Question:
Is it true that there was a time when only bishops are allowed to validly celebrate the Eucharist? If yes, what happened that made the priests permitted to celebrate it validly? Why don’t we allow deacons also?
Answer:
Yes, the period between the first Easter Sunday when only the original 11 apostles/bishops (see CCC 860-62) ministered to the time when the first priest was ordained by one of them as a priest, so that he too could offer the Sacrifice of the Mass. That period cannot be pinpointed with historical precision.
Regarding deacons and celebrating Mass, they were and are not ordained to serve as priests who offer the Sacrifice of the Eucharist, but rather as ministerial servants for the larger Christian community (see CCC 1569-71; Acts 6:1-6).
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