When several priests offer one Mass together, what exactly is happening? Dr. Brant Pitre traces concelebration from its scriptural roots to its revival at the Second Vatican Council.
What Is Concelebration? Biblical Roots and the History of Priests Offering One Mass
Dr. Brant Pitre explains concelebration as the rite in which several priests together offer a single Eucharist — a practice the Church says manifests the unity of the priesthood, the sacrifice, and the whole People of God (GIRM no. 199; Sacrosanctum Concilium 57-58). The session looks first at the scriptural imagery: Simon the high priest surrounded by "a garland of brethren" in Sirach 50, and the twenty-four elders around the Lamb in Revelation. Pitre then follows the historical thread — the bishop giving thanks "with the whole presbytery" in the Apostolic Tradition, the papal custom recorded in the Book of Pontiffs, and the medieval question Innocent III and Aquinas took up: when many priests speak the words of consecration, who consecrates? He closes with the practice's near-disappearance in the West and its deliberate revival at Vatican II. The video maps the sources and the theology.
Key passages & sources examined: Sirach 50:1-21; Revelation 4:2-4, 5:6-7; GIRM no. 199; Sacrosanctum Concilium 57-58; Apostolic Tradition 4; Liber Pontificalis (Zephyrinus); Amalar of Metz; Pope Innocent III, Mysteries of the Mass 4.25; St. Thomas Aquinas (ST III q.82 a.2); Benedict XIV; Josef Jungmann; Eucharisticum Mysterium (1967) no. 47
What is concelebration in the Catholic Mass? The session defines it from the GIRM: several priests offering one and the same sacrifice together, which the Church says expresses the unity of the priesthood and the People of God.
What are the biblical roots of concelebration? Pitre points to Old Testament priestly imagery in Sirach and the heavenly liturgy of Revelation; the connections are drawn out in the video.
If several priests say the words together, who consecrates? The video presents how Innocent III and St. Thomas Aquinas answered this question about intention and the "same instant" of consecration.
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I love getting the mass readings/readings explained, every week. Dr Brandt Petrie it’s truly amazing in his knowledge of the Old Testament and the New Testament.!
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Once logged in, you can access everything by going to 'Membership' in the main menu bar of our website, then 'Mass Readings Explained' and then pick one of the options there. The calendar view works well for finding those Mass Readings that are in the near future and The Mass Explained will take you to videos in that series.
I love getting the mass readings/readings explained, every week. Dr Brandt Petrie it’s truly amazing in his knowledge of the Old Testament and the New Testament.!
I’ve subscribed for many years and have shared Brant Pitre’s excellent work as gifts to friends and colleagues around the world. Keep up the good work. Team!
