If the blood of Christ is spilled, how is this handled by the church?

[lefthand36]

Hello everyone,

Being new to the Catholic faith this year at Easter, I have often wondered how the church handles a situation in which the blood of Christ is accidentally spilled by a priest or a Eucharist minister.

Being a woman and being very conservative, I don’t have a desire to be a Eucharistic minister, because I feel that women are not called to this duty, and that is simply my opinion. So, I am not trying to get a thread started about that topic. I guess what I am saying is if I didn’t have an issue with being a Eucharistic minister, and I spilled the blood of Christ while assisting a priest, I would just die. I can not even imagine this, but I know that it has happened before.

How is this handled in the church since the Catholic church believes that we are receiving His true body and His true blood? I have always believed that it is “truly” what He says it is, so I guess that is why I would be devastated if I were a Eucharistic minister and spilled His precious blood, for it is not just wine, it has become His blood for us.

Our parish receives in both species, and for that I am so thankful. I feel that both should be offered, but I feel that if only the body is taken that you have received body, blood, and divinity, but I just feel incomlete without both, but I often worry about spilling accidents.

Could someone answer this for me?

In Christ,
Brenda Alexander
lefthand36

 

[Mysty101]

Hi Brenda,

And welcome —always great to see new converts.

Being a woman and being very conservative, I don’t have a desire to be a Eucharistic minister…
How is this(spilling the Precious Blood) handled in the church since the Catholic church believes that we are receiving His true body and His true blood

I’ll direct you to some documents, but see what I can answer quickly

from the GIRM
usccb.org/liturgy/girm/index.shtml

1. If a host or any particle should fall, it is to be picked up reverently. If any of the Precious Blood is spilled, the area where the spill occurred should be washed with water, and this water should then be poured into the sacrarium in the sacristy.

The correct term is Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion EMHC and the Vatican was very adament about this. Bishops, Priests and Deacons are the only Eucharistic Ministers (Ordinary Ministers)

This is the most recent document on the Eucharist –Redemptionis sacramentum
usccb.org/liturgy/documents/instructioneng.shtml#6

**
1. The Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion

154. As has already been recalled, “the only minister who can confect the Sacrament of the Eucharist in persona Christi is a validly ordained Priest.”254 Hence the name “minister of the Eucharist” belongs properly to the Priest alone. Moreover, also by reason of their sacred Ordination, the ordinary ministers of Holy Communion are the Bishop, the Priest and the Deacon,255
Hope to see more of you smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_1_203.gif

SuZ

PS I didn’t find this yet, but the purificator is used to blot up any spills quickly, and also left to cover the area (so no one will step on it) until it can be washed.
**

 

[Mysty101]

PS I didn’t find this yet, but the purificator is used to blot up any spills quickly, and also left to cover the area (so no one will step on it) until it can be washed.

 

[lefthand36]

Mysty101,

Thank you for correcting me as I am in the learning process. You are very right. I have been told that the proper term or title is Extraordinary Ministers, and not Eucharistic Ministers, I forgot though.

That is a very important point. If you find anything else let me know.

With love in Christ,
Brenda
lefthand36