July 20, 2001: Vatican approves "virtually present" institution narrative

http://webelieve.cc/html/Feb2002.htm#anaphora

Vatican issues landmark document on Eucharist

Validity of the ancient anaphora of the Assyrian Church affirmed

On July 20, 2001 the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, headed by Cardinal Walter Kasper, issued Guidelines for Admission to the Eucharist between the Chaldean Church and the Assyrian Church of the East. Most of the news media reported on the document as a sign of ecumenical rapprochement with regard to the subject of intercommunion. But the Guidelines are far more important for another reason: they make a significant theological statement.

The Chaldeans constitute a church of East Syrian origin that is in union with the Roman Catholic Church, while the Assyrian Church of the East is heir to the East Syrian Church which followed Nestorius after the Council of Ephesus (431 CE). A major point of discussion between these two churches has been the eucharistic prayers employed by the Assyrian Church of the East: the Anaphora of Addai and Mari (sometimes known as the Anaphora of the Apostles). Addai and Mari lacks the traditional narrative of institution of the Eucharist: "On the night he was betrayed …." According to the late sacramental theologian Edward Kilmartin, ever since the twelfth century the Western Church has considered the words of institution ("This is my Body," etc.) to be a formula of consecration—in scholastic terms what is considered the "form" of the sacrament. So the question, how can a eucharistic prayer which lacks the institution narrative be valid? Another way of asking the question is: how can Chaldean Christians receive holy communion at a liturgy in which the institution narrative is not a part of the eucharistic prayer?

The Pontifical Council on Christian Unity, after consultation with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and with the approval of Pope John Paul II, has decided to affirm the validity of Addai and Mari (and therefore of the Assyrian Eucharist) on the basis of three arguments:

1. Addai and Mari is an ancient anaphora in a church that has always desired to celebrate the Eucharist in full continuity with the Last Supper.
2. The Catholic Church recognizes the ecclesial status and validity of orders in the Assyrian Church.
3. "… the words of Eucharistic Institution are indeed present in the Anaphora of Addai and Mari, not in a coherent way, but rather in a dispersed euchological way, that is, integrated in successive prayers of thanksgiving, praise and intercession."

In other words, the Vatican judges the institution narrative to be virtually present in the prayer. Thus, a eucharistic prayer can be valid without the explicit narrative of institution as such. It does not take much imagination to realize that these guidelines open the way for much fruitful theological reflection on the nature of eucharistic consecration. It is a most welcome development.

The Nestorian Liturgy

On the other hand, the Assyrian [Nestorian] Liturgy as transcribed here does have "This is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins." This is the Liturgy of the Assyrian Church of the East, which is not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church.

This Liturgy seems closely related. It has: "This cup is the New Testament in My Blood: This do as often as you drink of it, in remembrance of me." Note that the mystical body of Christ is signified in the epiclesis:
" ...and may there come, O My Lord, Your Holy Spirit, and rest upon this offering of Thy servants and bless it and hollow it and that it may be to us, O My Lord, for the pardon of offences and for the forgiveness of sins and for the great hope of resurrection from the dead and for new life in the kingdom of heaven, with all those who have been well-pleasing to Thee. And for all this great and marvellous dispensation towards us, we give Thee thanks and glorify Thee without ceasing in Thy Church redeemed by the precious blood of Thy Christ, with open mouths and unveiled faces."

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I saved a copy of the "Order of Raza" of the Syro-Malabar here. It is the most solemn form of the Syro-Malabar Qurbana. I found it here, but that web page is gone. I'm not sure how the Syro-Malabar rite relates to the Chaldeans and Nestorians, but it does have a Liturgy attributed to Mar Addai and Mar Mari, with explicit words of consecration:

He gave thanks and blessed + + + and gave it to them, saying: This is My Blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. Take and drink of it, all of you.