Concelebration

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.

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 () 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 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.

Anglican Communion

Traditionally, concelebration was not practiced or permitted in Anglican churches. However, the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church 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".

References

References

1. (2007). "An Introductory Dictionary of Theology and Religious Studies". Liturgical Press.
2. Second Vatican Council, [https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html Sacrosanctum Concilium], published on 4 December 1963, accessed on 17 June 2025
3. ''La Civiltà Cattolica'', 2 October 2003, page 45 and following
4. [[Adomnán]] of Iona. (1995). "Life of St Columba". Penguin Books.
5. (2000). "An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church". Church Publishing.
6. (2007). "The (Online) Book of Common Prayer".
7. {{Catholic Encyclopedia
8. (1944-11-30). "Apostolic Constitution ''Episcopali consecrationi'' AAS 43 (1945)".
9. David S. Shrisunder. (1999). "By His Grace Alone". [[Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge]].