Sacramental Wine Mistake

[Smiley McGee]

Came across an interesting story on Catholic Answers (article from May 2023) for which I'm hoping the Catholic participants can provide color and context. The article "What Counts as Valid Wine for the Eucharist?" (link) billed as "an alarming story out of Kansas City has people wondering if they've been gravely misled."

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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.

While I've attended several masses over the last year and am aware of certain rules (for instance, I do not take Communion since I'm not Catholic), I was not aware of both the extent and seriousness of the rules around the selection of a sacramental wine. A press release (article) from the Kansas City Archdiocese noted wine that "contain[s] additives such as elderberry extract, sugars, alcohol, etc” — render the wine invalid matter. Use of invalid matter constitutes a "gravely serious matter", stating that for all Masses performed using invalid matter, 

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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.

What is the significance of an invalid mass? What are the consequences for parishioners? Is this interpretation of what constitutes valid/invalid wine common? (I've heard stories of people finding out that Communion wine at their local church was boxed Franzia wine...can't imagine that is kosher valid)

For comparison, as you're likely aware, the LDS approach to the Sacrament bread and water is a bit more lenient, suggesting that the Priesthood used to perform the ordinance is what sanctifies it, while the bread and water is largely symbolic.

Edited September 12, 2023 by Smiley McGee
Clarity

[rpn]

Wouldn't you need to ask a trained Catholic those questions?   It is hard for me to see any biblical support for members being punished or held accountable or not receiving blessings because of what someone else did that they had no knowledge of and no control over.

[Calm]

Another Catholic Answers page:

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/invalid-masses
 

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The problem of grave liturgical abuses is so widespread that I regularly receive inquiries about what makes a Mass “invalid.” The technical answer is that nothing makes a Mass invalid. Validity is not per se a category that applies to the Mass as a whole. It is necessary to rephrase the question in order to give an accurate, meaningful answer. Typically, when people ask about the “validity” of a Mass, they wish to know one of two things: Did the Mass contain a valid consecration of the Eucharist? And would a particular Mass fulfill one’s Sunday obligation?

Some people are driven to scrupulous distraction by the fear that the Eucharist they receive during a Mass where liturgical abuses have occurred has not been validly consecrated. Fortunately, their fears are almost always without foundation.

Like baptism, the Eucharist is a sacrament very central to the Christian life. Consequently, God has arranged matters so that it is quite difficult for the Eucharist to be botched so badly that the consecration would not take place. The requirements for validity are very simple and can be dealt with under the headings of minister, intent, matter, and form.

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The addition of any other ingredients to the wheat bread and grape wine render the celebration illicit. If the additions are of notable quantity, the matter has doubtful validity. If the additions are significant enough that, in the judgment of reasonable men, the matter no longer consists of wheat bread and grape wine, then the matter is invalid. It is gravely sinful for any priest to celebrate the Eucharist knowing that he is employing illicit or invalid matter.

These days, one does hear a significant number of reports of parishes using illicit recipes for altar breads. However, if the recipe is strange enough to be invalid matter, this will be detectable by the faithful. If what you receive at Communion does not have a texture or taste that reasonable men would count as unleavened or leavened wheat bread, it’s invalid

If people couldn’t taste the difference, would it be invalid?

[Calm]

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Recently I interviewed Father Charles Murr, and he told me that he was actually happy to see the news. He was of course not happy to know of the grave liturgical abuse, but was elated that after years of this sort of thing happening all over the world, a bishop finally said something publicly about it.

https://onepeterfive.com/epidemic-invalid-masses-foreseen/
 

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There may be grown Catholic adults out there who have never received a valid Holy Communion.

Unfortunately it doesn’t speak to the consequences. 

Edited September 12, 2023 by Calm

[Calm]

Apparently any other sacraments performed with invalid masses will still be valid if they are valid in themselves.

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An additional question: do the invalid Masses render the weddings performed during them invalid too?

[No. Not automatically. Matrimony and Eucharist are different sacraments. Conditions for validity are different.]

https://wdtprs.com/2023/06/there-is-hardly-anything-crueler-that-a-priest-can-do-than-to-leave-people-in-doubt-about-the-validity-of-their-sacraments/
 

I assume once all these KC Catholics partake in a valid mass, it will restore them to where they thought they were, having watched many dramatized  confessions occur on screen and figuring they are in the ballpark on accuracy.  Can this be confirmed?  If so, this is unfortunate, but did it have any lasting effect on them?  Were they deprived of any blessings during this time?

Also what of those who died during this time or as mentioned above, have gone their entire life because their priests were not taking enough care?

Edited September 12, 2023 by Calm

[Calm]

If the host is consecrated, but the wine is not, is a mass valid or do both need to be valid?

This answer would seem to suggest so, so wouldn’t masses with invalid wine still be valid?

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Catholic Church does not say it is necessary to receive Communion in one species alone. It says it is sufficient to receive Communion in one species alone.

There is no Divine precept binding the laity or non-celebrating priests to receive the sacrament under both kinds (Trent, sess. XXI, c. i.) 

By reason of the hypostatic union and of the indivisibility of His glorified humanity, Christ is really present and is received whole and entire, body and blood, soul and Divinity, under either species alone; nor, as regards the fruits of the sacrament, is the communicant under one kind deprived of any grace necessary for salvation (Trent, Sess. XXI, c., iii).

1 Corinthians 11 : 27-29 states 'if anyone eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily, he will be held to account for the Lord’s body and blood.' Here St. Paul attaches the same guilt "of the body and the blood of the Lord" (copulative) to the unworthy "eating or drinking"(disjunctive). In its article The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, Catholic Encyclopedia points out that based on this verse Catholic church believes that Jesus, in the species of bread alone, is fully present with his entire body, blood, soul and Divinity. 

Hence as far as the effects are concerned, those who receive under only one species are not deprived of any of the grace that is necessary for salvation.

https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/24905/what-is-the-theological-justification-for-only-the-priest-drinking-the-wine-in-a

PS:  just passing time till our more knowledgeable Catholic posters have a chance to respond if they want.

Edited September 12, 2023 by Calm

[Smiley McGee]

3 hours ago, rpn said:

Wouldn't you need to ask a trained Catholic those questions?

Not sure what a “trained Catholic” is. There are several Catholics who participate here who seem incredibly knowledgeable and thoughtful so I requested their input in my opening post.