1. The Opinion of Peter of Poitiers and its Rejection

96. About the third point [n.59] the assertion is made [Peter of Poitiers] that “the priest speaks the words quasi-materially,” because “he recites them as they were said by Christ, as is plain from the text that precedes it in the canon.” But when Christ said those words he did not transubstantiate the bread into his body by them, because from the words of the canon it seems that “he made a blessing” is there as a preface. Hence it is asserted that he completed the consecration through the preceding benediction, and not through the following words ‘this is my body’.

97. Innocent III agrees with this On the Holy Mystery of the Altar IV chs.6, 17.

98. On the contrary:

Either Christ performed the sacrament without words, which is not likely, or with words, and then either with these words or with others. Not with others than those aforesaid, because it is not probable that the author and the ministers (to whom he committed the form) used different forms. If he used the same words the difficulty remains about the signification of the utterance Christ spoke last, “This is my body etc.” 99. Again, if Christ were now a wayfarer he could pronounce the words and perform the sacrament, and the difficulty remains as before.