Some argue that one of the big deficiencies of the Pauline Rite Mass, is that it is only termed a communal meal, a memorial meal, and has done away or at least drastically reduced the emphasis on the Sacrifice of the Mass. This was supposedly done to appeal to Protestant observers, who supposedly helped to write the Mass.
Indeed the Mass is a memorial, but that is not a lessening of tradition or scripture. Jesus told his apostles "Do this as a memorial of Me". The term memorial (or "anamnesis" in the Greek) means that when the priest utters the words of consecration, he brings about or represents the same mystery which Christ brought about at the Last Supper on "the night before He suffered." The one sacrifice of the Cross is thus rendered present, though in an unbloody manner, and the divine Victim of the Cross is both offerer and offered in the Church's liturgical rite .(Whitehead, p. 78).
There were no doubt Protestant observers of the working sessions of the Commission. Protestants do not generally believe Christ can be made present; thus there can be no sacrifice. They only believe in the "priesthood of all believers," not a ministerial priesthood. Let us see whether Catholic doctrine was watered down in these areas. What did the Vatican II Church officially declare about the Mass in reference to Pauline Rite Mass?"
"Hence, the Mass, the Lord's Supper, is at the same time and inseparably: A sacrifice in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated a memorial of the death and resurrection of the Lord, who said "do this in memory of me" (Lk. 22:19). a sacred banquet in which, through the communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord, the People of God share the benefits of the Paschal Sacrifice, renew the New Covenant which God has made with man once for all through the Blood of Christ. (Instruction on the Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery Eucharisticum Mysterium, #C1."
In the foreword to the General Instruction on the Roman Missal states:
The Sacrificial character of the Mass was solemnly defined by the Council of Trent in accordance with the universal tradition of the Church (Session 22, Sep. 17, 1562). The Second Vatican Council has enunciated this same teaching once again, and made this highly significant comment: "At the Last Supper our Saviour instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of his Body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross until he should come again;" (Constitution On the Sacred Liturgy #47).
This foreword describes the New Order of the Mass as a sacrifice of praise, thanksgiving, propitiation and satisfaction, thus affirming doctrines that Protestants specifically deny. The Pauline Mass affirms these things; it was not designed to please Protestants by compromising Catholic doctrine whatsoever (Whitehead, p. 80).
What about the charge of the Mass being Protestantized?
After all, there is more hymn singing, vernacular liturgy, a greater emphasis on the Scriptures, etc. The fact is that "the early church had some of the same things-hymn singing, vernacular liturgy, greater emphasis on the Scriptures- and that, finally, the fact that the Church has adopted these particular things today means that they are really compatible with Catholic worship." (Whitehead, 82).
One thing that must be noted of the input of Protestant observers at Vatican II. On July 4, 1976, the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship unequivocally declared: "The Protestant observers did not participate in the composition of the texts of the new Missal." (Documentation Catholique #58, 1976, page 649).
What is clear in the Pauline Rite Mass? It reflects the Eucharistic Sacrifice as a propitiatory work offered for the living and the dead; concerning the Transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ; concerning the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints; concerning prayer for the dead- are all points on which Protestants continue to disagree with the Catholic Church but all of which are explicitly present in the Pauline Rite Mass. (Whitehead, p.
85). For those who say the Mass is Protestantized, there is one question to ask?
Do you know of one Protestant church who celebrates the Pauline Rite liturgy and any of the 4 Eucharistic prayers? No, the proof is in the pudding. No Protestant services recognize any of these distinctly Catholic doctrines. Max Thurian, a Calvinist monk at the time, wrote the following in reference to Protestantism and the Pauline Rite Mass: "Recently a Protestant commission was given the task of revising the prayers of the Last Supper. It was proposed that they adopt the second Catholic Eucharistic Prayer (inspired by St. Hippolytus). That proposition was rejected, because the commission considered that the doctrine implied in that prayer did not correspond to the actual common faith of Protestants... the invocation of the Spirit on the bread and wine presupposed Transubstantiation." (Max Thurian, Quoted in La Croix (Paris), June 15, 1977.)
Notice that the second Eucharistic prayer was inspired by the ancient tradition of St. Hippolytus. Not only was there not a single non-Catholic who participated in the work of the post-conciliar Commission headed by Cardinal Lercaro of Bologna, there were no Protestants back in the 3rd Century, from which this Eucharistic prayer is based on. It is distinctively Catholic."
The Tridentine decree gave an impression that the sacrifice of bread and wine came during the offertory. (*Question. Would it be fair, or Christian, to charge Trent with deliberately misleading congregations about WHEN the sacrifice was constituted?) Actually there is only one sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ accomplished during the consecration of the elements. Many eminent liturgists even during the days of St. Pius V discussed a reform of the Roman Canon to eliminate a misunderstanding of the meaning of sacrifice. The Tridentine Mass could give an impression that the offering of bread and wine constituted the sacrifice of Christ when it said, for example "We offer unto Thee, O Lord, the Chalice of salvation." and "Receive O Holy father.. this immaculate host which I...offer Thee...,". This caused some to think that this is when the sacrifice of Christ took place. In actuality, the salvific sacrifice of Christ was on Calvary, and the sacrifice is perpetually renewed on the altar AT THE MOMENT OF CONSECRATION by a validly-ordained priest, and not before. The Council of Trent clearly teaches this (Council of Trent, Thirteenth Session, Decree on the Most Holy Eucharist) (Whitehead, 120).
The Pauline Rite Mass teaches clearly that the anamnesis, the prayer which follows the words of consecration "makes memory" of the death and resurrection by the priest offering his body and blood (made present by Transubstantiation ) to the Father.
The first Eucharistic prayer retains much of the Roman Canon. It is too long to recite here but it maintains the idea that it is sacrifice. The traditional Roman canon retains the place of preeminence among the four chief Eucharistic Prayers. For example, it includes: "Through him we ask you to accept and bless these gifts we offer you in sacrifice.... We offer you this sacrifice of praise." These are similar to the Tridentine Mass.
Eucharistic Prayer II is substantially that of St. Hippolytus that goes back to the year 215 AD, and declares: "In memory of his death and resurrection, we offer you, Father, this life-giving bread, this saving cup."
If any objections are made to the above prayer, one is objecting to the most treasured, and ancient of Eucharistic prayers, (and by no means Protestant).
Eucharistic Prayer III says:
We offer you in thanksgiving THIS HOLY AND LIVING SACRIFICE. Look with favor on your Church's offering, and see the Victim, whose death has reconciled us to your self.
Eucharistic Prayer IV says:
We offer you his body and blood, THE ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICE which brings salvation to the whole world. (Whitehead, 120-121)
We thus see in the prayers that Pauline Rite Mass maintains completely Catholic orthodoxy-because it is a sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ who is both Priest and Victim, and who offers Himself as a victim in propitiation for the living and dead.
Please use cite references and use quotation marks when using materials not your own. Then explain what you are trying to suggest by citing these.