An Offertory Procession By The Faithful Endured For Quite Some Time

In France and Germany (circa 787 A.D.), we find that the faithful presenting their material gifts along with bread and wine was an ordinary part of the preparation rites at the Sunday Eucharist.  Once the Creed had been recited, the faithful would process to the altar through the body of the Church.  This great procession was often compared to the parade of people who went out to meet the Lord on Palm Sunday.  Very similar to the Eucharist today, the presider and his assistants went down to meet the faithful.  The offertory procession by the faithful survived for quite some time.  

During the 9th and 10th centuries, only bread and wine were carried in procession.  All other material gifts were to be presented before the Eucharist, e.g. during the singing of the Kyrie Eleison or prior to the proclamation of the Gospel.  Beginning in the 11th century, the faithful began to make a monetary offering every Sunday, which was collected and then presented.  

The offering of money instead of materials objects was one reason leading to the discontinuation of the procession by the faithful.  The money was used to support the clergy and to assist the poor.  Deacons and priests would present the bread and wine at each Mass.  Since the 11th century, the offertory procession by the faithful occurred only on solemn feast days and during funeral liturgies.   

During the reform of the Mass following the Council of Trent (1545-1563 A.D.), an effort was made to preserve the offertory procession.  But it soon disappeared – even on Sundays.  One explanation for this was the Protestant condemnation that the sacraments had become too closely connected with money.  This discontinuation of the presentation of gifts by the faithful, unfortunately, brought about an even further non-involvement by the laity in the celebration of the Eucharist.  The priest alone is active, while the faithful viewed what he was doing.  They became “spectators” looking on as the drama of our Lord’s death was unfolded before them.  The people prayed their prayers silently (usually the rosary) while the priest offered his Mass on the altar.  

Another reason for ending the procession of gifts was the change made to the type of bread that could now be used in the Eucharist.  At the Last Supper, Jesus used unleavened bread as prescribed for the Passover Meal. Leavened bread was also permitted for use in the Eucharist since the Greek word for the bread Jesus used could easily mean either leavened or unleavened bread.  Leavened bread was the customary bread used in the Eucharist from the Church’s earliest days.  

In the 9th century, unleavened bread was beginning to be exclusively used for the Eucharist in the Western Church.  The reasons for this were scriptural, and that the best and finest wheat was to be used.  However, even in Rome, this was still not the common practice until customs from the northern European Church influenced the Roman liturgy.  Eventually only unleavened bread in the Eucharist was permitted in the Roman Church.  The disagreement over leavened or unleavened bread in the Eucharist was one of the causes leading to the 1054 A.D. division between the Western and Eastern Churches, where leavened bread was commonly used.  Even though the division between the East and West occurred in 1054, the Council of Florence in 1439 allowed for the use of either unleavened or leavened bread in the Eucharist out of deference for the Eastern Church.  Therefore, those Eastern Churches reunited with Rome were permitted to use leavened bread in their Divine Liturgy.  

Father Sauer continues his look at the Mass in the March 17 issue of The Message.