturgical texts and sacred rites, alter, omit or arbitrarily add words or rites to the prescribed ritual.
 
As a distinct rank of the hierarchy, the order of deacons exists to serve the People of God in the ministry of the altar, of the word, and of charity.  Lumen Gentium no. 29 details this ministry of the deacon as one which is based in service to the sacramental life of the Church. Too often however, deacons are left with the impression that their service to the liturgy is secondary to their service to the members of the Body of Christ through charity. Therefore, deacons are to consider their service to the celebration of the Eucharist as primary. Pastors are to extend to deacons the opportunity to perform their liturgical ministry on a regular basis, so that the Eucharist may be given greater reverence and dignity and clarity.  Deacons are to frequently preside over celebrations of Exposition and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament outside of Mass, so that this most important worship of the Holy Eucharist may be made available to the faithful on a regular basis. Lastly, Deacons are reminded to do their part, both through continuing education and practice, so that the sacred duties which they perform are in accord with the liturgical norms set forth by the Church.


The lay faithful cannot approach the celebration of the Eucharist apart from their royal priesthood, for the Sacred Liturgy is the action of the priesthood of Jesus Christ, both the Head and His members. Therefore, the lay faithful are not mere spectators of the Eucharistic action. Rather, each one, whether performing a particular liturgical ministry or function or taking part in the assembly, offers himself or herself to the Father in union with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to the Father offered by the ordained priest. As well as joining the particular sacrifices of their own lives to the Mass, this offering of self occurs through the listening to and meditating on the Word proclaimed, the participation in the actions and gestures proper to the liturgical celebration, the contemplation and adoration of the Word made Flesh, the reception of Holy Communion, and finally, being sent forth in mission to bring the saving work of Jesus Christ to the world. Therefore, the sacrificial meaning of the Eucharist must be emphasized throughout the sacred liturgy so that the lay faithful may more fully participate in its celebration. For the good of the faithful therefore, altogether to be abandoned is the teaching that the Eucharist is only, or even primarily, the celebration of a communal meal.

Members of the lay faithful often exercise ministries or other liturgical functions in service to the celebration of the Eucharist. Among the ministries of the lay faithful in the celebration of Holy Mass are those of acolyte and lector, as well as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. Those who carry out these important ministries are to perform these duties according to the liturgical norms laid down by the Church. They must faithfully adhere to the teachings of the Church’s Magisterium as must the Church’s ordained ministers. Those who serve the Sacred Liturgy through ministries such as cantors, psalmists or members of the choir, and those who perform other liturgical functions such as ushers and greeters, are also to adhere faithfully to the teaching of the Church, and are to carry out their duties with order, decorum, and above all, devotion.

Those who are chosen to serve at the altar in the manner of acolytes are to receive careful catechesis regarding the sacred mysteries being celebrated.  Pastors are personally to ensure that these servers possess an understanding, in accordance with their power of comprehension, of the preeminently sacrificial nature of the Sacred Liturgy as well as the parts of the Mass. Pastors are also to provide that servers are familiar with the vessels and other objects to be used in the sacred liturgy, and that they are carefully and frequently trained in the ceremonial actions pertaining to its celebration.

 

The Proper Celebration of Mass

Regarding the Matt er to be used for the Most Holy Eucharist, only unleavened wheat bread and grape wine may be used. The bread used must be recently made so that there is no danger of decomposition.  The practice of adding to the breads prepared for the Eucharist elements other than wheat, such as honey, sugar, salt, or other elements, in any degree, is to cease immediately, as well as the use of carbonated or sparkling waters for the production of these breads. A recipe for breads to be baked by the local community may be obtained from the Office for Parish Life/Worship if needed.

Permission to use low-gluten hosts for those who suffer from celiac disease, and mustum for those who are unable to take normal wine, must be granted by the local ordinary. All such requests to receive low-gluten hosts or mustum must be made directly to the Bishop by the pastor of the parishioner, in each individual case. Once granted, the permission to receive communion in this way endures as long as the condition persists of the person requesting the permission.

Since the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist form the Eucharistic Liturgy, due honor must be given to the proclamation of the word of God so that the faithful may then contemplate the Word made Flesh in the Eucharist. The faithful therefore have the right to hear the word proclaimed in its entirety, without alteration. The Readings at all Masses are to be taken from the most recent edition of the Lectionary for Mass. The practice of altering the texts of the readings for any reason is to cease immediately. The Responsorial Psalm is to be given special consideration. Even though it may be sung, the Responsorial Psalm is as much the word of God as the other readings and Gospel. Therefore, the practice of singing a song other than a psalm at this time in the Liturgy of the Word is to cease.  Likewise, the practice of using paraphrases of the psalms at this point in the Liturgy is also to cease.  Any Responsorial Psalm sung or recited in the Liturgy of the Word must conform to the text provided in the Lectionary.

The homily is to be based upon the mysteries of salvation. The homily is a presidential function, and as such, should normally be given by the priest celebrant of the Mass. The homily may also be delegated to a concelebrant, a non concelebrating priest, or a deacon. However, the homily may never be given by a member of the lay faithful, including seminarians and pastoral assistants. Should one who is not ordained be invited to speak at the Holy Mass on behalf of an organization or missionary cooperative, this person may not speak during the Liturgy of the Word. The acceptable moment for these testimonies is after the priest has prayed the Prayer after Communion.

The practice of using flagons or other pitchers or bowls for containing the Precious Blood is to be discontinued. No longer will it be permitted to pour the Precious Blood into other chalices at the fraction rite. Therefore, all chalices to be used for the distribution of Holy Communion must be present on the altar at the Preparation of the Gifts.  Whatever wine is to be used for the celebration is to be poured from cruets or flagons into the chalices at this time.

The proclamation of the Eucharistic Prayer by the priest is the climax of the entire celebration of the Mass.   The solemnity of this prayer demands that there be no other songs or prayers while the priest prays this prayer, except for the approved acclamations of the people. The practice of playing instrumental music while the priest proclaims the Eucharistic Prayer is to cease.

The entire Eucharistic Prayer is addressed to the Father. This great prayer culminates with the final doxology in which the sacrificial gifts are offered to the Father, to which the people respond Amen. Therefore, the subsequent praying of the Our Father offered by all of the faithful is not primarily an expression of fraternal communion, but one of petition to the Father in Heaven. Thus, the practice of the assembly joining hands at this time is inappropriate and therefore must cease, since this gesture anticipates the oneness of believers which is not achieved until the reception of Holy Communion.

The Fraction Rite is carried out by the priest and the deacon alone.  Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are not to assist with the breaking of the Eucharistic bread. During the breaking of the bread, the Lamb of God is sung. In the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no provision is made for substituting other titles for Lamb of God, such as King of Kings or Lord of Lords. Therefore, the Agnus Dei may be repeated as many times as necessary, but with the proper invocation. 


Holy Communion

The Communion procession is only for those who present themselves to receive Holy Communion. The unity of this rite is adversely affected by the practice of encouraging those who are not yet able to receive Holy Communion to come forward for a blessing instead of receiving Holy Communion. Therefore, this practice is to cease. Also forbidden is the distribution of any other objects at this point in the Sacred Liturgy.

Since reception of Holy Communion requires that the believer be free from any grave sin, the proper disposition to receive Holy Communion is to be carefully and frequently explained to the faithful by pastors.  Pastors are to remind the faithful of the preparation necessary to receive this sacrament through preaching and other instruction. All are to be reminded that the Penitential Rite does not contain the efficacy of sacramental confession, and therefore, may not be considered a substitute for the sacrament of Reconciliation for the remission of grave sins.

Pastors are also to see to it that especially during those ceremonies where Christians of other ecclesial communities are present for the Eucharistic celebration, the Church’s teaching on the reception of Holy Communion is clearly presented and observed. This is the case most especially at Nuptial Masses, when large numbers of persons may not be aware of the norms regulating the reception of Holy Communion.

Pastors are asked to renew efforts to allow the faithful the opportunity to receive Holy Communion from hosts consecrated at the same Mass. This allows the faithful to understand more fully their participation in the sacrifice being offered.

Priests are reminded that they are never to wait until the faithful have received Holy Communion before receiving Communion themselves. Also, the occasional practice whereby the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion wait to receive Communion until after they have distributed Communion to the faithful is to be discontinued. Should extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion assist at Mass, they should receive after has himself received Holy Communion, and then proceed to distribute the Sacrament to the assembly.

When Holy Communion is offered to the assembly under both species, care is to be taken that the faithful understand the Church’s teaching regarding this practice. In particular, pastors are to accompany this practice with frequent catechesis on the doctrine of concomitance, which states that under the species of bread or wine, the whole Christ is received.

Pastors are reminded that whatever Precious Blood remains after distribution must be consumed immediately by the priest, deacon or extraordinary minister of Holy Communion in its entirety. The Precious Blood is not to be poured into the sacrarium.

 

Other Matt ers Concerning the Eucharist

A great balance must be obtained in the life of the priest regarding the regular celebration of the Mass. On the one hand, it is earnestly recommended that priests celebrate Mass daily, even if the faithful are not present, since by celebrating Mass, priests fulfill their principal role. On the other hand, masses are not to be multiplied contrary to the norms of the law. Canon 905, § 1, states, “It is not licit for a priest to celebrate the Eucharist more than once a day except for certain instances when the law permits such celebration or concelebration more than once.” Canon 905, § 2, states, “If priests are lacking, the local ordinary may permit priests, for a just cause, to celebrate twice a day, and even, if pastoral need requires it, three times on Sundays and holy days of obligation.” Priests are reminded that observance of these canons is not optional. The local ordinary has the power to grant permission to be dispensed from this canon only in occasional instances. A permanent dispensation can only be granted by the Holy See. As always, the norms concerning Mass stipends (canons 945-958) must be strictly observed. In the Diocese of Scranton, monies from the offerings for Masses from binations/trinations are to be forwarded to the Chancellor of the Diocese for the purpose of the Seminarian Endowment Fund.

Unless they are excused by a good reason, priests who attend a celebration of the Eucharist should, especially when the Eucharist is being celebrated by the local Bishop, take part in the celebration as concelebrants. Any priest in good standing who presents himself for Mass, even when he is unknown to the celebrant, should be allowed to concelebrate at a Mass, provided he is able to provide the necessary identification. To this end, all priests who will be going out of the diocese for vacation or any other purpose are strongly encouraged to request from the Chancery office an updated celebret, which is valid for the span of one year.

 

Sacred Vessels

The vessels to be used to contain the sacred Body and Blood of the Lord during the celebration of the Eucharist and during its reposition in the tabernacle must in every way be considered beautiful and precious, so that their use may never contribute to a diminishment in the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharistic species.  Therefore, it is recommended that these vessels be made of precious metals, such as gold or silver. However, other solid materials which are considered precious, such as ebony or hard woods, provided these materials do not break easily, may be used. The practice of using for the Eucharist vessels made from earthenware, clay, or glass is to be discontinued. Catalogues containing noble and beautiful vessels at non prohibitive costs can be obtained through the Office for Worship.

 

Sacred Vestments

The vestment proper to the priest celebrant at Mass is the chasuble, which is to be worn over the alb and stole. All practice contrary to this norm, including the omitting of the stole, is to be discontinued. For concelebrants, when a chasuble of the prescribed color is not available, the use of the stole over the alb is permitted. Also, permission is given to concelebrants other than the principle celebrant to wear a white chasuble over the alb and stole instead of the prescribed color.

The vestment proper to the deacon is the dalmatic, which is to be worn over the alb and stole. Whenever possible, it is recommended that the deacon not omit the dalmatic, so that the beauty of the Church’s tradition may be preserved.

The practice of celebrating or even concelebrating the Holy Mass without the proper vesture is to cease immediately. This includes celebrating or concelebrating Mass without vestments, or acting as principal celebrant in alb and stole only, or concelebrating in a stole over a religious habit without an alb or over common clothing without an alb.

 

Eucharistic Worship Outside of Mass

The practice of adoring the Blessed Sacrament outside of the Eucharistic celebration is to be highly encouraged. This worship, which prepares the mind and soul of the believer for eventual reception of the Body and Blood of the Lord in Holy Communion, is to be made available as often as possible to the faithful. Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament may occur simply as time before the tabernacle, or before the Eucharist more solemnly exposed in the monstrance, and even with Benediction.

When exposed, there should be no time when the Blessed Sacrament is left unattended, even for the briefest interval of time. Pastors are encouraged to work with parishioners so that this adoration may be available to the faithful as often as possible, yet never to the detriment of the norms laid down by the Church. Pastors should be reminded that hosts used for Exposition should be renewed regularly, never remaining unchanged for more than two weeks.

 

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

Among the services which the lay faithful render to the Church is service as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. It is altogether laudable that men and women have so faithfully given themselves to this service. It must always be kept in mind however, that Bishops, Priests and Deacons are the ordinary ministers of Holy Communion. Therefore, the service of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion may not be rendered when there are sufficient numbers of able ordinary ministers present at a given Eucharistic celebration, even if the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion had been already assigned to carry out this role.

Pastors are reminded that the assigning of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion is not to be done in order to give a greater participatory role to the faithful; for this demeans the full, conscious and active participation rendered by the faithful as they offer themselves along with Jesus Christ to the Father through the prayers, hymns, silence, adoration and reception of the Eucharist in the Mass. Rather, the service which extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion render is supplemental to the role of the ordinary ministers.

The extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion should not approach the altar until after the priest has received Holy Communion himself. To be discontinued is the practice of having the extraordinary ministers approach the altar at the Lord’s Prayer, or during the Lamb of God.  If the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion approach the celebrant for the sign of peace, they should return to their places until after the priest has received Holy Communion himself, at which time, they should approach the altar. After having received Holy Communion themselves, they then should receive the vessel containing the Eucharist from the hands of the priest himself.

Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are not to bring the Holy Eucharist from the tabernacle to the altar; nor are they to return the hosts to the tabernacle after the distribution of Holy Communion. Keeping in mind that the liturgical documents strongly encourage that the faithful receive hosts consecrated at the same Mass, should there be the occasional need for more Precious Body, the priest himself should go to the tabernacle, presumably before the Agnus Dei. As for the hosts which may remain after the distribution, the priest or deacon is to carry them to the tabernacle (General Instruction to the Roman Missal, no. 162).

In the Diocese of Scranton, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion have traditionally worn an alb when performing their liturgical function. All extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion in every church and oratory in the Diocese of Scranton are to retain this noble practice.

In closing, I wish to thank the priests of the Diocese of Scranton, and those priests who minister in this Diocese, for the work that you do to inspire such a profound love for Our Eucharistic Lord among the people. It is my strong desire that the diocesan reception of the Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum will assist you in inviting the faithful to a more intensely Eucharistic spirituality. Therefore, I ask that the norms contained in this Instruction be in full implementation by the Solemnity of Pentecost, Sunday, May 15, 2005 , except for those areas of concern above which I have asked to be implemented immediately.

Once again I extend my gratitude to each of you for your continued prayers throughout this Lenten season. Your faithfulness to the Church’s Sacred Liturgy will certainly lead the faithful to a renewed love for our Eucharistic Lord and His Church. 

Asking God to bless you, I am, 

                                                           Sincerely yours in Christ, 

                                                   

                                      Most Reverend Joseph F. Martino, D.D., Hist. E.D.

                                                              Bishop of Scranton