What were the changes to the Eucharist at Vatican II?

Answer 1

No changes were made to the Eucharist itself by the Second Vatican Council. The doctrine of transubstantiation, or the changing of the essence of bread and wine into the essence of the Body and Blood of Christ is still the same. The only differences were to the liturgy. These included the language of the Mass changing from Latin to the vernacular of the community, the Ordinary of the Mass, the orientation of the altar, among other changes. It should be said that the Missal of 1962 (prior to Vatican II) was never repeal, but simply fell out of normal use in favor of the 1969 Missal and the two subsequent Missals.

The following is Pope Benedict XVI's letter to the bishops detailing this notion.

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/letters/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20070707_lettera-vescovi_en.html

Answer 2

Roman Catholic Answer, wait, just call this my viewpoint:In many ways, when the Vatican was redoing the Mass (the Eucharist), they were trying to get back to the way it was done in the first several centuries of the Church. They tried to remove things that they thought had been added for no good reason, or what they viewed as mindless repetitions. They also tried to take the focus off of sacrifice and put more emphasis on the community. The Council had called for the readings to be in English, the priests working on the new Mass asked for everything to be translated into the vernacular. This has been a mixed blessing, if one can be the charitable. The current Holy Father, Pope Benedict, has freed the older rite, the older version of the Mass - pre-Vatican II and I believe we will see it celebrated more and more as the years go on.

Answer 3

The Second Vatican Council called for a noble simplicity in the Holy Mass, it specified that: 50. The rite of the Mass is to be revised in such a way that the intrinsic nature and purpose of its several parts, as well as the connection between them, may be more clearly manifested, and that devout and active participation by the faithful may be more easily achieved....

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51. The treasurers of The Bible are to be opened up more lavishly so that a richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God's word. In this way a more representative part of the sacred Scriptures will be read to the people in the course of a prescribed number of years.

Etc. The Council also called for the restoration of several things which had been lost over the centuries, like the "prayer of the faithful" after the Gospel and the homily, and called for a suitable place to be allotted to the vernacular in Masses celebrated with the people especially in the readings and "common prayer". Nevertheless, the Council insisted that Latin was to be retained and the people were to be able to sing and say together those parts of the Ordinary in Latin which pertain to them.

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See the attached link below for the document on the Sacred Liturgy, particularly Chapter I, Section III. The Reform of the Sacred Liturgy, and Chapter II The Most Sacred Mystery of the Eucharist

Answer 4

Visible and audible: language of liturgy changed to local vernacular- in the case of the United States- English. Celebrant faces the congregation- which brought about the flat topped or ( Flying washboard) altars. Some minor changes in customs and practices not directly liturgical- statuary toned down, broader range of hymns, etc. an attempt at ( Updating) that well, like all movements there were highs, and lows, and some , well turbulent currents. The flying washboard idea was not liked by all- and was slow in phasing in. I attended what I believed was a Catholic Mass in England in l966 and the Clergyman in Black clerical robes- used Latin for most of the mass, and had his back towards the congregation- this was Roman Catholic- not Episcopal. I only vaguely mention this, Perhaps there were cooling-off periods for regular clergy such as Benedictines, Dominicans, etc, which had their own rituals and habits.