‘Gravely Serious Situation’: KC Archbishop Discovers Parishes Using Wine With Additives, Warns ‘All Masses Invalid’ for Several Years at Multiple…

[Michie]

…Churches

The Archbishop of Kansas City has warned priests that they could be offering Mass with invalid matter, and that they should ensure their altar wine is both free from additives and especially vinted for sacramental use.

The archbishop wrote to priests May 31 to warn that he had recently learned of parishes using wine that would invalidate their attempts to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

“It has recently been reported by two priests, having served in three different parishes, that upon their appointment to these parishes they soon discovered the long-term use of wines that were in fact invalid matter for the confection of the Eucharist,” Archbishop Joseph Naumann noted in a May 31 letter obtained by The Pillar.

As a result, he wrote, in those parishes, “for any number of years all Masses were invalid and therefore the intentions for which those Masses were offered were not satisfied, including the obligation pastors have to offer Mass for the people.”

“This is a gravely serious situation for which we must now petition the Holy See for guidance on restorative matters.”

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KC archbishop clarifies wine validity norms

Archbishop Joseph Naumann warned parishes against using wine with additives for the celebration of the Mass.

www.pillarcatholic.com

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

What makes the wine "invalid"? I remember back in college being woken up by our college priest on a Sunday morning. He said that he had dropped the bottle of wine for Mass as he was getting out of his car. I opened up our alcohol pantry and the only wine we had in there was MD 20/20. He took the bottle with him. I still chuckle thinking that Mad Dog was used for a Mass.

 

[Michie]

What makes the wine "invalid"? I remember back in college being woken up by our college priest on a Sunday morning. He said that he had dropped the bottle of wine for Mass as he was getting out of his car. I opened up our alcohol pantry and the only wine we had in there was MD 20/20. He took the bottle with him. I still chuckle thinking that Mad Dog was used for a Mass.

Canon law states that only certain ingredients may be used. The article was pretty thorough explaining it. The hosts must meet certain requirements as well.

 

[Michie]

It is extremely VEXING to learn of priests who are so thick… so arrogant… that they can’t or won’t be exacting about the VALIDITY of sacraments. It isn’t hard. You “Say The Black and Do The Red” and you use valid matter.

At the Pillar there is a note about how the Archdiocese of Kansas City has laid down the law about what wine can be used for Mass. It seems that at “parishes” (plural) invalid matter for the Eucharist was used, invalid wine. Therefore, for years, none of the Masses were valid. None of the intentions for Masses were fulfilled. Hence, redress from Rome must be sought to deal with the intentions, etc.

For STUPID!

Priests CANNOT CLAIM IGNORACE about these things because it is fundamental to their tool set. If they are ignorant about the issue of valid matter for Mass it is culpable ignorance. It is like running into a doctor who doesn’t know about blood types.

We read in Redemptionis Sacramentum:

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There is hardly anything crueler that a priest can do than to leave people in doubt about the validity of their sacraments.

It is extremely VEXING to learn of priests who are so thick... so arrogant... that they can't or won't be exacting about the VALIDITY of sacraments. It isn't hard. You "Say The Black and Do The Red" and you use valid matter. At the Pillar there is a note about how the Archdiocese of Kansas Cit

wdtprs.com

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

Canon law states that only certain ingredients may be used. The article was pretty thorough explaining it. The hosts must meet certain requirements as well.

A follow up is what does it mean to the people who received something that they did not know was invalid?

 

[Michie]

A follow up is what does it mean to the people who received something that they did not know was invalid?

That’s why the Vatican is being consulted.

 

[fide]

A follow up is what does it mean to the people who received something that they did not know was invalid?

It seems to me that once more the people have been victimized by sins of others - in this case, servants in the Church. I groan many times when I hear what passes as the Liturgy of the Word, in the Mass, when the Holy Words of God are mishandled, not reverenced, poorly interpreted, disrespected, even set aside to hear "important" words about the budget or some other carnal concern. Such carelessness it seems would carry over as well - sadly, but no surprise - to the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

We need deep, deep renewal, clergy and laity.

 

[Erose]

I would think that as long as the wine that was being used was from grapes, then at worst it would be illicit but not invalid. That would be a huge difference IMO in how to look at this. For example in Roman Rite, it would be illicit to use leaven bread, but it would not make the Mass invalid to do so.

 

[RileyG]

Would the host still be valid?

 

[RileyG]

What makes the wine "invalid"? I remember back in college being woken up by our college priest on a Sunday morning. He said that he had dropped the bottle of wine for Mass as he was getting out of his car. I opened up our alcohol pantry and the only wine we had in there was MD 20/20. He took the bottle with him. I still chuckle thinking that Mad Dog was used for a Mass.

My old parish, years ago, used Franzia chillable red wine for the Eucharist.

 

[Erose]

Would the host still be valid?

If, the wine was invalid, then the whole Mass, I imagine would be invalid. I would imagine that this will fall under the same situation as if no wine was consecrated at the Mass.

 

[RileyG]

If, the wine was invalid, then the whole Mass, I imagine would be invalid. I would imagine that this will fall under the same situation as if no wine was consecrated at the Mass.

Thanks for the clarification. That's a scary thought! Christ, have mercy.

 

[Michie]

In a disturbing story coming out of the Kansas City archdiocese, The Pillar reports:

“It has recently been reported by two priests, having served in three different parishes, that upon their appointment to these parishes they soon discovered the long-term use of wines that were in fact invalid matter for the confection of the Eucharist,” Archbishop Joseph Naumann noted in a May 31 letter obtained by The Pillar.

As a result, he wrote, in those parishes, “for any number of years all Masses were invalid and therefore the intentions for which those Masses were offered were not satisfied, including the obligation pastors have to offer Mass for the people.”

“This is a gravely serious situation for which we must now petition the Holy See for guidance on restorative matters.”

The article does not say what wines were being used or what made them invalid, but the faithful in other dioceses may be concerned about the wine used at the Masses they attend, so it’s worth looking at what kinds of wine can be validly used to consecrate the Eucharist.

According to the Code of Canon Law:

Can. 924 §1. The most holy eucharistic sacrifice must be offered with bread and with wine in which a little water must be mixed.

2. The bread must be only wheat and recently made so that there is no danger of spoiling.

3. The wine must be natural from the fruit of the vine and not spoiled.
“Fruit of the vine” means grapes, so wines that are based on other plants are not allowed (e.g., elderberry wine, strawberry wine, dandelion wine, rice wine). If any of the latter were being used in Kansas City, they would be understood to be invalid.

The elements required for the valid celebration of the Eucharist are based on what Jesus used on Holy Thursday: unleavened bread (cf. Matt. 26:17) and grape wine (Jesus references “fruit of the vine,” e.g., in Matt. 26:29).

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What Counts as Valid Wine for the Eucharist? – Jimmy Akin

jimmyakin.com