Whether the Defects Occurring During the Celebration of This
Sacrament Can Be Sufficiently Met by Observing the Church's Statutes?
Objection 1: It seems that the defects occurring during the
celebration of this sacrament cannot be sufficiently met by observing
the statutes of the Church. For it sometimes happens that before or
after the consecration the priest dies or goes mad, or is hindered by
some other infirmity from receiving the sacrament and completing the
mass. Consequently it seems impossible to observe the Church's
statute, whereby the priest consecrating must communicate of his own
sacrifice.
Obj. 2: Further, it sometimes happens that, before the consecration,
the priest remembers that he has eaten or drunk something, or that he
is in mortal sin, or under excommunication, which he did not remember
previously. Therefore, in such a dilemma a man must necessarily
commit mortal sin by acting against the Church's statute, whether he
receives or not.
Obj. 3: Further, it sometimes happens that a fly or a spider, or some
other poisonous creature falls into the chalice after the
consecration. Or even that the priest comes to know that poison has
been put in by some evilly disposed person in order to kill him. Now
in this instance, if he takes it, he appears to sin by killing
himself, or by tempting God: also in like manner if he does not take
it, he sins by acting against the Church's statute. Consequently, he
seems to be perplexed, and under necessity of sinning, which is not
becoming.
Obj. 4: Further, it sometimes happens from the server's want of heed
that water is not added to the chalice, or even the wine overlooked,
and that the priest discovers this. Therefore he seems to be
perplexed likewise in this case, whether he receives the body without
the blood, thus making the sacrifice to be incomplete, or whether he
receives neither the body nor the blood.
Obj. 5: Further, it sometimes happens that the priest cannot remember
having said the words of consecration, or other words which are
uttered in the celebration of this sacrament. In this case he seems
to sin, whether he repeats the words over the same matter, which
words possibly he has said before, or whether he uses bread and wine
which are not consecrated, as if they were consecrated.
Obj. 6: Further, it sometimes comes to pass owing to the cold that
the host will slip from the priest's hands into the chalice, either
before or after the breaking. In this case then the priest will not
be able to comply with the Church's rite, either as to the breaking,
or else as to this, that only a third part is put into the chalice.
Obj. 7: Further, sometimes, too, it happens, owing to the priest's
want of care, that Christ's blood is spilled, or that he vomits the
sacrament received, or that the consecrated hosts are kept so long
that they become corrupt, or that they are nibbled by mice, or lost
in any manner whatsoever; in which cases it does not seem possible
for due reverence to be shown towards this sacrament, as the Church's
ordinances require. It does not seem then that such defects or
dangers can be met by keeping to the Church's statutes.
_On the contrary,_ Just as God does not command an impossibility, so
neither does the Church.
_I answer that,_ Dangers or defects happening to this sacrament can
be met in two ways: first, by preventing any such mishaps from
occurring: secondly, by dealing with them in such a way, that what
may have happened amiss is put right, either by employing a remedy,
or at least by repentance on his part who has acted negligently
regarding this sacrament.
Reply Obj. 1: If the priest be stricken by death or grave sickness
before the consecration of our Lord's body and blood, there is no
need for it to be completed by another. But if this happens after the
consecration is begun, for instance, when the body has been
consecrated and before the consecration of the blood, or even after
both have been consecrated, then the celebration of the mass ought to
be finished by someone else. Hence, as is laid down (Decretal vii, q.
1), we read the following decree of the (Seventh) Council of Toledo:
"We consider it to be fitting that when the sacred mysteries are
consecrated by priests during the time of mass, if any sickness
supervenes, in consequence of which they cannot finish the mystery
begun, let it be free for the bishop or another priest to finish the
consecration of the office thus begun. For nothing else is suitable
for completing the mysteries commenced, unless the consecration be
completed either by the priest who began it, or by the one who
follows him: because they cannot be completed except they be
performed in perfect order. For since we are all one in Christ, the
change of persons makes no difference, since unity of faith insures
the happy issue of the mystery. Yet let not the course we propose for
cases of natural debility, be presumptuously abused: and let no
minister or priest presume ever to leave the Divine offices
unfinished, unless he be absolutely prevented from continuing. If
anyone shall have rashly presumed to do so, he will incur sentence of
excommunication."
Reply Obj. 2: Where difficulty arises, the less dangerous course
should always be followed. But the greatest danger regarding this
sacrament lies in whatever may prevent its completion, because this
is a heinous sacrilege; while that danger is of less account which
regards the condition of the receiver. Consequently, if after the
consecration has been begun the priest remembers that he has eaten or
drunk anything, he ought nevertheless to complete the sacrifice and
receive the sacrament. Likewise, if he recalls a sin committed, he
ought to make an act of contrition, with the firm purpose of
confessing and making satisfaction for it: and thus he will not
receive the sacrament unworthily, but with profit. The same applies
if he calls to mind that he is under some excommunication; for he
ought to make the resolution of humbly seeking absolution; and so he
will receive absolution from the invisible High Priest Jesus Christ
for his act of completing the Divine mysteries.
But if he calls to mind any of the above facts previous to the
consecration, I should deem it safer for him to interrupt the mass
begun, especially if he has broken his fast, or is under
excommunication, unless grave scandal were to be feared.
Reply Obj. 3: If a fly or a spider falls into the chalice before
consecration, or if it be discovered that the wine is poisoned, it
ought to be poured out, and after purifying the chalice, fresh wine
should be served for consecration. But if anything of the sort happen
after the consecration, the insect should be caught carefully and
washed thoroughly, then burned, and the "ablution," together with the
ashes, thrown into the sacrarium. If it be discovered that the wine
has been poisoned, the priest should neither receive it nor
administer it to others on any account, lest the life-giving chalice
become one of death, but it ought to be kept in a suitable vessel
with the relics: and in order that the sacrament may not remain
incomplete, he ought to put other wine into the chalice, resume the
mass from the consecration of the blood, and complete the sacrifice.
Reply Obj. 4: If before the consecration of the blood, and after the
consecration of the body the priest detect that either the wine or
the water is absent, then he ought at once to add them and
consecrate. But if after the words of consecration he discover that
the water is absent, he ought notwithstanding to proceed straight on,
because the addition of the water is not necessary for the sacrament,
as stated above (Q. 74, A. 7): nevertheless the person responsible
for the neglect ought to be punished. And on no account should water
be mixed with the consecrated wine, because corruption of the
sacrament would ensue in part, as was said above (Q. 77, A. 8). But
if after the words of consecration the priest perceive that no wine
has been put in the chalice, and if he detect it before receiving the
body, then rejecting the water, he ought to pour in wine with water,
and begin over again the consecrating words of the blood. But if he
notice it after receiving the body, he ought to procure another host
which must be consecrated together with the blood; and I say so for
this reason, because if he were to say only the words of consecration
of the blood, the proper order of consecrating would not be observed;
and, as is laid down by the Council of Toledo, quoted above (ad 1),
sacrifices cannot be perfect, except they be performed in perfect
order. But if he were to begin from the consecration of the blood,
and were to repeat all the words which follow, it would not suffice,
unless there was a consecrated host present, since in those words
there are things to be said and done not only regarding the blood,
but also regarding the body; and at the close he ought once more to
receive the consecrated host and blood, even if he had already taken
the water which was in the chalice, because the precept of the
completing this sacrament is of greater weight than the precept of
receiving the sacrament while fasting, as stated above (Q. 80, A. 8).
Reply Obj. 5: Although the priest may not recollect having said some
of the words he ought to say, he ought not to be disturbed mentally
on that account; for a man who utters many words cannot recall to
mind all that he has said; unless perchance in uttering them he
adverts to something connected with the consecration; for so it is
impressed on the memory. Hence, if a man pays attention to what he is
saying, but without adverting to the fact that he is saying these
particular words, he remembers soon after that he has said them; for,
a thing is presented to the memory under the formality of the past
(De Mem. et Remin. i).
But if it seem to the priest that he has probably omitted some of the
words that are not necessary for the sacrament, I think that he ought
not to repeat them on that account, changing the order of the
sacrifice, but that he ought to proceed: but if he is certain that he
has left out any of those that are necessary for the sacrament,
namely, the form of the consecration, since the form of the
consecration is necessary for the sacrament, just as the matter is,
it seems that the same thing ought to be done as was stated above (ad
4) with regard to defect in the matter, namely, that he should begin
again with the form of the consecration, and repeat the other things
in order, lest the order of the sacrifice be altered.
Reply Obj. 6: The breaking of the consecrated host, and the putting
of only one part into the chalice, regards the mystical body, just as
the mixing with water signifies the people, and therefore the
omission of either of them causes no such imperfection in the
sacrifice, as calls for repetition regarding the celebration of this
sacrament.
Reply Obj. 7: According to the decree, _De Consecr.,_ dist. ii,
quoting a decree of Pope Pius I, "If from neglect any of the blood
falls upon a board which is fixed to the ground, let it be taken up
with the tongue, and let the board be scraped. But if it be not a
board, let the ground be scraped, and the scrapings burned, and the
ashes buried inside the altar and let the priest do penance for forty
days. But if a drop fall from the chalice on to the altar, let the
minister suck up the drop, and do penance during three days; if it
falls upon the altar cloth and penetrates to the second altar cloth,
let him do four days' penance; if it penetrates to the third, let him
do nine days' penance; if to the fourth, let him do twenty days'
penance; and let the altar linens which the drop touched be washed
three times by the priest, holding the chalice below, then let the
water be taken and put away nigh to the altar." It might even be
drunk by the minister, unless it might be rejected from nausea. Some
persons go further, and cut out that part of the linen, which they
burn, putting the ashes in the altar or down the sacrarium. And the
Decretal continues with a quotation from the Penitential of Bede the
Priest: "If, owing to drunkenness or gluttony, anyone vomits up the
Eucharist, let him do forty days' penance, if he be a layman; but let
clerics or monks, deacons and priests, do seventy days' penance; and
let a bishop do ninety days'. But if they vomit from sickness, let
them do penance for seven days." And in the same distinction, we read
a decree of the (Fourth) Council of Arles: "They who do not keep
proper custody over the sacrament, if a mouse or other animal consume
it, must do forty days' penance: he who loses it in a church, or if a
part fall and be not found, shall do thirty days' penance." And the
priest seems to deserve the same penance, who from neglect allows the
hosts to putrefy. And on those days the one doing penance ought to
fast, and abstain from Communion. However, after weighing the
circumstances of the fact and of the person, the said penances may be
lessened or increased. But it must be observed that wherever the
species are found to be entire, they must be preserved reverently, or
consumed; because Christ's body is there so long as the species last,
as stated above (Q. 77, AA. 4, 5). But if it can be done
conveniently, the things in which they are found are to be burned,
and the ashes put in the sacrarium, as was said of the scrapings of
the altar-table, here above.
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