The Elevation

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What we nowknow aspar excellence the Elevation of the Mass is a rite of comparatively recent introduction. The Orientalliturgies, and notably the Byzantine, have indeed a showing of theconsecrated Host to the people, with the words "Holy things to the holy", but this should rather be regarded as the counterpart of our "Ecce Agnus Dei" and as a preliminary to the Communion. Again, in the West, a lifting of the Host at the words "omnis honor et gloria", immediately before thePater Noster, has taken place ever since the ninth century or earlier. This may very probably be looked upon as originally an invitation to adore when the great consecratoryprayer of the canon extending from the Preface to thePater Noster (see Cabrol in "Dict. d'Archéologie", I, 1558) had been brought to a conclusion. But the showing of the Sacred Host (and still more of the Chalice) to the people after the utterance of the words of Institution, "Hoc est corpus meum", is not known to have existed earlier than the close of the twelfth century. Eudes de Sully,Bishop ofParis from 1196 to 1208, seems to have been the first to direct in his episcopalstatutes that after the consecratory words the Host should be "elevated so that it can be seen by all".

There has, however, been a good deal of confusion upon this point in the minds of some earlyliturgists, owing to the practice which prevailed of lifting the bread from the altar and holding it in the hands above thechalice while consecrating it. Some degree of lifting, at the words "accepit panem in sanctas ac venerabiles manus suas" was unavoidable and manypriests carried it so far thatliturgical commentators spoke of their act as "elevare hostiam" (cf.Migne, P.L., CLXXVII, 370, and CLXXI, 1186), but a careful examination of the evidence proves that this was quite a different thing from showing the Host to the people. Moreover, the motive of this latter showing has generally been misconceived. It has often been held to be a protest against theheresy ofBerengarius; butBerengarius died a century before, and the statements of writers at the beginning of the thirteenth century make the whole development plain. The great centre ofintellectual life at that period wasParis, and we learn that atParis a curioustheological view was then being defended by such eminent scholars as the chancellor Peter Manducator and the professor Peter Cantor, thattransubstantiation of the bread only took place when thepriest at Mass had pronounced the words ofconsecration over bothbread andwine (see, e.g.,Giraldus Cambrensis, Works, II, 124;Caesarius of Heisterbach, "Dialogus", IX, xxvii, and "Libri Miraculorum", ed. Meister, pp 16, 17). To quote the words ofPeter of Poitiers "dicunt quidam....quod non facta est transubstantiatio panis in corpus donec prolata sint haec verba "Hic est sanguis'" (Migne, P.L., CCXI, 1245;Pope Innocent III, "De sacro altaris mysterio", IV, 22, uses very similar language). This view, as may readily be understood, aroused considerable opposition, and notably on the part of Bishop Eudes de Sully and Stephen Langton, afterwardsArchbishop ofCanterbury andcardinal. It seems clear that thetheologians of this party, by way of protest against the teaching of Peter Cantor, adopted the custom of adoring the Host immediately after the words, "Hoc est enim corpus meum" were spoken, and by a natural transition they encouraged the practice of showing it to the people for this purpose. The developments can be easily followed in the synodal decrees ofFrance,England, and other countries during the thirteenth century. We find mention of a little bell of warning in the early years of that century, and before the end of the same century it was enjoined in manydioceses of the Continent and inEngland that one of the great bells of the church should be tolled at the moment of the Elevation, in order that those at work in the fields might kneel down and adore.

It will be readily understood from the above explanation that there was not the same motive at first for insisting on the elevation of the Chalice as well as the Host. No one at that perioddoubted that by the time the words of Institution had been spoken over the wine,transubstantiation had been effected in both species. We find accordingly that the elevation of the Chalice was introduced much more slowly. It was not adopted atSt. Alban's Abbey until 1429, and we may say that it is not practised by theCarthusians even to this day. The elevation of the Host at Mass seems to have brought in its train a greatidea of the special merit and virtue of looking upon the Body of Christ. Promises of an extravagant kind circulated freely among the people describing the privileges of him who had see his Maker at Mass. Sudden death could not befall him. He was secure from hunger, infection, the danger of fire, etc. As a result, an extraordinary desire developed to see the Host when elevated at Mass, and this led to a variety of abuses which were rebuked by preachers and satirists. On the other hand, the same devoutinstinct undoubtedly fostered the introduction of processions of theBlessed Sacrament and the practice of our familiar Exposition and Benediction (qq.v.).

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