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Concept
Fraction (religion)
Summary
The Fraction or fractio panis is the ceremonial act of breaking the consecrated sacramental bread before distribution to communicants during the Eucharistic rite in some Christian denominations.
It is almost universally recognized that the rite of breaking the bread is one of the four actions that make up Christian Eucharistic liturgies:
taking bread and wine (the offertory)
giving thanks to God over the bread and wine (the consecration)
breaking the bread (the fraction)
distributing the bread and wine (the communion)
In the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, it is accompanied by the singing or recitation of the Agnus Dei. The Agnus Dei is "the liturgical chant which from ancient times has been sung at Mass at the time of the fractio panis, or the Breaking of the Bread, which precedes the Communion Rite of both the priest and the people".
The Catholic Church recommends that the bread for use in the celebration "be made in such a way that the priest at Mass with a congregation is able in practice to break it into parts for distribution to at least some of the faithful". It does not rule out the use of small hosts, "when the number of those receiving Holy Communion or other pastoral needs require it".
It goes on to say: "The action of the fraction or breaking of bread, which gave its name to the Eucharist in apostolic times, will bring out more clearly the force and importance of the sign of unity of all in the one bread, and of the sign of charity by the fact that the one bread is distributed among the brothers and sisters."
The actual rite is described as follows by the General Instruction of the Roman Missal:
The priest breaks the Eucharistic Bread, assisted, if the case calls for it, by the deacon or a concelebrant. Christ's gesture of breaking bread at the Last Supper, which gave the entire Eucharistic Action its name in apostolic times, signifies that the many faithful are made one body () by receiving Communion from the one Bread of Life which is Christ, who died and rose for the salvation of the world.
Official source
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