Glass Chalices

[Saint_Gemma]

Is having the EMHCs’ chalices made of of glass a liturgical abuse? If so, what should I do about it?

 

[AHapka]

From the GIRM as posted on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website:

III. Sacred Vessels327. Among the requisites for the celebration of Mass, the sacred vessels are held in special honor, especially the chalice and paten, in which the bread and wine are offered and consecrated, and from which they are consumed.

1. Sacred vessels are to be made from precious metal. If they are made from metal that rusts or from a metal less precious than gold, then ordinarily they should be gilded on the inside.
2. In the Dioceses of the United States of America, sacred vessels may also be made from other solid materials that, according to the common estimation in each region, are precious, for example, ebony or other hard woods, provided that such materials are suited to sacred use and do not easily break or deteriorate. This applies to all vessels which hold the hosts, such as the paten, the ciborium, the pyx, the monstrance, and other things of this kind.
3. As regards chalices and other vessels that are intended to serve as receptacles for the Blood of the Lord, they are to have bowls of nonabsorbent material. The base, on the other hand, may be made of other solid and worthy materials.

---------end quote

reference: usccb.org/liturgy/current/chapter6.shtml

Please be sure that the chalices in question are made from glass and not crystal (which would appear to be allowed based on 329).

If you do not consider glass an appropriate material (and most people don’t, but I don’t want to speak on behalf of the chruch and say it’s not) I would recommend talking the the Priest about it. I know when our new Priest started last year, he felt that many of the liturgical items in our church could use improvement and started a special collection just for liturgical items.

I know a lot of people who felt the same way as the new Priest and were willing to donate for that which brought our Parish more in line with the GIRM (and while I love our school, it was nice to see a fundraiser for something other then the Nth grade going somewhere). Perhaps offering to assist and/or donate to such a fund would get the ball rolling in your Parish?

That’s how I would approach it to start…

Andy

 

[Brendan]

Please be sure that the chalices in question are made from glass and not crystal (which would appear to be allowed based on 329).

‘Crystal’ is a variety of glass and is included in the prohibition against glass includes in Redemptionis Sacramentum

1. Sacred vessels for containing the Body and Blood of the Lord must be made in strict conformity with the norms of tradition and of the liturgical books.205 The Bishops’ Conferences have the faculty to decide whether it is appropriate, once their decisions have been given the recognitio by the Apostolic See, for sacred vessels to be made of other solid materials as well. It is strictly required, however, that such materials be truly noble in the common estimation within a given region,206 so that honour will be given to the Lord by their use, and all risk of diminishing the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharistic species in the eyes of the faithful will be avoided. 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. This norm is to be applied even as regards metals and other materials that easily rust or deteriorate.207

Crystal is more sturdy than regular glass, but still substantially less so than earthenware, which is still regareded as too breakable.

Basically, if it fell off the altar, would it break and thus impede the proper clean up of the Precious Blood.

For Glass, Crystal and earthenware, the answer would be ‘yes’.

 

[Walking_Home]

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20040423_redemptionis-sacramentum_en.html

1. Sacred Vessels

[117.] Sacred vessels for containing the Body and Blood of the Lord must be made in strict conformity with the norms of tradition and of the liturgical books.[205]The Bishops’ Conferences have the faculty to decide whether it is appropriate, once their decisions have been given the recognitio by the Apostolic See, for sacred vessels to be made of other solid materials as well. It is strictly required, however, that such materials be truly noble in the common estimation within a given region,[206]so that honour will be given to the Lord by their use, and all risk of diminishing the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharistic species in the eyes of the faithful will be avoided. 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. **This norm is to be applied even as regards metals and other materials that easily rust or deteriorate.[207]

 

[chicago]

Basically, if it fell off the altar, would it break and thus impede the proper clean up of the Precious Blood.

For Glass, Crystal and earthenware, the answer would be ‘yes’.

Wouldn’t a gold chalice almost as likely impede proper cleanup of the Precious Blood should it fall off the altar? Even without breaking, if a liquid spills, a liquid spills.

 

[Digitonomy]

Wouldn’t a gold chalice almost as likely impede proper cleanup of the Precious Blood should it fall off the altar? Even without breaking, if a liquid spills, a liquid spills.

Yes, there are guidelines for cleaning up a liquid spill, pre and post-consecration. However, it’s a lot easier to wipe wine off the ground and an intact chalice than off of umpteen dangerous shards of glass. I don’t recall the details, but if it has become the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ, the wine is soaked up with a cloth. Don’t recall if the cloth is then wrung out, or simply soaked in water, but I think in certain cases the wine can then be consumed. When it cannot be consumed, it is poured down the sacrarium. Obviously the priest can’t be consuming when there are shards of glass mixed in, and I think the sacrarium is normally restricted to water and Eucharist, so you’d have to filter out the tiny bits of glass, then be sure the filter has no residual Eucharist. The whole process is needlessly complex and tedious, when simply forbidding the use of glass vessels can avoid the problem.

That should be true in general, but someone more knowledgeable will probably be by to correct some of my specifics.

 

[sphilomena]

Glass, even crystal, is usually known to be unacceptable as a chalice. The issue regards being breakable, it is not “noble” particularly, and one of the documents states that they must be vessels that cannot be used for any other purpose. Glass and crystal look like any wine glass and can be used as such.

 

[Brendan]

Wouldn’t a gold chalice almost as likely impede proper cleanup of the Precious Blood should it fall off the altar? Even without breaking, if a liquid spills, a liquid spills.

With a Gold Chalice, you can just pick it up and start setting purificators over the spill. With glass or pottery, there will be shards of broken glass\pottery that might interfere with the soaking process.

 

[Digitonomy]

Glass, even crystal, is usually known to be unacceptable as a chalice. The issue regards being breakable, it is not “noble” particularly, and one of the documents states that they must be vessels that cannot be used for any other purpose. Glass and crystal look like any wine glass and can be used as such.

The hosts of Web of Faith addressed this in one of their shows. They were generally negative, in part simply because gold is traditional, in part because glass is breakable, and in part because glass isn’t especially noble, but they allowed that perhaps Waterford crystal or similar might fill the bill. So I don’t think the nobility issue is a dealbreaker by itself. However, I should note the show was taped before there was more explicit clarification against the use of glass.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Is having the EMHCs’ chalices made of of glass a liturgical abuse? If so, what should I do about it?

One could suggest a two foot drop test for breakability. But it should be done discreetly and anonymously.

 

[Brendan]

One could suggest a two foot drop test for breakability. But it should be done discreetly and anonymously.

Nope, it should be a realistic test, most altars are at about the 3 1/2 - 4 foot level. The drop should be from there.

 

[chicago]

What if the altar floor area is carpeted?