Health Risks of Common Communion Cup

[Brendan]

grotto:

Absolutely false!

Sadly, there are some bishops in this country that have forbidden this practice, at least for public Masses.

When options are given in the GIRM, and outside specific Vatican instructions to the contrary, it is within the authority of the Bishop to regulate which of the options are in effect.

At least for public Masses.

 

[Topher]

Dr. Bombay:

No prob. :tiphat:

But you do get Jesus along with the mouth sore scab, so it’s a risk vs. reward equation.

Yeah but we get the whole Christ in the host so it seems unnecessary to recieve communion under both kinds

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

allhers:

You’re forgiven! I read your link, did you read my post after it?

Sorry…must just have been my groggy brain.

I read all of your posts…the one you posted after the one I provided the link in is the one where you called people who think they could get sick from taking from the chalice “ridiculous”. Is that the one you mean?

Sorry to confuse you. I am confused too, lol.

(what reasons are you suggesting that I reconcile with God?

Sorry, not YOU personally…you as in anyone who chooses not to recieve from the chalice can square it up with God, it’s none of our business.

I have made a royal mess out of my posts in this thread…feel free to ignore me…I try to, but I just can’t seem to escape myself…everywhere I go, there I am…arggghhhhhhh

Malia

 

[Dr.Bombay]

Topher:

Yeah but we get the whole Christ in the host so it seems unnecessary to recieve communion under both kinds

Also, one of the anathemas of Trent covered those who feel you have to receive the bread and the cup:

**

Canon 1

.If anyone says that each and all the faithful of Christ are by a precept of God or by the necessity of salvation bound to receive both species of the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist, let him be anathema.**

“Gimme that old time religion…” SING IT!!! :dancing:

 

[Arlene]

I sure wish I could remember where I heard this, but it stuck with me that the reason intinction is forbidden is because that is the way Judas took the bread. Jesus said the one who dips is the one who will betray me. So we don’t want to take the Body of Christ in the same manner as His betrayer.

Don’t shoot me, its what I heard.

Arlene

 

[Confiteor]

Arlene:

I sure wish I could remember where I heard this, but it stuck with me that the reason intinction is forbidden is because that is the way Judas took the bread. Jesus said the one who dips is the one who will betray me. So we don’t want to take the Body of Christ in the same manner as His betrayer.

Don’t shoot me, its what I heard.

Arlene

But it’s NOT forbidden if the priest handles the host, only “self-intinction” is not permitted.

 

[AmISearching]

Arlene:

I sure wish I could remember where I heard this, but it stuck with me that the reason intinction is forbidden is because that is the way Judas took the bread. Jesus said the one who dips is the one who will betray me. So we don’t want to take the Body of Christ in the same manner as His betrayer.

Don’t shoot me, its what I heard.

Arlene

I probably should go look it up (but I only have Protestant translations anyway) - but I thought they all were in that passage and that the importance was that Judas would be the one who dipped in it at the same time as Christ did… or something like that =)

 

[koryp]

I just started reading this thread and I hope someone along the way has pointed out that we’re discussing the Sacred Blood of our Savior rather than an “OH YUCK” glass of wine. I, for one, will continue to partake in His cup until my dying day (even if it comes sooner due to my partaking ).

But what I really wanted to say has to do with:

Kielbasi:

And this quote here Our current understanding of communicable diseases suggests that the safest method for communicants is to use clean, individual cups suggest to me that the study was paid for by the manufacturers of Dixie cups that many protestant churches use for communion.

I recently discovered that the dixie cup founder was a strong supporter of the international planned parenthood federation. I can’t find the exact page I originally saw this on, but a quick search returned this one (link) which briefly mentions his association near the bottom … So … yeah… Holy Communion with dixie cups seems to contradict a little… hope we don’t go that route.

Anyway, I’ve always held to the belief that only good can come of receiving communion under any form while in a state of grace and thus it’d be impossible to get sick. …just another one of the countless miracles surrounding us that can be passed off as coincidence. I’ll keep reading to see what other views are out there…

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

koryp:

IAnyway, I’ve always held to the belief that only good can come of receiving communion under any form while in a state of grace and thus it’d be impossible to get sick. …just another one of the countless miracles surrounding us that can be passed off as coincidence. I’ll keep reading to see what other views are out there…

Unfortunately, the Church Herself disagrees with you. It is possible to get sick. But in no way does that mean that you should avoid receiving from the common chalice. If you are comfortable then great! Some people aren’t, and that is ok too.

Malia

 

[koryp]

Feanaro's Wife:

Unfortunately, the Church Herself disagrees with you. **It is possible to get sick. **If you are comfortable then great! Some people aren’t, and that is ok too.

I noticed your reference to the links on the other thread but I haven’t had a chance to fully read them. A quick word search didn’t bring me to anything that said specifically that the church teaches that you can spread disease via the chalice, but I’ll read it all. I don’t doubt that I overlooked it. However, does She teach that one **cannot **believe that they are unable to get sick? I’d be surprised… as I have been before… and I’d yield to Her teachings. I also saw a link to a study in which cultures were taken from the chalice, the results of which were not surprising to me. Scientifically it would seem that illness can occur.

But our Lord is beyond our understanding of such things… rising from the dead, etc. This is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of that very same Jesus. Dissipating disease causing bacteria is a minimal miracle in comparison to the many other Eucharistic miracles.

Specifically, I try to recall St Imelda’s miraculous incident while I’m in the Communion line. We should be focused as she was on what this means. Not on who’s hocking up what from the bowels of who knows where… which, don’t get me wrong, is an easy-to-fall-into distraction. But if I lock my vision on the Passion of our Lord… gosh, if He went through all of that for me… if I am called to follow Him and do the same… if I can focus on that… then I can set aside any phobia. I could eat spiders while standing on a tall ladder if that were part of our faith. I pray that everyone (myself included) can work towards a deeper realization of the miracle that is the Eucharist. St Imelda, pray for us.

As for receiving only the Flesh, and in relation to the topic of miracles, if I’m not mistaken, the Eucharistic miracles that involved discernable Blood appearing on the indiscernible Flesh (the Consecrated Bread) was partially responsible for the decision to allow the chalice to be optional. So I certainly agree that it’s ok to not partake in the Blood via the chalice. I am a little uneasy, however, with the result of the uncomfortable/comfortable reasoning behind that decision though. This seems to me to imply that the Blood of Christ might be less than perfect or tainted in some way. Well, I don’t know. Maybe I’m splitting hairs on the wording, but Heaven forbid I even slightly lessen the meaning.

I should confess that I do own a few personal-sized bottles of Purell and I have, on occasion, been accused of being compulsive. However, I think it is absolutely necessary that I leave that at the door when I come to mass. Easier said than done, I know! But it’d be difficult to over exaggerate the importance of our undivided attention during the mass. I’ve been the last in the line and finished off the chalice on a few occasions. But I refuse to think about that in terms of my human mortality. After all, this is a feast of immortality. I want to concentrate on Jesus. Anyway, I don’t remember ever getting sick. If I did, it was because God, who is in control of all things, allowed it. And what a blessing, that I could offer my suffering to Him. But I’d be slow to relate such an illness to the Holy Eucharist.

On a side note, I should point out that I do decide to not receive from the chalice on days that I am ill before I get to Church. With the understanding that receiving the Flesh is sufficient to meet the requirements and with my desire to have everyone feel comfortable receiving, the decision seems easy enough. So rest assured that at least one less person is trying to prove a miracle at the expense of others.

 

[allhers]

Feanaro’s Wife:
further down, after I said “ridiclous”, I apologized!
Maybe we were both having a bad day. (yesterday I had a really good hair day though.)

 

[allhers]

Elzee:

When I asked about intinction, one of our priests says it is not considered a valid form of Communion because Christ commanded us to ‘take and *drink’. *

One other thing He said was:
“Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you have no life in you.”
Just a thought.

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

allhers:

Feanaro’s Wife:
further down, after I said “ridiclous”, I apologized!
Maybe we were both having a bad day. (yesterday I had a really good hair day though.)

LOL…ok, I am having a pretty good day today…but a not so good hair day

Malia

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

koryp:

A quick word search didn’t bring me to anything that said specifically that the church teaches that you can spread disease via the chalice, but I’ll read it all.

I don’t think the Church teaches that you absolutely can spread disease via the chalice…only that it is indeed possible. Why else would they ban distribution via the chalice during a flu epidemic?

However, does She teach that one **cannot **believe that they are unable to get sick?

I doubt She teaches that.

Dissipating disease causing bacteria is a minimal miracle in comparison to the many other Eucharistic miracles.

I admit that it is a possiblity, but I do not believe this and the Church does not require it of me.

Specifically, I try to recall St Imelda’s miraculous incident while I’m in the Communion line. We should be focused as she was on what this means. Not on who’s hocking up what from the bowels of who knows where… which, don’t get me wrong, is an easy-to-fall-into distraction. But if I lock my vision on the Passion of our Lord… gosh, if He went through all of that for me… if I am called to follow Him and do the same… if I can focus on that… then I can set aside any phobia. I could eat spiders while standing on a tall ladder if that were part of our faith. I pray that everyone (myself included) can work towards a deeper realization of the miracle that is the Eucharist. St Imelda, pray for us.

Your faith is admirable, but it is personal.

I am a little uneasy, however, with the result of the uncomfortable/comfortable reasoning behind that decision though. This seems to me to imply that the Blood of Christ might be less than perfect or tainted in some way.

I don’t think that anyone who chooses not to recieve via the chalice believes that the Blood of Christ is in any way tainted or inferior. They just believe that the accidents of the wine remain and are capable of spreading germs just like any glass of wine could.

I should confess that I do own a few personal-sized bottles of Purell and I have, on occasion, been accused of being compulsive. However, I think it is absolutely necessary that I leave that at the door when I come to mass.

Again, that is a personal decision and while admirable, cannot be expected of everyone else.

On a side note, I should point out that I do decide to not receive from the chalice on days that I am ill before I get to Church. With the understanding that receiving the Flesh is sufficient to meet the requirements and with my desire to have everyone feel comfortable receiving, the decision seems easy enough. So rest assured that at least one less person is trying to prove a miracle at the expense of others.

Thank you for being considerate!

Malia

 

[twistpenguin]

Why don’t you sit in the front row, so that you’re the first to receive it?

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

twistpenguin:

Why don’t you sit in the front row, so that you’re the first to receive it?

In our parish there are at least 7 EMHCs who receive first.

Malia

 

[Fortiterinre]

I have to say I agree with just about every post in this very long thread. Yes, there is backwash, bacteria, etc. Yes, the priest’s fingers touch all kinds of lips, tongues, etc, so receiving Host only with or without intinction is still germy. It is interesting to think how the Church would react if (God forbid) we have one of these gross diseases where even faint cross-contamination by mouth is risky. The dixie cups for Communion set-up always disgusts me, although I suppose with careful catechesis paper cups that were collected and solemnly burned as the only possible purification could theoretically be permitted someday. Not a liturgy I would like to think about.

 

[tossolul]

spiritblows:

I became very ill in July with an atypical pneumonia. Since then I’ve avoided the common cup, except at daily Mass, with fewer people partaking. What do you think? I’m scared of getting sick again. I’m pretty robust normally.

What do you all think of this issue? I’ve been fearful to take the chalace at Sunday Mass since becoming so sick.

First SB- The chances of you having caught that through receiving Jesus in the Wine is soooo slim that I can’t even believe you are bringing this up!!!

Second SB- If by chance, however slim it may be, you did somehow catch pneumonia while receiving Jesus may I suggest perhaps it was God’s will that this happen to you???

I honestly cannot believe some of the responses I’ve read concerning this topic. Can you honestly see what you are doing here? We are talking about a sacrament here. The Holy Eucharist. Jesus’ Sacrifice of His life for our sins, so we can spend eternity in Heaven with God…and you are worried that be receiving this MOST SACRED GIFT you may catch a cold??? I’m sorry if I am not being tactful…but the responses I’ve read have really upset me. Please look past yourselves and your own worries, and focus on what is actually taking place. The idea that while you are in line waiting to receive the most precious gift available to us here on earth you are in actuality worried that by receiving it you may catch your neighbors cold seriously makes me sick.

 

[netmilsmom]

tossolul:

First SB- The chances of you having caught that through receiving Jesus in the Wine is soooo slim that I can’t even believe you are bringing this up!!!

Why are we told never to drink out of anyone elses cups?
Your lower lip touches where mine does and no wine goes over.

Second SB- If by chance, however slim it may be, you did somehow catch pneumonia while receiving Jesus may I suggest perhaps it was God’s will that this happen to you???

God gave us brains to help ourselves. We use them. Leaving the chance to God reminds me of those parents who won’t let their children be treated by doctors but leave it up to God’s will and prayer. God gave us doctors too.

I honestly cannot believe some of the responses I’ve read concerning this topic. Can you honestly see what you are doing here? We are talking about a sacrament here. The Holy Eucharist. Jesus’ Sacrifice of His life for our sins, so we can spend eternity in Heaven with God…and you are worried that be receiving this MOST SACRED GIFT you may catch a cold??? I’m sorry if I am not being tactful…but the responses I’ve read have really upset me. Please look past yourselves and your own worries, and focus on what is actually taking place. The idea that while you are in line waiting to receive the most precious gift available to us here on earth you are in actuality worried that by receiving it you may catch your neighbors cold seriously makes me sick.

You do understand that if you only receive the host, you get all of Jesus, right?
What is the difference if you drink from the cup or not?

 

[netmilsmom]

Feanaro's Wife:

Malia

Malia, I have to tell you a story since you brought up Purell.

We have a very conservative NO parish. At our 9:30 Holy Mass, a friend of mine was sitting behind the Altar Boys. Understand that we have at least 20 Altar Boys at this mass. My friend was in the pew behand the boys. One boy picked his nose and wiped it on his other palm throughout the entire mass.

WELL! Guess what happened at the handshake of Peace? He turned around and shook hands with my friend and her entire family.

Needless to say, she felt her bottle of Purell was a gift from God!