Holy Mass in Warsaw, Poland

Why We Consecrate Sacred Vessels

Blessings vs. Consecrations

In the past, we discussed Sacramentals and why we should have our Sacramentals blessed by a priest.[1] Continuing on, we revisit this topic by looking at consecrations and how those differ from mere blessings.

The Catholic Encyclopedia provides us with a good overview on the distinction:

“The Church distinguishes consecration from blessing, both in regard to persons and to things. Hence the Roman Pontifical treats of the consecration of a bishop and of the blessing of an abbot, of the blessing of a corner-stone and the consecration of a church or altar. In both, the persons or things pass from a common, or profane, order to a new state, and become the subjects or the instruments of Divine protection. At a consecration the ceremonies are more solemn and elaborate than at a blessing. The ordinary minister of a consecration is a bishop, whilst the ordinary minister of a blessing is a priest. At every consecration the holy oils are used; at a blessing customarily only holy water. The new state to which consecration elevates persons or things is permanent, and the rite can never be repeated, which is not the case at a blessing; the graces attached to consecration are more numerous and efficacious than those attached to a blessing; the profanation of a consecrated person or thing carries with it a new species of sin, namely sacrilege, which the profanation of a blessed person or thing does not always do. Of consecration proper the Roman Pontifical contains one of persons, that is of a bishop, and four of things, that is, of a fixed altar, of an altar-stone, of a church, and of a chalice and paten.”[2]

Taking the chalice and the paten as examples, we consider these two sacred vessels in a special way and understand just why the Church desires for them to be consecrated and not merely blessed.
 

The Importance of Sacred Vessels

For nearly the entire two thousand years since the Church’s foundation, only sacred ministers, whose hands had been anointed, were permitted to touch the sacred vessels which hold the Lord’s Flesh and Blood.

The consecration of these vessels calls to mind the extremely ancient practice going back to the time of Pope St. Sixtus I in 127 AD., when he decreed that only those whose hands were also anointed with sacred chrism (e.g., priests) could handle chalices and patens. In fact, this special anointing is why we kiss the hands of newly ordained priests at their First Masses and receive an indulgence for doing so[3] – assuming we meet all the general conditions for an indulgence.

This prohibition of touching sacred vessels extended even to consecrated virgins as only the hands of ordained ministers could touch the sacred vessels. The 1960 Roman Breviary notes regarding Pope St. Soter, who reigned until his martyrdom in 175 AD, the following: “He ordered that consecrated virgins should not touch the sacred vessels and palls, nor act as thurifers in the church.”

In fact, this prohibition remained widely observed right until Vatican II. Altar boys would only touch the ciborium, for instance, if they were wearing gloves.[4] This practice is still retained in some traditional parishes, but the rise of Holy Communion in the hand and other irreverences, including the casual handling of sacred vessels used at Mass, has contributed to the lack of belief in the Real Presence and a loss of the sense of the sacred among the laity.
 

The Sacred Chalice

The chalice is the oldest sacred vessel. It is speculated that Our Lord Jesus Christ did not use a ciborium at the Last Supper, but He did indeed use a chalice – the Holy Grail. Not only is the chalice the original sacred vessel, but it has possessed an amazing continuity of form. The earliest Christians, due to the persecuted nature of the Faith, relied for the most part on far simpler vessels for the Sacrifice of the Mass than would become customary and obligatory later.

During the Middle Ages, a series of councils issued formal restrictions on the production and use of chalices, forbidding wooden ones. Brass and copper were also prohibited because they rust, but pewter was allowed for the poor because it does not. The same document that restricted deteriorating metals also forbade the use of glass vessels for the first time.

Chalices are permitted to be made only of gold, silver, or – when rendered necessary by poverty – pewter. The inside of the silver or pewter cup is to be gilt. Glass and earthenware are still explicitly prohibited by current Church law. Fracturing (i.e., pouring of the Precious Blood from one container to another) is not permitted.

A chalice must be consecrated – and not merely blessed – by a bishop using sacred chrism. Before Vatican II, the regilding of the cup used to require the vessel’s reconsecration, but this is sadly no longer the case. A broken or damaged chalice, however, loses its consecration and must be repaired and then consecrated to God before its use.
 

The Sacred Paten

Like the chalice, the paten touches the Consecrated Host (i.e., Our Lord’s true Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity) and must be treated with great reverence. Like the inside of a chalice, the concave side of a paten must be gilt with silver or gold. In the early Church they were heavily decorated, but this practice was abolished, and strict regulations were instituted regarding the ornamentation of the paten. For many years it was not permissible for any ornament to be present on the concave side except on the rim.

Patens, like chalices, must be consecrated prior to use. A paten loses its consecration if it is broken to such an extent that it is no longer usable or if it becomes so battered that it would be unbecoming to touch the Most Holy Eucharist. Like other sacred vessels, it is no longer permissible to make a paten out of glass, earthenware, or other base or easily breakable material or to construct it in a manner deprived of artistic merit. Prior to Vatican II, the act of regilding also required the reconsecration of the paten.
 

Conclusion

If we truly believe in the Real Presence, we should have a great respect for the church building, the altar, the sacred ministers, and the sacred vessels used at Mass. Helping fund the creation of these sacred vessels is a worthwhile endeavor, as is helping sponsor vestments for a priest. In these cases, our act of generosity will likely long outlive us and help the Sacrifice of the Mass to be offered long into the future.

For any of us in a position to influence the creation or purchase of sacred vessels, buy them from a truly Catholic vendor. Some companies will make chalices and patens that are appropriate for Catholic use while also supplying other religions with glass chalices or wooden ones that are to be used in non-Catholic worship. We strongly encourage you to purchase only from Catholic supply companies that do not sell these forbidden items. In this manner, we can use our funds to only support the most worthy craftsmen.

And for the rest of us, let us encourage all priests to have their sacred vessels properly consecrated with the traditional prayers in the Pontifical.[5] And let us also encourage altar servers and the laity to always refrain from touching that which is consecrated for divine worship alone.


[1] See “What Are Sacramentals and Why Have Them Blessed?

[2] Schulte, A.J. (1908). “Consecration,” in The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved November 25, 2020 from New Advent.

[3] More information on this practice can be read at https://reginacaeliparish.org/documents/2015/8/First%20Blessing%20of%20Priest.pdf, and a recap on the general requirements for an indulgence can be viewed at https://d2y1pz2y630308.cloudfront.net/2708/documents/Plenary%20Indulgence.pdf

[4] In some traditional parishes you might also see altar boys handling the sacred vessels that touch Our Lord (such as a ciborium) using their surplice, so that their hands do not actually touch the sacred vessel. Louis Tofari notes in The General Principles of Ceremonies of the Roman Rite: “Consecrated as a sacred vessel, liturgical law does not allow for its handling by laymen unless delegated to do so (and in its purified state only), either in performing sacristy work or during the ceremonies if chalice or ciborium must be removed from the altar.”

[5] The New Rites do not require a chalice to be consecrated, merely blessed. This is yet another way in which our Catholic Faith has been diluted and mitigated. There are some ‘non-traditional’ bishops who have observed these rites (see a related post by the Institute of Christ the King), and of course, every bishop may use the traditional rites to consecrate vessels. Perhaps more would do so if their priests made this specific request? The Rite of Consecration of a Paten and a Chalice from the 1962 Roman Pontifical is available online.

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