Blood of Christ in Alternative Vessel

[PetraG]

I am not , I must point out, a doctor but I am a biologist.

Based on my conversations with someone who worked for a public health authority, by the way, when the serious flu was going around he thought it better for particularly vulnerable persons to attend the first Mass of the day at a particular church or at least the first one that had been there for many hours. His thinking was that when someone touches a surface with a microbe on their hands, the microbe will survive on a dry surface for a certain number of hours. He also thought that common chalices that had air-dried overnight since their last use posed an even lower threat than chalices washed with soap (I mean washed in the sacristy after Mass; I’m not referring to the first ritual purification by the priest), dried with a towel and used within an hour of that washing.

 

[PetraG]

Question to the priests:
Is there any prohibition on consecrating two different kinds of wine, when there is a good reason for it?
(I was wondering because someone with a serious concern about communicable diseases might be even safer if the wine used had the highest alcohol content allowed by canon law.)

 

[GospelOfMatthew]

I have seen people at my parish for different medical reasons, they go up and receive from the chalice before anyone else. It’s rare but I’ve seen it. Do to my own medical reasons, I don’t drink the blood at all because I could risk serious medical issues or worse. I only have the host

 

[Titivillus]

Wine is sterile, so intinction should be fine, no?

Wine is not sterile.

Hi,
Quick question - is it acceptable to receive the Blood of Christ in an vessel alternative to the chalice? Can anyone point to Cannon Law or USCCB rulings that indicate this is not allowed?

My wife is seeking to receive the Blood of Christ in a vessel other than the chalice due to health reasons. She has an immune disorder that affects one in three million people and is extremely susceptible to infection.

Do you/she have some specific alternative vessel in mind?

 

[PetraG]

Do you/she have some specific alternative vessel in mind?

Actually, I have to wonder if, considering the gravity of her situation, it might not be arranged for Mass to be said for her in a clean environment at least some of the time, rather than having her take the chance of attending at a parish church. Since attendance at Sunday Mass is an obligation, people don’t usually stay home when they are infected with what is (for them) a relatively mild ailment, even if it might be contagious. If she attends Mass said in a place with few other people, one that hasn’t been frequented by any people for the day or so previous to the Mass, the likelihood of exposure to pathogens would be much lower.

Attending Mass at a cloistered convent or monastery might even be a good option.

 

[HopkinsReb]

Wine is not sterile.

Oh. I promise I’m good at other stuff besides medical non-advice.

 

[LateranBasilica]

Intinction is not going to be an option either if the Priest, Deacon or EMHC has already taken the Precious Blood. The only way intinction will work is if your wife is the first person to receive from the Chalice.
Speaking from a microbiology perspective.

Your wife is in my prayers.

 

[Ryan1]

The dispensation should not have been given. The priests should only have offered the hosts.

 

[jvickers]

Not at the moment. We’re still seeing if it can even be done. Or if the priest is willing to make the concession.

 

[OmnesBonum]

This is true, however it is not intrinsically a grave wrong to pour the precious blood, or even to pour things into it (such as hot water in the eastern rites), if it is not done to dishonor the sacrament. The US conference of Bishops had a norm for over two years from 2002 to 2004 specifically allowing this, and this was confirmed by the holy see. They changed it, somewhat questionably, on May 6, 2004. See uscb site.

However, using disposable protestant-style individual cups is not allowed, and this is the first time in all the many years I’ve been reading catholic websites that I’ve ever heard of it being used in a Catholic church.

 

[OmnesBonum]

No. The wine used for consecration may be any type or color of wine, as long as it is natural grape wine/juice. Dioceses or bishop’s conferences might have further rules though.

 

[jvickers]

it is not intrinsically a grave wrong to pour the precious blood

I am not following you here. Or at least, I might be misinterpreting what you say. It is wrong to pour the precious blood from one container to another per the link you shared:

Is the prohibition against pouring the Precious Blood likely to change?

No. Even if the USCCB wished to reassert the USCCB Norms to permit the use of flagons, the action must be confirmed by the Congregation, which is empowered to change any decision of a Conference of Bishops, even substantially, in order to bring it into conformity with Redemptionis Sacramentum .

This refers back to the Redemptionis Sacramentum

[106.]
However, the pouring of the Blood of Christ after the consecration from one vessel to another is completely to be avoided, lest anything should happen that would be to the detriment of so great a mystery. Never to be used for containing the Blood of the Lord are flagons, bowls, or other vessels that are not fully in accord with the established norms.

Again, perhaps I misunderstood you. If that’s the case, I do apologize.

Edit: Not sure why that second quote is not taking.

 

[OmnesBonum]

Yes I agree that it apparently isn’t allowed now, but I was responding to an above poster who said that no dispensation could be given to allow this, that it was wrong in itself. It is only wrong now because the church apparently stopped allowing this, but it isn’t wrong in itself.

 

[jvickers]

Ok. I see what you mean.

Thanks!

 

[Gorgias]

There’s more to purifying the vessels than simply washing them. First any remaining Precious Blood is consumed. Then water is added to the cup and that water is fully consumed. Finally the cup can be washed. Can you imagine doing that for hundreds of small cups? And since lay people aren’t allowed to purify the vessels, it would be up to the priest to do this over and over and over until all the cups had been purified. I can’t even imagine.

I’m just thinking out loud, but… if there had been a dispensation for pouring into lots of little glasses (or, if they were poured prior to consecration), wouldn’t it be possible to put all the glasses in a larger container after Mass and then fill that container with water? In that way, any remaining drops of Precious Blood – since they had been diluted to the point that they no longer had the perceptible properties of wine – would no longer be the Precious Blood. The glasses could then be cleaned individually, and the water poured into the ground, and no profanation would have occurred.

That would be acceptable, wouldn’t it?

 

[Gorgias]

I was just wondering about the alternative delivery of the Blood of Christ during Mass.

At one parish at which I volunteered, they had a small ciborium with a screw-top lid. They used it for the Precious Blood for a special situation (not unlike your wife’s). Perhaps that might be acceptable to your pastor?

 

[HeDa]

All chalices have to be made of precious metal (at least the inside). There can be several chalices if there are lots of people receiving Holy Communion. All chalices are filled with wine and a few drops of water at the same time.
The Precious Blood must be consumed and not poured into the ground even in a diluted form. All chalices used in Mass have to be purified by the priest/deacon right after Communion has been given to the faithful.

So purifying the individual glasses in a larger container the way you describe it after Mass is not allowed. Receiving Holy Communion in the Catholic church is a Communion, both with Christ and also with each other. That is why there is one chalice or if there are lots of communicants a few but not individual cups.

 

[MaryTeri]

Years ago at our parish there was a boy with severe wheat allergy (so no even low gluten hosts) and immune problem. His mother had bought a very small chalice I believe they would have wine in it before Mass. But this was because he couldn’t receive the host either.

 

[Gorgias]

The Precious Blood must be consumed and not poured into the ground even in a diluted form.

No, I wasn’t talking about merely diluting it, but adding a sufficient quantity of water such that the accidents of wine no longer are present – and therefore, the Precious Blood would no longer be present.

So purifying the individual glasses in a larger container the way you describe it after Mass is not allowed.

Strictly speaking, what I described wouldn’t be purification, per se. It would be akin to what is typically done with a purificator or other linen, when the Precious Blood is spilled onto it.

 

[paperwight]

When I first read your suggestion, Gorgias, I thought it was a good idea.

But thinking about it a bit more, I’ve changed my mind.

Surely the first rinsing with water has to be drunk. to avoid any Precious Blood going down the sink? Using the comparison with rinsing a purificator doesn’t work, as any marks on them which could possibly be from the Precious Blood would be just from the ‘accidents’ i.e. the colour.

Whereas pouring water into the chalices after Holy Communion means it is coming into direct contact with any drops of Precious Blood left in the chalice i.e. the substance’.