Correctional Facilities Using Grape Juice for Communion?

[Love_Divine]

As far as I know, Canon Law prohibits the use of grape juice for Communion. Only altar wine and, with special permission, mustum. Someone in my class today who works at the provincial correctional facility here insisted that wine is not permitted in the prison and that grape juice, not mustum (I asked), is getting used for communion.

Has anyone heard of this happening or have any insight on how they handle the wine issue in prisons?

 

[jay29]

Why can’t the priest just use the wine himself and distribute Consecrated Hosts only?

It’s not a valid mass unless wine is used.

 

[SMHW]

As far as I know, Canon Law prohibits the use of grape juice for Communion. Only altar wine and, with special permission, mustum. Someone in my class today who works at the provincial correctional facility here insisted that wine is not permitted in the prison and that grape juice, not mustum (I asked), is getting used for communion.

Has anyone heard of this happening or have any insight on how they handle the wine issue in prisons?

Except for the small quantity of wine which the priest would turn into the Precious Blood if an actual Mass is being celebrated (for his own reception) there is probably not much needed. Prisoners don’t need to receive the Precious Blood.

Was this about CATHOLIC communion services?

 

[Love_Divine]

Except for the small quantity of wine which the priest would turn into the Precious Blood if an actual Mass is being celebrated (for his own reception) there is probably not much needed. Prisoners don’t need to receive the Precious Blood.

Was this about CATHOLIC communion services?

I don’t know. I told her it’s impossible if it’s a Catholic mass because grape juice is not permitted in order for the consecration to take place and went on to explain why. (It was during class, as I am a corrections student,) A lot of people were surprised we “actually drink that” and “how disgusting” it was. (Now I know how Mormons feel when they get called polygamists because of Celestial Polygamy.)

She said there’s zero tolerance for any alcohol in the prison, including priests. This makes no sense to me.

 

[benedictgal]

I don’t know. I told her it’s impossible if it’s a Catholic mass because grape juice is not permitted in order for the consecration to take place and went on to explain why. (It was during class, as I am a corrections student,) A lot of people were surprised we “actually drink that” and “how disgusting” it was. (Now I know how Mormons feel when they get called polygamists because of Celestial Polygamy.)

She said there’s zero tolerance for any alcohol in the prison, including priests. This makes no sense to me.

Something does not seem right. A friend of mine, a priest, does prison ministry, including celebrating Mass for the inmates. Wine is used. Even in our county jail, the priest uses wine for the Mass. Bear in mind that it is not a requirement that the faithful receive both species. The only one who must consume both is the celebrant, not the faithful.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Also that a small amount of wine is enough. Jesus is fully present in the consecrated Sacred Species of the Eucharist, no matter how small a portion. So if the correctional facility is worrying about bringin wine into the facility, they can have the priest bring in a very small amount, which should suffice.

 

[Agape_Thom]

I think that you will find the regulations varry from institution to institution. At the county jail where I have ministerd on ocassion with Prison Fellowship, no wine is allowed. Catholic deacons distribute consecrated bread only. The rule is so strict that even grape juice is not permitted for Protestant communion services. We were allowed to substitute actual grapes. Different for sure, but it did not prevent the inmates from experiencing the fellowship of communion.

 

[ConstantineTG]

I think that you will find the regulations varry from institution to institution. At the county jail where I have ministerd on ocassion with Prison Fellowship, no wine is allowed. Catholic deacons distribute consecrated bread only. The rule is so strict that even grape juice is not permitted for Protestant communion services. We were allowed to substitute actual grapes. Different for sure, but it did not prevent the inmates from experiencing the fellowship of communion.

But then it’s a Communion service only and not a Mass.

I wonder if a priest can be on one side of the bars while the inmates are on the other. Then they receive Communion through a small window. At least the inmates do not have direct access to where the wine is. I just remembered how chapels at cloistered convents look like. Some of them open the chapel for public Mass, and the nuns sit closest to the altar. Behind them is a gate that prevents access to them from the world outside. The gate is then opened only for Communion so the priest may distribute to the lay people.

 

[Phemie]

I tried to find an article but I couldn’t. I remember that this rule was imposed in certain prisons in recent years but was reversed when priests said that if the rule remained they could no longer celebrate Mass in the prisons since wine was absolutely necessary. I cannot remember exactly what accommodations were made to satisfy the prison system.

 

[zab]

nccbuscc.org/liturgy/innews/1004.shtml
USCCB- Five Questions on the Use of Wine for Mass in Prisons

 

[puzzleannie]

I

She said there’s zero tolerance for any alcohol in the prison, including priests. This makes no sense to me.

not true in Texas. Our priests serve 9 prison and detention facilities. it is true that they have to get permission for each and every Mass, and the priest brings in everything that is needed.

 

[pnewton]

My place allows the priest to consecrate wine. The inmates receive under one species. It is a simple enough solution.

 

[faithfully]

I thought I would chime in for what I know of California. I have a family member who is a correctional officer. She is also Catholic. She said the priest that came to their facility was assigned a locker. He was allowed a TINY amount of wine in the locker, and could bring in the same tiny amount for the service. She often helped him set up service, and did readings and such, so she has seen the wine. She said it is a TINY amount. Just enough for the priest to maybe get 2 or 3 sips worth… And the prisoners are given the bread only…

I could see if an institution had a ZERO tollerance, the priest would have to bring in bread that has already been transformed… and then of course, leave out that portion of the mass, but then have communion. Either way, I’m sure it’s quite easy for prisoners to get what they need!!!

 

[ConstantineTG]

I thought I would chime in for what I know of California. I have a family member who is a correctional officer. She is also Catholic. She said the priest that came to their facility was assigned a locker. He was allowed a TINY amount of wine in the locker, and could bring in the same tiny amount for the service. She often helped him set up service, and did readings and such, so she has seen the wine. She said it is a TINY amount. Just enough for the priest to maybe get 2 or 3 sips worth… And the prisoners are given the bread only…

I could see if an institution had a ZERO tollerance, the priest would have to bring in bread that has already been transformed… and then of course, leave out that portion of the mass, but then have communion. Either way, I’m sure it’s quite easy for prisoners to get what they need!!!

If the priest doesn’t perform the consecration, then its just a Communion service, not a Mass

 

[faithfully]

If the priest doesn’t perform the consecration, then its just a Communion service, not a Mass

K- thanks for the clarification… My post was just with regard to whether or not wine is allowed. I can attest by explanination from the person I mentioned above, who has been to a MASS where the consecration takes place on prison gounds with a tiny bit of wine… DOES IN FACT HAPPEN in California Correctional institutions.

And that if an institution does not have any allowance for the wine, it can be consecrated PRIOR to the Communion service, and I’m not versed in Canon law even remotely so can only guess they are allowed to do all the readings and offer a homily and such… The goal being to get these men and women their communion and something to consider.

 

[ConstantineTG]

K- thanks for the clarification… My post was just with regard to whether or not wine is allowed. I can attest by explanination from the person I mentioned above, who has been to a MASS where the consecration takes place on prison gounds with a tiny bit of wine… DOES IN FACT HAPPEN in California Correctional institutions.

And that if an institution does not have any allowance for the wine, it can be consecrated PRIOR to the Communion service, and I’m not versed in Canon law even remotely so can only guess they are allowed to do all the readings and offer a homily and such… The goal being to get these men and women their communion and something to consider.

Yes, basically you can do the entire Liturgy of the Word, then distribution of Communion, that is a Communion service. The Sacrifice is integral to a Mass. So you should have the offertory, prayer over the gifts, consecration, then when the priest receives the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, that completes the sacrifice. Even if a priest would consecrate the bread and wine but not receive it himself, then it invalidates the Mass. Therefore there was no Mass. But the Sacrament is still valid and therefore the bread and wine have become the Body and Blood of Christ.

 

[Aramis]

The Palmer Correctional Facillity in Alaska tried that.

The priest (who happens to have a JD degree as well as a JCL) pointed out that they were interfering in the internal matters of expression of religion, pointed out the discriminatory aspect, and that wine was not optional under the rubrics; therefore, banning wine means banning Catholic Divine Worship services. A couple days later, the prison changed approach to the issue.

 

[pnewton]

The Palmer Correctional Facillity in Alaska tried that.

The priest (who happens to have a JD degree as well as a JCL) pointed out that they were interfering in the internal matters of expression of religion, pointed out the discriminatory aspect, and that wine was not optional under the rubrics; therefore, banning wine means banning Catholic Divine Worship services. A couple days later, the prison changed approach to the issue.

A correctional facility can do anything that they can show they have a legitimate penalogical interest in. It would be easy enough to show that distribution of communion under both species would qualify, especially since there is no theological necessity for it. However, as the Catholic Church requires the concecration of wine, at least a minimum quantity, there really is no legitimate reason to prohibit it. This is a far cry from the Rastifarian who believes he needs to smoke marijuana for a religious experience or the Native American who wants his peyote. There is no reason for any facility to deny the use of wine at consecration for the priest only.

 

[Aramis]

A correctional facility can do anything that they can show they have a legitimate penalogical interest in. .

Not if it violates basic civil rights; silent prisons were found to violate that. Denial of access to ministers of one’s own faith was found to violate that.

It would be easy enough to show that distribution of communion under both species would qualify, especially since there is no theological necessity for it. However, as the Catholic Church requires the concecration of wine, at least a minimum quantity, there really is no legitimate reason to prohibit it.

Actually, there is theological support for the utility of both species, and for EC priests in the Byzantine tradition, it’s required. (Even presanctified, as the body is intincted and then dried.)

This is a far cry from the Rastifarian who believes he needs to smoke marijuana for a religious experience or the Native American who wants his peyote.

Not really, if they can establish that it’s a part of their religion’s (not just their personal) required praxis. Since neither group requires consumption of those, it’s a non issue.

There is no reason for any facility to deny the use of wine at consecration for the priest only.

True, but they try anyway, and it violates the constitution, the federal regulation of penal facilities, and is directly aimed at persecution of Catholics and Orthodox, and the high-church Lutherans and Anglicans.

 

[pnewton]

Not if it violates basic civil rights; silent prisons were found to violate that. Denial of access to ministers of one’s own faith was found to violate that.

Yes, and no. Even basic rights can be denied if a legitimate justification exists. The key word is legitimate. Silence is not a legitimate interest. Denial of a specific minister is permitted, if, for example that person is a convicted felon. In Turner v. Safely this deferential standard became the benchmark which is still in force today. In that case, allowing inmates to marry (even by proxy) was being denied. This was not held to meet the standard and was ruled unconstitutional. However, the right to correspond with other inmates through the postal system was upheld under this standard.
adl.org/civil_rights/prison_ex.asp#q2

The Supreme Court announced the standard under which it would review the constitutionality of prison regulations in Turner v. Safley, a case involving a challenge to a complete prohibition on inmate marriage. As noted earlier, a prison regulation is constitutional if it is reasonably related to legitimate penological objectives. Under this standard, courts have upheld regulations based on the consideration of certain factors:

• Is there a valid, rational connection between the prison regulation and the legitimate governmental interest put forward to justify it?
• Are there alternative means of exercising the assert- ed right that remain open to inmates?
• How great a negative impact will accommodating the inmates’ rights have on guards, other inmates,a nd on the allocation of prison resources?

When you say that prisons can not violate civil rights, that is not exactly true. They can balance those rights, even religious ones, against the needs of the facility. In the end, they have to be willing to support their actions in court, and that is often a role of the dice. On the West Coast the answer might be different than anywhere else in the country. Few actions make it beyond the Circuit Court of Appeals as that is the level at which most institutions work out a plan to follow the courts instruction.

In the OP, we are not dealing with a prison. That can work either way. If the population is not as risky, then it is not as easy to prove need. However, if the population is more transient, then the need to provide any service is lessened.