Consecration of Jesus' Precious Blood

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I have visited many parishes in this diocese where the wine is left in a glass container on the altar during the liturgy of the Eucharist, consecrated into Our Lord’s Precious Blood, and then poured into gold or other precious metal cups for distribution. I thought the wine was supposed to be in the precious metal cups before being consecrated so as to avoid pouring Our Lord’s Blood and also to avoid His Blood being housed in a glass container not befitting its Contents.

I have asked the priest at the closest parish to my house why he does it this way. He referred me to the layperson in charge of liturgy at the parish. This layperson said that he was merely following the directives of the diocesan liturgy office. The liturgy office never answered the letter I wrote inquiring about this procedure.

On the one hand, I feel I’m being “told” not to make a big deal out of this. But since it is part of such a central and holy part of my faith, I really want to understand why this practice - which seems to convey a lack of reverence and could so very easily be corrected - persists.

Should I continue writing letters to the archbishop and his liturgy office, politely asking for some kind of understanding or explanation, or just let it go at what I have already tried to do? Do you happen to know why anybody would persist in this practice of consecrating Our Lord’s Precious Blood in a glass container and then only afterward pouring the Precious Blood into more suitable containers?
 
There is actually a little bit of history to this liturgical issue. Before March 2004, what you describe was perfectly licit (except perhaps for the glass part; liturgists debate that.). In fact, Rome had approved norms for the USA that allowed for the Precious Blood to be consecration in pitchers or flagons and then poured into side chalices at the Fraction Rite. However, on March 25, 2004, the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments (CDWDS) published a new instruction on liturgical issues called Redemptoris Sacramentum which says “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.” (106) Hence, a practice such as that which you described was once licit, but now must be corrected.
 
Hi cathsem -

Thank you for the info. When I spoke to the lay liturgy specialist at the parish, before he passed the buck to the diocesan liturgy committee, he said kind of huffily that “we are well aware of Redemptionis Sacramentum” … I took from that that perhaps that instruction was not binding on them … but I really don’t know. I’ve never read anywhere that it is not binding in the US, but … I’m out of my league as far as really being sure about this stuff and have to defer to the local experts.

I think I will send one more note to the archbishop asking him to please help me understand the situation. I think he is a good archbishop, but I think he has a tough job because of all the … um, non-traditional people he has working in his chancery.

Thanks again for answering, cathsem. Do you (or does anybody) have experience in this and suggestions about what I should do? I would greatly rejoice to see this abuse corrected. (i think i can correctly call it a liturgical abuse, right?)
 
Some other quotes from the 2004 Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum that may be helpful in writing letters and correcting the situation:

“[117] … Reprobated, therefore, is any practice of using for the celebration of Mass common vessels, or others lacking in quality, or devoid of all artistic merit or which are mere containers, as also other vessels made from glass, earthenware, clay, or other materials that break easily.”

Near the end, in n. 186:
“This Instruction, prepared by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments by mandate of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II in collaboration with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was approved by the same Pontiff on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, 19 March 2004, and he ordered it to be published and to be observed immediately by all concerned.”

Part of the intention and application of the Instruction is given near the start, in n. 2:

“… to establish certain norms by which those earlier ones are explained and complemented; and also to set forth for Bishops, as well as for Priests, Deacons and all the lay Christian faithful, how each should carry them out in accordance with his own responsibilities and the means at his disposal.
[3.] The norms contained in the present Instruction are to be understood as pertaining to liturgical matters in the Roman Rite, and, mutatis mutandis, in the other Rites of the Latin Church that are duly acknowledged by law.”

The following site may also help, from the Newsletter of the USCCB Bishops Committee for Liturgy usccb.org/liturgy/innews/may04.shtml .
 
Another Excellent resource for information on Redemptoris Sacramentum is the “Arinze - Podcasting with a Vatican Official Podcast.” This is a Podcast or MP3 of Francis Cardinal Arinze the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments speaking on this issue. In the Podcast titled “More on the Mystery of the Eucharist” He talks not only about the Glass vassals but also about how the Precious Blood should be handled and also the consequence if someone does not follow the Vatican’s directives in this matter.

You can find this on iTunes or go to this Link:

arinze.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=109625#

God Bless

Divine_Mercy

:gopray:
Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15)
 
Join the club! We use glass cups, consecrate in a flagon, the extraordinary ministers are up on the altar when the priest takes communion, and the EM still purify the vessels. I’ve had the same reaction. They say they are following the Bishop. I’ve written the Bishop with no written response. Let me know how you do. Good luck!
 
turtleoompa said:
Join the club! We use glass cups, consecrate in a flagon, the extraordinary ministers are up on the altar when the priest takes communion, and the EM still purify the vessels. I’ve had the same reaction. They say they are following the Bishop. I’ve written the Bishop with no written response. Let me know how you do. Good luck!
Click to expand...
And a fine club it is! 🙂 Well … sort of … you know what I mean.

Anyway it is good to hear from somebody else who is in the same boat. EDIT I just would like to network with other people who are suffering from this and maybe trade hints and stuff … I guess Catholic Answers kind of does that too – but maybe there is some other organization that specializes in helping people get liturgical abuses corrected in the most effective way? (or maybe we can start one…)
 
urban-hermit said:
Hi cathsem -

Thank you for the info. When I spoke to the lay liturgy specialist at the parish, before he passed the buck to the diocesan liturgy committee, he said kind of huffily that “we are well aware of Redemptionis Sacramentum” … I took from that that perhaps that instruction was not binding on them … but I really don’t know. I’ve never read anywhere that it is not binding in the US, but … I’m out of my league as far as really being sure about this stuff and have to defer to the local experts.

I think I will send one more note to the archbishop asking him to please help me understand the situation. I think he is a good archbishop, but I think he has a tough job because of all the … um, non-traditional people he has working in his chancery.

Thanks again for answering, cathsem. Do you (or does anybody) have experience in this and suggestions about what I should do? I would greatly rejoice to see this abuse corrected. (i think i can correctly call it a liturgical abuse, right?)
Click to expand...
Only with the Holy See approval can changes be made to the Instruction on the Eucharist - Redemptionis Sacramentum or General Instruction of the Missal (GIRM).

I would quote the Instruction and ask for clarification on why your parish is not in compliance. If that does not work, the instructions provides/encourages one to notify Rome.

However, I would sit down with my priest and discussed this before taking the action above. If negative, just provide the information he provided to the Bishop. Keep a record of your meeting, date and time, and the discussion. Please advise him that you will be following up with your Bishop if he is unwilling to discuss or provide a reasonable (he cannot) answer.
 
EDIT
Keep me up to date on this website. I’ve spoken to my priest who says the Bishop is working on it. I’ve spoken to the assistant Bishop who says this takes time. I’ve written the Bishop’s office who doesn’t respond. They have had 4 years to fix the indult regarding EMHC purifying. The abuses are so easy to fix, but no one seems to be in charge. Let me know if you get anywhere.
 
Thanks again y’all. I will let you know what kind of results I get if any.

At least now I am sure it is indeed a liturgical abuse and that others are also dealing with it as best we can.

I also found at this link:
ewtn.com/expert/answers/cdw_liturgical_abuses.htm
if you check out the section “2. Grave Matters”, the references to paragraphs 106 and 117 pertain to the subject of this thread.

God bless you guys 👍
 
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