Handling of extra wine

[Dandelion_Wine]

Greetings,

I read the thread about whether a Deacon can self-communicate and it reminded me of an incident several years ago which never quite felt right to me.

My Aunt is an EMHC at her church. Back then she “did the dishes” afterwards. I happened to attend her church one Sunday and there was more than the usual amount of wine left over. She asked me to help consume it because she “knows I’m holy” (what a great Aunt!)

At any rate, she handed me one of the cups and pick up her cup and there was this awkward moment and then we consumed the Blessed Blood.

I don’t know what the “rules” are concerning this but I had this nagging feeling like I should have said “The Blood of Christ” and handed the cup to her to consume and vice versa. Or is it different when a EMHC consumes the extra wine?

Thanks.

 

[bilop]

I believe that only the Priest or Deacon is supposed to consume the extra Precious Blood. They may only designate others if there a lot left, and even then, I’m not sure if that is licit.

But you wouldn’t say, “Blood of Christ” outside of the Mass context in any case.

God Bless

 

[Gerry_Hunter]

Lots of difficulties here.

The ablutions (“doing the dishes”) are to be performed by a deacon, priest. or instituted acolyte. Permission is sometimes explicitly given to seminarians to do so, but the point here is that it is not within the province of an extordinary minister of the holy eucharist to do so.

That is the current situation. An indult that permitted an exception in the USA (and only there) expired in 2006, and the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments (Cardinal Arinze) wrote the US Bishop’s Conference and let them know the situation. See this link.

The consecrated precious blood is not to be normally reserved, but is to be consumed following communion.

Blessings,

Gerry

 

[Dandelion_Wine]

Thanks both for your replies.

I understand the indult expired but this was several years ago. And combining the cups there were 2 full cups.

Does this change anything from what you said?

 

[John_Lilburne]

The Precious Blood is required to be consumed during the Mass. The only exception to this I can think of is for the Precious Blood being reserved for the sick.

From Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass:
“55. Those who cannot receive communion in the form of bread may receive it in the form of wine. The precious blood must be carried to the sick person in a vessel so secured as to eliminate all danger of spilling.”
(The Rites Volume One, Liturgical Press, 1990, ISBN: 0-8146-6015-0, page 659).

From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :

For Mass without a Deacon:
“163. When the distribution of Communion is finished, the priest himself immediately and completely consumes at the altar any consecrated wine that happens to remain; …”.

“182. … If Communion is given under both kinds, the deacon himself administers the chalice to the communicants; and, when the distribution is completed, he immediately and reverently consumes at the altar all of the Blood of Christ that remains, assisted if necessary by other deacons and priests.”

“284. … b. Whatever may remain of the Blood of Christ is consumed at the altar by the priest or the deacon or the duly instituted acolyte who ministered the chalice.”

What if there is too much of the consecrated wine for the priests, deacons and instituted acolytes?

From the USCCB Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy Newsletter of March/April 2002:

"With respect to the second request, Cardinal Medina, Prefect of CDWDS, noted that neither an indult nor even the permission of the diocesan bishop is required for extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion to help the priest celebrant to consume what may remain of the Precious Blood after the distribution of Holy Communion. “Rather,” he wrote, “given the grave and overriding need to safeguard the Precious Blood, ministers of Holy Communion or other communicants may consume what remains of the Precious Blood in a dignified and reverent manner.”

For the USA, approval was given by the Vatican for “Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion under Both Kinds in the Dioceses of the United States of America,” which includes:

“52. When more of the Precious Blood remains than was necessary for Communion, and if not consumed by the bishop or priest celebrant, “the deacon immediately and reverently consumes at the altar all of the Blood of Christ which remains; he may be assisted, if needs dictate, by other deacons and priests.” When there are extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, they may consume what remains of the Precious Blood from their chalice of distribution with permission of the diocesan bishop.”

The full document is at usccb.org/liturgy/current/norms.shtml .

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Greetings,

I read the thread about whether a Deacon can self-communicate and it reminded me of an incident several years ago which never quite felt right to me.

My Aunt is an EMHC at her church. Back then she “did the dishes” afterwards. I happened to attend her church one Sunday and there was more than the usual amount of wine left over. She asked me to help consume it because she “knows I’m holy” (what a great Aunt!)

At any rate, she handed me one of the cups and pick up her cup and there was this awkward moment and then we consumed the Blessed Blood.

I don’t know what the “rules” are concerning this but I had this nagging feeling like I should have said “The Blood of Christ” and handed the cup to her to consume and vice versa. Or is it different when a EMHC consumes the extra wine?

Thanks.

for one it’s not “extra wine” it is the remaining Precious Blood. It must be consumed at the altar or credence table during Mass. The chalices may be left empty on a corporal and covered, then purified after Mass. They must never be left with any amount of Precious Blood still in them.

 

[John_Lilburne]

for one it’s not “extra wine” it is the remaining Precious Blood. It must be consumed at the altar or credence table during Mass. The chalices may be left empty on a corporal and covered, then purified after Mass. They must never be left with any amount of Precious Blood still in them.

The credence table is not mentioned as the place to consume the remaining Precious Blood. It should be consumed at the altar, as described in the 2002 GIRM:
“279. … Care must be taken that whatever may remain of the Blood of Christ after the distribution of Communion is consumed immediately and completely at the altar. Care must be taken that whatever may remain of the Blood of Christ after the distribution of Communion is consumed immediately and completely at the altar.”

The purification may take place at the credence table or altar, during or after Mass. But not the drinking of the remaining Precious Blood.

 

[NewUlm1976_2000]

Greetings,

I read the thread about whether a Deacon can self-communicate and it reminded me of an incident several years ago which never quite felt right to me.

My Aunt is an EMHC at her church. Back then she “did the dishes” afterwards. I happened to attend her church one Sunday and there was more than the usual amount of wine left over. She asked me to help consume it because she “knows I’m holy” (what a great Aunt!)

At any rate, she handed me one of the cups and pick up her cup and there was this awkward moment and then we consumed the Blessed Blood.

I don’t know what the “rules” are concerning this but I had this nagging feeling like I should have said “The Blood of Christ” and handed the cup to her to consume and vice versa. Or is it different when a EMHC consumes the extra wine?

Thanks.

I am a Sacristan once to twice a month at my parish. I sometimes have to finish the remaining wine after church. Usually it is the EM’s job but sometimes they are elderly and cannot drink that much. The sink the the sacristy does go straight to the ground (forget the actual term for that, e- something), so anything I miss follows GRIM guidlines.

 

[otjm]

At any rate, she handed me one of the cups and pick up her cup and there was this awkward moment and then we consumed the Blessed Blood.

I don’t know what the “rules” are concerning this but I had this nagging feeling like I should have said “The Blood of Christ” and handed the cup to her to consume and vice versa. Or is it different when a EMHC consumes the extra wine?

Thanks.

Considering that this was (apparently) during the time of the indult to purify the vessels, there appears to be two issues.

1. The Precious Blood should have been consumed before the end of Mass. Whoever did not, should have done so.
2. It would not be necessary for you to present the Cup to her and say “The Blood of Christ”. While there is a rule against self-communication, she would not have been self-communicating, as the priest would have already presented the Cup to her and said that; the fact that she was still holding the Cup at the end (or here, after the end) is getting to the point of splitting hairs. If she were an EMHC of the Cup during Communion, the issue of self-communication ends when the priest hands it to her with the appropriate words.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

The credence table is not mentioned as the place to consume the remaining Precious Blood. It should be consumed at the altar, as described in the 2002 GIRM:
“279. … Care must be taken that whatever may remain of the Blood of Christ after the distribution of Communion is consumed immediately and completely at the altar. Care must be taken that whatever may remain of the Blood of Christ after the distribution of Communion is consumed immediately and completely at the altar.”

The purification may take place at the credence table or altar, during or after Mass. But not the drinking of the remaining Precious Blood.

OK, you got me, good point. I didn’t look at the GIRM before posting, I’ll take more care next time.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I am a Sacristan once to twice a month at my parish. I sometimes have to finish the remaining wine after church. Usually it is the EM’s job but sometimes they are elderly and cannot drink that much. The sink the the sacristy does go straight to the ground (forget the actual term for that, e- something), so anything I miss follows GRIM guidlines.

I think the point some of us are trying to bring out is that the remaining Precious Blood cannot be consumed after Mass, but must be consumed during Mass at the altar, by the priest, deacon or a EMHC if necessary. Each EMHC may consume what remains in their own chalice, but that too must be done right after Communion, at the altar. The EMPTY chalices and ciboriums may be purified later after Mass.

 

[lak611]

I think the point some of us are trying to bring out is that the remaining Precious Blood cannot be consumed after Mass, but must be consumed during Mass at the altar, by the priest, deacon or a EMHC if necessary. Each EMHC may consume what remains in their own chalice, but that too must be done right after Communion, at the altar. The EMPTY chalices and ciboriums may be purified later after Mass.

In my parish, when I am EMHC of the chalice, I consume any remaining Precious Blood, then place the empty chalice on the creedence table for the priest to purify after Mass.