1870 Russian Holy Synod Decision on the Epiclesis inclusion in the Roman Canon

Although not followed by all Western Orthodox today, the original decision of the 1870 Holy Governing Synod decision in Moscow was that an explicit Epiclesis was to be inserted between "Supplices Te rogamus Omnipotens Deus" and "Jube haec perferri". Of course, we all have an Epiclesis, but, later scruples were somewhat against inserting it in an already existing prayer in the Canon, as opposed to it being an additional prayer [like an additional Memento], as it now stands [for example, immediately before "Unde et memores" or immediately before "Supplices Te.." like I am familiar with].

However, let me explain that the original decision of the Holy Governing Synod, with Dr. Overbeck's consultation, was not based upon some faulty reasoning, nor was it as bad as some imagine. 

The form as the Holy Governing Synod, and Dr. Overbeck, spelled out was the following:

Supplices Te rogamus, Omnipotens Deus: mitte Spiritum Sanctum Tuum super nos et super haec tua dona oblata: et fac Panem hanc pretiosum Corpus Christi Tui. Amen. Et quod in hoc Calice est Vinum, pretiosum Sanguinem Christi Tui. Amen. Transsubstantiando per Spiritum Sanctum Tuum. Amen, Amen, Amen. Jube, Omnipotens Deus, haec perferri per manus sancti Angeli Tui in sublime altare tuum, in conspectu divinae majestatis tuae: ut quotquot ex hac altaris participatione sacrosanctum Filii Tui Corpus et Sanguinem sumpserimus, omni benedictione caelesti et gratia repleamur. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

[We humbly beseech Thee, Almighty God: do Thou send Thine Holy Ghost upon us and upon these Thy gifts here presented: and make this bread the Precious Body of Thy Christ. Amen. And that wine that is in this Chalice the Precious Blood of Thy Christ. Amen. Transubstantiating them through Thine Holy Ghost. Amen. Amen. Amen.

Command These Gifts to be borne by the hands of Thine Holy Angel to Thine Altar on High, in the Presence of Thy Divine Majesty, that as many of us as shall by partaking of this Altar receive the Most Sacred Body and Blood of Thy Son, may be filled with all Heavenly Benediction and Grace, through the Same Christ Our Lord. Amen. ]

I only wish to address the point as to why they chose to place an explicit invocation in the space between "Omnipotens Deus" and "Jube" [i.e. between "Almighty God" and "Command"].  Well, first off, Ordo Romanus IV and Amalarius of Metz [9th century] comment the same about a space for prayer between "Omnipotens Deus" and "Jube", saying:

Hic inclinat se iterum juxta Altare, dicens: 'Supplices Te rogamus, Omnipotens Deus.' Hic orat apud se quod voluerit. Deinde dicit: Jube haec..."

[He (the Priest) inclines himself again before the Altar, saying: "We humbly beseech Thee, Almighty God." He (the Priest) prays by himself what he wills. Then, he says: "Command These.."]

In other words, there was already a space left open in this prayer for some sort of personal prayer to be inserted by the Priest in some Ordines and Commentators going back to the Medieval period.

Therefore, the Holy Governing Synod, Overbeck, etc, who realized that an explicit Epiclesis was needed [and anyone who understandings the issues in Orthodoxy would realize an explicit one was needed to supplement things; and that to intentionally omit would just have created endless and useless controversy over something that didn't need to happen on this point], simply placed the explicit Epiclesis in the place where there had once been an ad libitum prayer; but, in stead, took away the ad libitum prayer and instituted a formal and mandatory one.