Canon of the Mass

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Canon of the Mass is the oldest Eucharistic prayer used in the Roman Rite. It is also called the Roman Canon or, in the Mass of Paul VI, Eucharistic Prayer I. It is the long prayer that begins after the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) with the words Te igitur and is the heart of the celebration.

Origins and meaning
- The name Canon Missæ was used in traditional Roman rites to describe the part of the Mass that followed the Sanctus. The term Canon means a fixed rule or standard for celebrating the Sacrament.
- The Canon likely formed in the first centuries of Christianity, growing out of earlier Eastern (Greek) prayers and Latin additions. It was probably arranged in Rome in the fourth century, possibly by Pope Damasus I, to provide a stable, unchanging form.
- Throughout the Middle Ages, many scholars thought of the Canon as a single long prayer, though later scholars noted it consists of several linked parts. Some prayers in the Canon came from older liturgies, and others were added over time.

What it includes and how it ends
- The Canon is essentially one continuous prayer that includes the Preface, the Sanctus, and the main Eucharistic prayer that your priest prays silently or aloud.
- In the medieval period, the Canon was printed as several paragraphs and often marked with initials. Some people believed parts of it reached all the way to the end of the Mass, while others thought it ended with the end of the consecration.
- Over time, the Canon came to be understood as the part called the Canon Consecrationis, though a separate “Canon Communionis” later began with the Lord’s Prayer and continued to the end of Communion.

Language and changes
- Latin became the common liturgical language in Rome by the late fourth century. The Canon itself remained remarkably stable in its core text, even as other parts of the Mass varied.
- The Roman Missal was standardized by Pope Pius V in 1570, fixing the Canon’s text for centuries. In 1604, Pope Clement VIII made some rubrical changes and removed a king’s name from the text in some places. In the 19th century, English Missals sometimes included the king’s name as well.
- In 1962, Pope John XXIII added a mention of Saint Joseph after the Virgin Mary. The Canon was then set in the middle of the Missal in most editions, because it is used so often and needs to be readily accessible.

Post-1970 changes
- Since the 1970 reform of the Roman Missal, the Mass includes three other newly composed Eucharistic prayers. The Canon is now called the Roman Canon and is listed first among the four Eucharistic prayers. A short heading Prex Eucharistica appears before the dialogue before the Preface, and a heading Ritus communionis appears before the Pater Noster (Our Father).
- The Canon itself remains the central, most sacred part of the Eucharistic prayer, while the other prayers and prayers of the Mass can vary.

In summary, the Canon of the Mass is the ancient, largely fixed core of the Roman Rite’s Eucharistic prayer. Its form has evolved over centuries, but its role as the primary sacred prayer of thanksgiving and the Consecration has remained central in Catholic worship.