Is intinction still allowed?

[Elzee]

Does anyone know if communion by intinction is still allowed. There is a very reverent priest in our town who still does this and I can’t imagine him doing anything that is unorthodox. If you could point me to a reference that would be great. Thank you!

 

[Bruised_Reed]

Yes.

Self-intinction is not allowed, however.

 

[Timidity]

Elzee:

If you could point me to a reference that would be great.

It’s in the GIRM.

 

[John_Lilburne]

From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal:

1. If Communion from the chalice is carried out by intinction, each communicant, holding a communion-plate under the chin, approaches the priest, who holds a vessel with the sacred particles, a minister standing at his side and holding the chalice. The priest takes a host, dips it partly into the chalice and, showing it, says, Corpus et Sanguis Christi (The Body and Blood of Christ). The communicant responds, Amen, receives the Sacrament in the mouth from the priest, and then withdraws.

From usccb.org/liturgy/current/chapter4.shtml

 

[Lux_et_veritas]

My parish uses intinction almost exclusively these days. All priests who are at the parish assist with Communion, regardless of what mass they had that weekend. This can be anywhere from 2-5 if we have help from a Holy Order that works on the grounds of the parish. There are no EME’s and we get done in about 10 minutes (probably 300-400 people depending on the Mass). And, it is done at the old communion rail.

But, as stated earlier, no one but a priest may intinct the Host. It may not be self-intincted.

In addition to the GIRM, Cardinal Arinze had this to say on October 7, 2003 while at a conference for the Apostolate for Family Consecration (taken from Adoremus Bulletin)

It’s very important to stress that, because some people do not understand the whole point of these Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Some people think that it is a power struggle for lay people to prove that what the priest can do, so can they. **Which means if there are not many people to receive Communion – suppose there are three priests or two priests and one deacon and 100 people to receive Communion – then there is no need for even one single Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.
**
However, I noticed in this country many people insist on receiving under two forms – that means, the form of Body of Christ and Blood of Christ. If the bishop has approved it, that’s all right. But it means it demands a lot of care because it is so easy to spill the Precious Blood.

It is so easy, and, as you mentioned earlier, in these days of disease, some people are worried if there are up to 50 people drinking from the same cup. Some people are hesitant.

**Why would people not accept intinction? You [the priest] take the Body of Christ and just dip in the Precious Blood and give it to the person on the tongue. But the ministers must be priests or deacons, if they want that.
**
So the full answer to the question is, if the communicants are not too many and the ordinary ministers – that means priests and deacons – are enough; the question of Extraordinary Ministers does not arise. Therefore, there is no question of choosing them.

For full context, here is the complete transcript of his Q & A:

adoremus.org/1003Arinze.html