Bishops of England & Wales to Re-Introduce Communion From Chalice – Sacrilege Anyone?
Holy Communion under both species is to be reintroduced into Catholic parishes from the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
The bishops of England and Wales have collectively agreed to permit the faithful to receive Communion from chalices during Masses three years after they suspended the practice because of fears about the transmission of the Covid-19 virus.
Each diocese, and often parishes individually, will decide whether to lift the restrictions altogether in time for Easter.
Among the first dioceses to publicly announce a relaxation of the rules was the Archdiocese of Westminster where priests have been notified that they can reintroduce both species at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper “given the theological significance of the celebration”.
Auxiliary Bishop John Sherrington said in a letter to the clergy that “a number of priests and people have asked recently about the reintroduction of the reception of Holy Communion from the chalice”.
“This was discussed at the standing committee and also with the deans at a recent meeting held by Zoom,” he wrote.
“The period leading up to Holy Thursday presents an opportunity for appropriate catechesis of the faithful regarding the significance of the reception of Holy Communion under either or both species,” continued Bishop Sherrington.
“Important teaching, such as the totality of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of the Lord is received in either or both species, the personal disposition of those receiving Holy Communion, and the reverence offered to the Blessed Sacrament should be included.
“For ease of reception of communion for large con-celebrations of priests (such as the Chrism Mass), communion under both kinds by intinction is still recommended.”
Fr Philip Dyer-Perry, parish priest at the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Staines, welcomed the decision.
“I understood and supported the temporary withdrawal of the chalice on health grounds, but it still felt like a loss,” he told Independent Catholic News.
“After all, when Jesus said ‘take and drink’ I think he meant it. I don’t expect great numbers to avail of the Precious Blood, as after all it was hard enough to encourage people pre-Covid, but the thing is that at least it will be there and people will have the option to ‘drink deeper’ both literally and metaphorically in the mystery of the Eucharist. There is so much richness in understanding the Eucharist not only as food but also as drink.” [Emphasis added by Editor of Catholic Truth].
Fr Joe Ryan, parish priest of St John Vianney, West Green, said: “Interestingly, each parish has to decide for itself.
“There are few occasions where we are free to decide on matters in individual cases – it is going to cause confusion in parishes if there is not some agreed arrangement.
“This is true in areas like ours, where people attend three or four different churches on occasions. The Sign of Peace also needs to be considered.”
In many Catholic parishes, the faithful continue to be offered disinfectant gel on entering a church and priests continue to clean their hands with it on the altar even though restrictions against Covid have been relaxed nationally for more than a year.
Many parishes have yet to reintroduce the sign of peace during the Mass. Source – Catholic Herald…
Editor writes…
“I don’t expect great numbers to avail of the Precious Blood, as after all it was hard enough to encourage people pre-Covid…”
Is this admission evidence, one hopes, that there remains some “Catholic sense” in the faithful, even after almost 60 years of brainwashing about Communion under both kinds?
Your thoughts…
Comments (21)
I don’t understand how this is sacrilege if given by a male priest. Maybe I missed something?
It’s not sacrilegious in itself. However, there’s a huge potential for it to be sacrilegious given how easy it is to spill the Precious Blood.
The first to note is the teaching of the Church. Receiving from the chalice is unnecessary as the Host contains the body, blood, soul and divinity of Our Blessed Lord.
Secondly, I think it’s very dangerous to have multiple chalices taken by lay persons and distributed to the faithful. It increases the chances of the Blessed Sacrament being dropped, spilled, wiped off the lips etc.
Having said all that, personally I very much like receiving under both kinds at Byzantine Divine Liturgy. The priest administers the body and blood via the golden spoon which is tipped directly into the mouth of the communicant. It takes a bit of getting used to for a Latin Catholic.
Comment deleted – extremely rude; read our House Rules – no personal remarks permitted.
Petrus,
Is it the same spoon going into everyone’s mouth? Wiping it with a cloth like they do with the chalice at the novus ordo?
Personally, I would hate that – and I feel ashamed that I have received from the chalice in the past. It’s like an expression of disbelief in the Real Presence whether we receive under the sign of bread only. I’m not meaning YOU disbelieve, but that is the sense I get in general of this desire to receive under both kinds.
Laura,
Generally it is the same spoon. My experience is that the spoon doesn’t touch the mouth of the communicant. You open your mouth wide, tilt your head back and there’s no need for the spoon to touch. I’ve never seen the spoon being wiped with a cloth.
During Covid some parishes used a different spoon for each communicant. I’ve ever heard of one parish which used wooden spoons and then burned the spoons after Divine Liturgy.
It takes a bit of getting used to, as does the use of leavened bread. However, it is a most ancient and esteemed tradition and I’ve grown to appreciate it.
Petrus,
But if unleavened bread was used in the Latin rite, wouldn’t that invalidate the consecration? I don’t like this idea of different rites tbh.
Yes, I believe it would invalidate the consecration in the Latin Rite.
There are many rites in the Church – Latin, Byzantine, Alexandrian, Syriac, Armenian, Maronite, and Chaldean. Within the Latin Rite there are variations like the Dominican, Carmelite, Ambrosian Rites etc.
The Church has always had a variety of Rites. It can be hard for Latin Catholics to grasp because the Latin Church is the largest and most widespread.
When our UGCC clergy were in the gulag, they had to use black bread and grapes (soaked in water for a while to get some semblance of wine) in order to secretly offer the Divine Liturgy.
From my experience of novus ordo Masses (many years ago) when Holy Communion was given under both kinds, apart from the obvious risks of spillage of the Precious Blood and cross-infection from people unknowingly incubating flu viruses etc, I lost count of the amount of abuses that I either saw or heard about.
In my parish, the chalice was unfailingly given out by lay people – in fact, two chalices at each Mass were used for a small congregation, which was ridiculous. The Extraordinary Ministers (EM’s) stood at the left and right of the sanctuary with the priest in the middle, while the priest gave out the Host. The priest never used to purify the vessels after Mass – I actually saw a laywoman scrubbing out the chalice with a piece of kitchen paper roll, which she then threw into a bin under the credence table.
At another local church, a friend of mine – a reliable witness – was horrified to see an EM giving out the chalice, and then because the Precious Blood was getting a bit low in the chalice, and there was still quite a queue, the EM went and poured unconsecrated wine into the chalice and carried on giving it to communicants. To the best of my friend’s knowledge, the priest said nothing, and apparently, neither did the communicants. My friend also reported a spillage of the chalice in that same parish, when the Precious Blood went everywhere, possibly due to the female EM teetering around on high-heeled shoes.
All this is bad enough, but in 1997 the Vatican made the position on EM’s crystal clear, and the Pope and several heads of dicasteries signed it, and it was approved ‘in forma specifica’ (The expression ‘in forma specifica’ means that the Pope has reviewed the document and makes it his own by express approbation, and thus the document acquires the canonical force of a formal papal act). https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cclergy/documents/rc_con_interdic_doc_15081997_en.html (see section 8 on EM’s). This document, was, of course, totally ignored by all concerned.
I’m quite sure Fr Philip Dyer-Perry would welcome the decision. In June 2021, Cardinal Nichols pulled Fr. Philip Dyer-Perry’s appointment as pastoral director of Allen Hall after his pro-abortion and pro-LGBT positions were exposed by several organisations. He also has a ‘Eucharistic Teddy Bear’ which makes an appearance on occasions at Mass: https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/staines/wp-content/uploads/sites/98/2022/11/IMG-20221030-WA0004.jpg There is a 36 second video of the Eucharistic Bear Mass at this website: go to http://marklambert.blogspot.com/2021/06/cardinal-nichols-checklist-for-priestly.html and scroll down. Needless to say, I think Fr Dyer-Perry’s opinions can be safely set aside.
I remember attending Mass as a child in England. The priest used tinction to distribute Holy Communion under both species. He dipped the Host in the chalice and placed the Host on the tongue. The altar server held the Communion plate underneath.
The first link I gave showing a photo of Fr Dyer-Perry with the teddy bear has been blocked now for some reason, but if you Google ‘fr philip dyer perry teddy bear’ it is still there under Images. The Bear Mass video (second link) is still available.
Is it not loving my neighbour if I bring my own straw….. after all they might be covid free but can you imagine the “bacteria” floating about.
Not to mention the twisted DNA that might be present from the “vaccinated”.
I think that if we follow the science we’ll find receiving Communion in the traditional way is much healthier…. after all it worked during the plagues of earlier centuries.
Petrus,
I recognise that other rites within the wider Catholic Tradition engage in this form of Eucharistic celebration with variations as Perry’s has already indicated.
However, in the Latin rite this is another example of the Protestant tendencies, theology and praxis infecting the Catholic belief regarding the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
The perpetrators of this want it to conform to a more Lutheran understanding that we are participating in a celebratory and commemorative meal – not Sacrifice.
In addition it’s not a very hygienic practise either.
Every blessing
Michael 🙏
Michael,
I agree with you.
Petrus
My apologies for the typo in my remarks l meant to Petrus. I completely concur with you analysis. Spot on
Every blessing
Michael 🙏
I am interrupting this thread to post the news that there are now relic cards available to order at the website for the Cause of Father Willie Doyle – we discussed his Cause at this link
https://catholictruthscotland.com/2022/10/27/ireland-fr-willie-doyle-sj-who-offered-his-life-in-reparation-for-the-sins-of-priests-cause-opened/
The email containing this news arrived from a reader in England who writes:
Perhaps you could make known the latest development with the Fr Doyle endeavour. These little Relic Cards are now available; along with Prayer Cards and Flyers. Could the latter be given out at the SSPX chapel where you are? I do know that Fr Brucciani has promoted Fr Doyle in the Newsletter.
https://williedoyle.org/relics-of-fr-willie-now-available-for-distribution/
Well, some good news to report I think. God bless, Anne. Ends.
Now that it has been decided to re-introduce reception of Holy Communion from the Chalice, I am reminded of a case of liturgical abuse, here in- – – . At the Requiem Mass of a well known – – – person, it was announced that mourners who weren’t able to receive Holy Communion were invited to come up for a blessing. However, these people were then receiving from the Chalice as perhaps it wasn’t explained that in both species were the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
Petrus’ comments on this topic have been very instructive for me, but I would like to add a general comment about “sacrilege”: in the post-Conciliar Church, there is no such thing as sacrilege. In fact, there’s no such thing as sin, either.
I think the motto of this “ape Church” (as I believe Ven. Anne Catherine Emmerich described it) should be the same as that notorious psychology textbook from the 1960s:
“I’m OK, you’re OK.”
Or, alternatively:
https://i.etsystatic.com/19416137/r/il/7ee143/2879595952/il_1588xN.2879595952_lqzm.jpg
RCA Victor,
How sad but how true!
Why so outrageously long??? It’s really paranoid. Is the mandatory wearing of white gloves when distributeing out Holy Communion, next?