When did the cup become unavailable to the laity? And why?
Why is not the cup being offered? There has to be some reason for this new occurence on EWTN…
Because there is no
obligation to offer the Chalice to the laity. If you were to look at the Vatican II document on the liturgy, you’d see it offered a few suggested occasions for the concession of the Chalice; this list of occasions grew until, in 1975, it was this (from the 1975 GIRM, n. 242):
242. At the discretion of the Ordinary and after the prerequisite catechesis, communion from the chalice is permitted in the case of:
Code:
1. newly baptized adults at the Mass following their baptism; adults at the Mass at which they receive confirmation; baptized persons who are being received into the full communion of the Church;
2. the bride and bridegroom at their wedding Mass;
3. deacons at the Mass of their ordination;
4. an abbess at the Mass in which she is blessed; those consecrated to a life of virginity at the Mass of their consecration; professed religious, their relatives, friends, and the other members of their community at the Mass of first or perpetual vows or renewal of vows;
5. those who receive institution for a certain ministry at the Mass of their institution; lay missionary helpers at the Mass in which they publicly receive their mission; others at the Mass in which they receive an ecclesiastical mission;
6. the sick person and all present at the time viaticum is to be administered when Mass is lawfully celebrated in the sick person's home;
7. the deacon and ministers who exercise their office at Mass;
8. when there is a concelebration, in the case of:
a. all who exercise a liturgical function at this concelebration and also all seminarians present;
b. in their churches or oratories, all members of institutes professing the evangelical counsels and other societies whose members dedicate themselves to God by religious vows or by an offering or promise; also all those who reside in the houses of members of such institutes and societies;
9. priests who are present at major celebrations and are not able to celebrate or concelebrate;
10. all who make a retreat at a Mass in which they actively participate and which is specially celebrated for the group; also all who take part in the meeting of any pastoral body at a Mass the celebrate as a group;
11. those listed in nos. 2 and 4, at Masses celebrating their jubilees;
12. godparents, relatives, wife or husband, and lay catechists of newly baptized adults at the Mass of their initiation;
13. relatives, friends, and special benefactors who take part in the Mass of a newly ordained priest;
14. members of communities at the conventual or community Mass, in accord with the provisions of this Instruction no. 76.
Further, the
conferences of bishops have the
power to decide to what extent and under what considerations and conditions Ordinaries may allow communion under both kinds in
other instances that are of special significance in the spiritual life of any community or group of the faithful.
Within such limits, Ordinaries may designate the particular instances, but on condition that
they grant permission not indiscriminately but for clearly defined celebrations and that they point out matters for caution. They are also to
exclude occasions when there will be a large number of communicants. The
groups receiving this permission
must also be specific, well-ordered, and homogeneous.
However, the US Bishops made this addition to the GIRM for the US:
15. other members of the faithful present on the special occasions enumerated in no. 242 of the “General Instruction”;
- at funeral Masses and at Masses for a special family observance;
- at Masses on days of special religious or civil significance for the people of the United States;
- at Masses on Holy Thursday and at the Mass of the Easter Vigil, the norms of the instruction of June 29, 1970, being observed;
- at weekday Masses.
And then, in 1978, the US Bishops “further extended the occasions on which Holy Communion under both kinds might be given when it approved the motion that Holy Communion may be given under both kinds to the faithful at Masses on Sundays and holy days of obligation if, in the judgment of the ordinary, Communion may be given in an orderly and reverent manner.” (source)
That sounds to me like they went beyond the permission granted to them (as stated in GIRM 242). If you pool all the occasions together (weekday and Sunday and holyday Masses), you get what amounts to indiscriminate permission.
Nowadays, the bishops can let parish pastors make the decisions instead; it’s still not supposed to be offered when there is a large number of people, or it’s difficult to determine how much wine needs to be prepared (because
all of the Precious Blood must be consumed), and a couple other issues… but those are generally ignored. See the Los Angeles Cathedral for examples of
that.
So, why don’t the laity get offered the Chalice on EWTN Masses? Because the pastor decided against it. I’m sure all the faithful there know they’re not actually being deprived of anything, because of the doctrine of concomitance (that Communion under one species contains the whole of Jesus). If and when the Chalice is conceded to the laity at an EWTN Mass, there will probably be a rather significant reason.
Now that both species are offered so frequently, I dare say people think it’s their right to receive under both species, and that Communion is incomplete unless it’s under both forms. Concomitance needs to be preached to them.
