38. Finally,
it was custom in both the western and the eastern church for the priests to
offer Mass together with the bishop. The evidence is collected by Christianus
Lupus in the Appendix on the Council of Chalcedon in his ad Concilia
Generalia, et Provincialia, vol. 1, p. 994, of the first edition, where
he interprets the words of Bassianus: "He used to celebrate Masses with
me and to communicate with me"; and by Georgius, Lyturgiae
Pontificiae, vol. 2, p. lf, and vol. 3, p. lf. The rite of
concelebration is now out of fashion in the western church, except at
priestly ordinations performed by the bishop and at episcopal consecrations
where two bishops assist the consecrating bishop. But this rite continues to
thrive in the Oriental Church, and priests often concelebrate with the bishop
or with the priest as chief celebrant. This practice is derived from the Apostolic
Constitutions, bk. 8, and the eighth Apostolic Canon. And wherever this
custom is practiced among Greeks and Orientals, it is approved and to be
preserved as We command in Our constitution Demandatam, sect. 9.
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