Which statement correctly identifies the source of the words used in the Consecration?

Which statement correctly identifies the source of the words used in the Consecration?

• A. The words of Consecration come from an early text called the apostolic tradition.
• B. The words of Consecration come from the Apostolic Constitution.
• C. The words of Consecration come from the Nicene Creed.
• D. The words of Consecration come from a later church order.

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that the exact Words of the Consecration come from later liturgical authorities who standardized the rite in church orders. Early writings describe how the Eucharist was celebrated, but they don’t固定 a single universal formula. Over time, liturgical documents collected prayers and actions and fixed the specific wording used in the celebration. That makes the source a later church order. The other options point to earlier or unrelated texts—the apostolic tradition describes practice rather than a fixed liturgical text, the Nicene Creed is a statement of faith, and while a late text like an Apostolic Constitution is a kind of church order, the essential point is that the wording originates in a later, standardized liturgical document.

The key idea is that the exact Words of the Consecration come from later liturgical authorities who standardized the rite in church orders. Early writings describe how the Eucharist was celebrated, but they don’t固定 a single universal formula. Over time, liturgical documents collected prayers and actions and fixed the specific wording used in the celebration. That makes the source a later church order. The other options point to earlier or unrelated texts—the apostolic tradition describes practice rather than a fixed liturgical text, the Nicene Creed is a statement of faith, and while a late text like an Apostolic Constitution is a kind of church order, the essential point is that the wording originates in a later, standardized liturgical document.