How should a cloth that has the blood of Jesus on it be treated?

[adrift]

I am away from home for an extended time. The parish that I must go to has a lot of abuses.

The one today made me wonder what should be done?

The Blood was poured from a glass pitcher into glass goblets by the EEMC’s while the priest was breaking up the Host which was home made. The host is very large and it is broken up and given out to the congregation. The priest and a EEMC break it into many pieces to be pass out.

I watched as the Blood was poured out in the goblets and wiped with a cloth that the EEMC than used to wipe his goblet when he
gave it to the communicant. After communion, it was given to a women who put it into a sack. I clearly saw the Blood of Christ on it.
How should such a cloth be taken care of? I am absolutely horrified that it might just be washed in an ordinary way.

What should I do?

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I am away from home for an extended time. The parish that I must go to has a lot of abuses.

The one today made me wonder what should be done?

The Blood was poured from a glass pitcher into glass goblets by the EEMC’s while the priest was breaking up the Host which was home made. The host is very large and it is broken up and given out to the congregation. The priest and a EEMC break it into many pieces to be pass out.

I watched as the Blood was poured out in the goblets and wiped with a cloth that the EEMC than used to wipe his goblet when he
gave it to the communicant. After communion, it was given to a women who put it into a sack. I clearly saw the Blood of Christ on it.
How should such a cloth be taken care of? I am absolutely horrified that it might just be washed in an ordinary way.

What should I do?

Do a one month fast of bread and water to amend for this admonition.

Jim

 

[Eileen_T]

When I must attend another parish, both nearby ones have litergical abuses, I take my missal and keep my head down and read the prayers of the Mass, only looking up for the Consecration. Generally, at other times I bow my head and close my eyes and pray for the Holy Spirit to send us holy priests and cleanse the Church of all liturgical abuse.

 

[adrift]

I wasn’t clear on my question.

How should a cloth that has the blood of Jesus on it be treated?

Certainly you wouldn’t just throw it in the washer

 

[Eileen_T]

I wasn’t clear on my question.

How should a cloth that has the blood of Jesus on it be treated?

Certainly you wouldn’t just throw it in the washer

They are taken out and washed in the sacristry in a sacrarium/piscina and the water empties onto the earth, not down the drain. If there is no double sink, the cloth may be soaked in a bucket with water and a cleaning solution.

After a few days the water is emptied onto the garden and the cloth is washed.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

I watched as the Blood was poured out in the goblets and wiped with a cloth that the EEMC than used to wipe his goblet when he gave it to the communicant. After communion, it was given to a women who put it into a sack. I clearly saw the Blood of Christ on it.
How should such a cloth be taken care of? I am absolutely horrified that it might just be washed in an ordinary way.

It is very common in parishes for women of the parish to take on the responsibility of cleaning the altar linens, including the purificator (the cloth you described). Normally they are trained in how to do this properly and respectfully; it involves rinsing the cloths in water and pouring the water into the earth (not into a drain leading to an ordinary sewer system). They then can be washed in an ordinary way. I would not worry on this account.

However, use of glass vessels, pouring the Precious Blood after the consecration, and the fraction rite (breaking of the Sacred Host) being done by an EMHC are not appropriate. The use of homemade bread might possibly be acceptable if the proper ingredients are used (wheat flour and water ONLY) and if it is made in such a way to avoid breaking into crumbs that could be lost after the Consecration.

What should be done? If you can do it in a charitable way, you might express your concerns to the pastor. If that fails, you could bring your concerns to the bishop (but being a visitor, your influence might be limited).

 

[joe5046]

Take it to the sacristy and have them clean it for you the same way they do purificators, or alternativly, you can place it in boiling water for 2 hours. (to remove the accidents of wine).

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I am away from home for an extended time. The parish that I must go to has a lot of abuses.

The one today made me wonder what should be done?

The Blood was poured from a glass pitcher into glass goblets by the EEMC’s while the priest was breaking up the Host which was home made. The host is very large and it is broken up and given out to the congregation. The priest and a EEMC break it into many pieces to be pass out.

I watched as the Blood was poured out in the goblets and wiped with a cloth that the EEMC than used to wipe his goblet when he
gave it to the communicant. After communion, it was given to a women who put it into a sack. I clearly saw the Blood of Christ on it.
How should such a cloth be taken care of? I am absolutely horrified that it might just be washed in an ordinary way.

What should I do?

Purificators with the Blood of Christ on them must be first rinsed in the special sink (sacrarium) that drains into the ground. That is not an option. They may then be either dried and later washed (If it will be a while before they are washed you don’t want to leave all these wet purifiactors stuffed in a sack) or simply taken and washed in the normal fasion.

 

[mdgspencer]

Some homemade bread recipes that have been used for communion during mass are invalid so that it does not become the body of Christ. I consider this a greater problem for you if this is the case. If you continue to go to mass there it would be best to simpy take the chalice alone unless you clear up the question about whether the bread used is the sort the means Christ is or is not present there.

 

[KatieD]

I believe Eileen is correct. The water used to rinse the purificator must be poured directly back into the earth. Using the glass vessels is a problem. I believe the directives state that the Body and Blood of Christ are to be held in non-breakable vessels, which is why precious metals are most often used.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Some homemade bread recipes that have been used for communion during mass are invalid so that it does not become the body of Christ. I consider this a greater problem for you if this is the case. If you continue to go to mass there it would be best to simpy take the chalice alone unless you clear up the question about whether the bread used is the sort the means Christ is or is not present there.

The general idea that invlaid matter would be something that would not be considered “Wheat Bread”. Adding things does not make it invalid, only illicit, unless it becomes cake or cookies, or pancakes or something other than BREAD.

 

[mdgspencer]

I don’t wnat to hijack this thread, but as long as this matter has come, I will post something on this once. There was an earlier thread on this very matter, of invalid bread at mass, which is at:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=20532

The general idea that invlaid matter would be something that would not be considered “Wheat Bread”. Adding things does not make it invalid, only illicit, unless it becomes cake or cookies, or pancakes or something other than BREAD.

 

[Yerusalyim]

Purificators with the Blood of Christ on them must be first rinsed in the special sink (sacrarium) that drains into the ground. That is not an option.

Can you back this statement up with something from the Church? Yes, the purificators, etc must be steeped and this water then immediately returned to the earth. I find no demand for a sacrarium, it’s a norm not a demand.

As far as glass vessels, they are not STRICTLY prohibited according to the GIRM. Here’s what the GIRM says:

1. Vessels should be made from materials that are solid and that in the particular region are regarded as noble. The conference of bishops will be the judge in this matter. But preference is to be given to materials that do not break easily or become unusable.

1. Chalices and other vessels that serve as receptacles for the
   blood of the Lord are to have a cup of nonabsorbent material. The
   base may be of any other solid and worthy material.

Leaded crystal could easily be described as something that does not break easily. In fact any heavy class could…the use of a thin wine glass would be wrong…crystal or heavy glass…not necessarily so.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Can you back this statement up with something from the Church? Yes, the purificators, etc must be steeped and this water then immediately returned to the earth. I find no demand for a sacrarium, it’s a norm not a demand.

As far as glass vessels, they are not STRICTLY prohibited according to the GIRM. Here’s what the GIRM says:

Leaded crystal could easily be described as something that does not break easily. In fact any heavy class could…the use of a thin wine glass would be wrong…crystal or heavy glass…not necessarily so.

I did not mean to exclude the possibility of soaking and pouring the water into the ground if a Sacrarium is not available. My point was that the first rinse must not be in the normal wash.

 

[Thursday1]

If the cloths were left long enough that they were dry, but stained, I do not believe a “first wash” would be necessary. The Wine only remains the Eucharist as long as the accidents of wine remain. Something dry is not wine, and therefore the stain is not the Eucharist. The cloths should be treated with respect, much like a chalice or paten, as they have been in close contact with the consecrated elements, but I’m not sure if there is a requirement for a pre-wash in water, as it doesn’t jive with sacramental theology.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

If the cloths were left long enough that they were dry, but stained, I do not believe a “first wash” would be necessary. The Wine only remains the Eucharist as long as the accidents of wine remain. Something dry is not wine, and therefore the stain is not the Eucharist. The cloths should be treated with respect, much like a chalice or paten, as they have been in close contact with the consecrated elements, but I’m not sure if there is a requirement for a pre-wash in water, as it doesn’t jive with sacramental theology. That is a grey area and I would tend to agree. However while waiting for the Blood of Christ to dry someone must remain with purificators containing the Precious Blood at all times.

Yours in Christ,
Thursday

 

[adrift]

As far as glass vessels, they are not STRICTLY prohibited according to the GIRM. Here’s what the GIRM says:

Leaded crystal could easily be described as something that does not break easily. In fact any heavy class could…the use of a thin wine glass would be wrong…crystal or heavy glass…not necessarily so.

From
Redemptionis Sacramentum

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]

This sounds like a prohibition to me. Am I misreading it?