Orthodox VS Catholic: Communion

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Brcic_003

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Orthodox apparently take communion by spoon, which seems more reverent than letting people of the clergy hand out the body of Christ by bare hand with the priest and deacon. Why don’t Catholics do that?

Do Catholics believe that sickness can be spread through the bare handed distribution/handling of the Eucharist?

Also, why do Roman Catholics sometimes use white wine for the Blood of Christ? Or does the substance used before Transubstantiation even matter?
 
Brcic_003 said:
Orthodox apparently take communion by spoon, which seems more reverent than letting people of the clergy hand out the body of Christ by bare hand with the priest and deacon. Why don’t Catholics do that?

Do Catholics believe that sickness can be spread through the bare handed distribution/handling of the Eucharist?

Also, why do Roman Catholics sometimes use white wine for the Blood of Christ? Or does the substance used before Transubstantiation even matter?
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You mean they use the same spoon that goes into everyone’s mouth. How would that be less risky?
 
Well, I’m not asking about the risk of using the spoon but the reverence of not handling the Body of Christ if we are not the priest. So almost a combination of the two questions. Do Catholics believe that it even is a risk if it is the body of Christ? And if not, then why do we allow others besides the priest to handle the Eucharist?
 
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Easter Catholics receive via spoon as well. It does NOT go in anyone’s mouth. The priest drops the Eucharist in the communicants mouth.
 
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DeniseNY said:
Easter Catholics receive via spoon as well. It does NIT go in anyone’s mouth. The priest drops the Eucharist in the communicants mouth.
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I’m pretty sure it would touch someone’s mouth.
 
It does not. The communicants tilt our heads back, open wide, and priest drops in the Eucharist.
 
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Brcic_003 said:
Well, I’m not asking about the risk of using the spoon but the reverence of not handling the Body of Christ if we are not the priest. So almost a combination of the two questions. Do Catholics believe that it even is a risk if it is the body of Christ? And if not, then why do we allow others besides the priest to handle the Eucharist?
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Because the Church says it is reverent.
 
Hold up😂 what you’re saying is that outside of the Orthodoxy beliefs, it is believed that the Eucharist is capable of transferring any type of sickness?

And okay, so it is still considered reverent for anyone besides the priest to hold bare handed the Eucharist. Would you happen to have a place or person where that is said?
 
Brcic_003 said:
Hold up😂 what you’re saying is that outside of the Orthodoxy beliefs, it is believed that the Eucharist is capable of transferring any type of sickness?

And okay, so it is still considered reverent for anyone besides the priest to hold bare handed the Eucharist. Would you happen to have a place or person where that is said?
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The lay persons who are permitted by the Church to distribute Communion are called Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC). They go through training before they are approved and yes it’s reverent.

As to your first question you are being disrespectful using a laughing emoji. Of course it is possible to transmit a virus through Communion.
 
Brcic_003 said:
Orthodox apparently take communion by spoon,
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So do Eastern Rite Catholics. This is a tradition, a discipline of their liturgical practices. Because Eastern Rite Catholics and Orthodox use leavened bread while the Latin rite uses unleavened bread.
Brcic_003 said:
seems more reverent than letting people of the clergy hand out the body of Christ by bare hand with the priest and deacon
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That’s an opinion. You are welcome to it. It’s not the teaching of the Church, however.
Brcic_003 said:
Why don’t Catholics do that?
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Eastern Catholics do, because it’s part of their liturgical tradition and they use leavened bread. Latin Catholics do not because it’s not our tradition and we use unleavened bread.
Brcic_003 said:
Do Catholics believe that sickness can be spread through the bare handed distribution/handling of the Eucharist?
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The Eucharist has no magical properties that preclude the transmission of disease. I’m not aware of any belief in Orthodoxy that teaches otherwise either.
Brcic_003 said:
why do Roman Catholics sometimes use white wine for the Blood of Christ?
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Gape wine is the valid matter for the Precious Blood. Liturgical rubrics allow either.
Brcic_003 said:
Or does the substance used before Transubstantiation even matter?
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Yes, it does. Grapes. Grapes come in many varietals.
 
Montrose said:
As to your first question you are being disrespectful using a laughing emoji. Of course it is possible to transmit a virus through Communion.
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This one I find disagreeable, and not disrespectful because I was asking a forum of people. Though I am sorry you were upset by my choice of style in questioning and communicating.
 
Brcic_003 said:
Do Catholics believe that it even is a risk if it is the body of Christ?
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Yes. Catholics believe this.
And if not, then why do we allow others besides the priest to handle the Eucharist?
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The only “other” handling an individual’s Communion is that individual, and it’s reasonable to expect an individual to be responsible for the cleanliness of his or her own hands.
There were people carrying hand sanitizer to Mass and using it prior to Communion in the hand for decades before COVID came along.
 
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Denise, you’re correct that it doesn’t touch anyone’s mouth (I’ve received from the spoon at Byzantine Divine Liturgy).

It’s probably proximious enough that someone could conceivably spray saliva on it if they coughed or sneezed at the wrong moment. Rare, but could happen. I’m guessing the priest would do something in that case, such as change spoons, or clean the spoon.
 
Brcic_003 said:
Hold up😂 what you’re saying is that outside of the Orthodoxy beliefs, it is believed that the Eucharist is capable of transferring any type of sickness?
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There is nothing in Catholic or Orthodox doctrine that would preclude disease from being transmitted on the host or sacred chalice. This is why it is sinful to purposefully drop or contaminate the blessed sacrament.
 
The spoon touches the mouth, although I know that some parishes use the techniques referred to by you and Denise. I receive communion like this almost every week and I have attended quite a few parishes, and I have only experienced the tilting method once. Perhaps it is more common in Catholic parishes, or in the country/region you live in.
 
runningdude said:
There is nothing in Catholic or Orthodox doctrine that would preclude disease from being transmitted on the host or sacred chalice. This is why it is sinful to purposefully drop or contaminate the blessed sacrament.
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The Orthodox position is that the Eucharist (including the spoon) cannot get you sick.

To the other part of your post: the reason it’s sinful to drop the Eucharist is because that’s disrespectful to the Lord Whose body it is.
 
Brcic_003 said:
Orthodox apparently take communion by spoon, which seems more reverent than letting people of the clergy hand out the body of Christ by bare hand with the priest and deacon.
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Both customs are ultimately fine. As an example of an opposite view to yours, according to one Eastern Council in the first millenium (the Council in Trullo/Quinsext Council in Constantinople) that modern EOs tend to consider ecumenical (or at least part of the 5th and/or 6th ecumenical Councils) it was more reverent that bare hands be used instead of vessels since they were part of the body created in the image of God:

Canon 101
The great and divine Apostle Paul with loud voice calls man created in the image of God, the body and temple of Christ. Excelling, therefore, every sensible creature, he who by the saving Passion has attained to the celestial dignity, eating and drinking Christ, is fitted in all respects for eternal life, sanctifying his soul and body by the participation of divine grace. Wherefore, if any one wishes to be a participator of the immaculate Body in the time of the Synaxis, and to offer himself for the communion, let him draw near, arranging his hands in the form of a cross, and so let him receive the communion of grace. But such as, instead of their hands, make vessels of gold or other materials for the reception of the divine gift, and by these receive the immaculate communion, we by no means allow to come, as preferring inanimate and inferior matter to the image of God. But if any one shall be found imparting the immaculate Communion to those who bring vessels of this kind, let him be cut off as well as the one who brings them.
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https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3814.htm

In the following short letter, St. Basil describes the custom as prevailing in the East in his time noting the Sacrament coming from the hands of the priest and being received by the hands of the recipient.
https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3202093.htm
 
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