Edward McNamara, LC
(ZENIT News / Rome, 10.21.2024).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and sacramental theology and director of the Sacerdos Institute at the Pontifical Regina Apostolorum university.
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Q: Some people believe that during the Eucharistic Prayer those concelebrants who have been assigned to the various intercessions are assigned based on their ecclesiastical rank, for example, vicar general, vicar forane, monsignor etc. So that C1 is always assigned to the person holding the highest office, then C2 to the second highest, and so forth. Are there any specific criteria for choosing the concelebrants for the Eucharistic Prayer intercessions? For example, must they be chosen from among the most senior priests, that is, priests with a title (vicar, monsignor etc.) or can priests without title be chosen for the parts? Also, is it automatic that when a bishop is the principal celebrant and there are other bishops concelebrating that they automatically must be assigned to the intercessions? In my liturgical readings and study, I have never come across this understanding implicitly or explicitly. I would think that during the Eucharistic Prayer especially, that all present, chief celebrant and concelebrants regardless of rank or office are all acting in persona Christi, in the “one” person of Christ and together are exercising their “one” “common” ministerial priesthood and not exercising a particular rank or office, and that therefore no distinction should be made based on rank or office. The only instances where the order of precedence is applied, as far as I am aware, is in the liturgical procession, incensation, communion and in the seating arrangements for a concelebrated Mass. I am not aware that it is applied to the Eucharistic intercessions. — F.M., Trinidad and Tobago
A: First, I think we must distinguish between a distinction of rank or office, and a distinction of order.
The distinction of order would be between bishops and priests. The bishop has the fullness of the sacrament of holy orders, and this means that he is the higher order with respect to the priest. Therefore, a bishop should always preside if he is a celebrant in a concelebration.
When there is a good reason for him to be present but not concelebrate, such as a priest’s jubilee celebration, the liturgy foresees the possibility of the bishop being present in choir dress, preaching the homily and imparting the final blessing.
Because of this difference in order, I would say that, yes, it would be good liturgical logic to defer to other bishop concelebrants for the intercessions of the Eucharistic Prayer. At the same time there might be good motives for exceptions, such as a guest bishop having difficulty with the language of the Mass.
It is true, however, that the official documents do not mention the case of multiple bishops, and therefore what I have said above is just an opinion.
The other distinction would be the difference in ecclesiastical rank, and these are human distinctions which would not affect who proclaim the intercessions.
It is true that rules of protocol, in determining who goes where in the procession, and who sits where, often means that the same people end up next to the bishop and close to the microphone on the altar during the Eucharistic Prayer. The repetition of these situations can lead to the presumption that the participation in the intercessions is a question of rank.
Human foibles being what they are, it can happen that presumed rights are defended more tenaciously than those enshrined in written laws and decrees.
However, as our reader has pointed out, there is almost nothing in the liturgical books that would support this supposition.
Neither the Ceremonial of Bishops nor the General Instruction of the Roman Missal appear to make any distinction with respect to ecclesial rank in this area. The GIRM, in describing the recitation of a part of the Eucharistic Prayer, says the following:
“220. It is appropriate that the commemoration of the living (the Memento) and the Communicantes (In union with the whole Church) be assigned to one or other of the concelebrating priests, who then speaks these prayers aloud, with hands extended.”
This expression of the text regarding the parts being “assigned to one or other of the concelebrating priests” is used for all the Eucharistic Prayers.
This would indicate that there is no precise rule or ranking in choosing the priests who will recite these parts of the prayer.
It must also be considered that the text says that “it is appropriate.” This means that the principal celebrant may opt to say the entire Eucharistic Prayer himself, and thus there is no question of any other celebrant having a “right” to proclaim a particular section. Therefore, the assignment of which priest proclaims what part can be determined on each occasion taking several elements into account.
Among these elements, the 2014 document of the Holy See offering guidelines for large concelebrations, which is also silent as to who recites these parts of the Eucharistic Prayers, reminds those preparing the celebration of the importance that the faithful may see and hear the liturgical action. We offer an unofficial translation:
“16. In such a space ‘places are to be arranged for the faithful with appropriate care, so that they may duly participate in the sacred celebrations, following with their gaze and heart. The places should be structured in such a way that it is easy to approach to receive Holy Communion. Take care that the faithful can not only see, but also easily hear. Therefore, to encourage participation, an appropriate public address system should be prepared, with the collaboration of experts.’”
This would at least imply that the priests assigned to recite a part of the Eucharistic Prayer should be visible to the faithful and not be a disembodied voice. This would suggest that he be close to the altar albeit not necessarily next to the principal celebrant.
In solemn papal Masses at the Vatican, the order of procession is usually determined by certain rules of protocol so that bishops are followed by archbishops and then cardinal deacons, presbyters and cardinal bishops. Therefore, other things being equal, the dean of the College of Cardinals and other cardinal bishops are beside the Pope at the altar.
In practice, however, this protocol is not strictly applied, and the choice of those who are beside the Pope and who intervene in the Eucharistic Prayers are guided by the concrete circumstances of each celebration. Thus, it can be the prefect of a certain dicastery, the bishop of a diocese, the superior general of a congregation and even the parish priest when the Pope visits a parish.
Also, when the Holy Father celebrated daily Mass in the Chapel of Santa Martha, the assignation of who prayed the different parts of the prayer was occasionally made just before the celebration began.
In conclusion, we can say that there is no official rule whatsoever that would assign a right of intervention to a particular ecclesiastical dignitary.
Unless the presiding celebrant has reserved to himself the recitation of the entire Eucharistic Prayer, this designation can be made in several ways, from leaving it to chance to whomsoever happens to end up closest to the microphone and the presiding celebrant, to previous designation before the celebration begins for any worthy reason whatsoever.
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Readers may send questions to zenit.liturgy@gmail.com. Please put the word «Liturgy» in the subject field. The text should include your initials, your city and your state, province or country. Father McNamara can only answer a small selection of the great number of questions that arrive.
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