Receiving the Precious Blood received through a tube or spoon?

[Elzee]

Below is an excerpt from RS. Just had a quick question - where would it be the local custom to receive the Precious Blood through a tube (or a spoon)? Why?

From Redemptionis Sacramentum
Quote:
103. The norms of the Roman Missal admit the principle that in cases where Communion is administered under both kinds, “the Blood of the Lord may be received either by drinking from the chalice directly, or by intinction, or by means of a tube or a spoon.”191 As regards the administering of Communion to lay members of Christ’s faithful, the Bishops may exclude Communion with the tube or the spoon where this is not the local custom, though the option of administering Communion by intinction always remains.

If this modality is employed, however, hosts should be used which are neither too thin nor too small, and the communicant should receive the Sacrament from the Priest only on the tongue.192

 

[Caesar]

In the Classical Roman Rite at the full ceremonial Papal Masses, the Holy Father would sip the Precious Blood from the Chalice through a golden tube. Not sure why really, perhaps it was another medieval guard against a possible assasination attempt by poison, like the traditon of having the Deacon try the sacramental bread and wine during the offertory prior to the Consecration.

Other then that, I dont know about this practice

 

[chevalier]

Maybe “tube” is a more elegant word than “straw”?

 

[mystified]

If I remember right, some of the Eastern Rites utilize a spoon.

 

[LilyM]

If I remember right, some of the Eastern Rites utilize a spoon.

It’s possible some of them use the tube on certain occasions too? Perhaps RS is just allowing a tad bit of latitude in the way Communion can be distributed.

 

[John_Lilburne]

The 1975 General Instruction of the Roman Missal presented the tube and spoon as an option:

“200. The blood of the Lord may be taken by drinking from the chalice directly, through a tube, with a spoon, or even by intinction.”

It gave detailed instrucitions for these methods:
“**3. Rite of Communion under Both Kinds Using a Tube **
248. In this case the priest celebrant also uses a tube when receiving the blood of the Lord.
249. If there is a deacon, another assisting priest, or an acolyte present:
a) For the communion of the body of the Lord, everything is done as described in nos. 224 b and c.
b) The communicant goes to the minister of the chalice and stands in front of him. The minister says: The blood of Christ and the communicant responds: Amen. The communicant receives the tube from the minister, places it in the chalice, and drinks a little. The communicant then removes the tube, careful not to spill any drops, and places it in a container of water held by the minister. The communicant sips a little water to purify the tube, then puts it into another container presented by the minister.
250. If there is no deacon, other assisting priest, or acolyte present, the priest celebrant offers the chalice to each communicant in the way described already for communion from the chalice (no. 245). The minister standing next to him holds the container of water for purifying the tube.
**4. Rite of Communion under Both Kinds Using a Spoon **
251. If a deacon, another assisting priest, or an acolyte is present, he holds the chalice and, saying: The blood of Christ, ministers the blood of the Lord with a spoon to the individual communicants, who hold the plate beneath their chin. He is to take care that the spoon does not touch the lips or tongue of the communicants.
252. If there is no deacon, other assisting priest, or acolyte present, the priest celebrant himself gives them the Lord’s blood, after all receiving communion under both kinds have received the Lord’s body.”

The only mention of “tube” and/or “spoon” in the 2002 General Introduction to the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“245. The Blood of the Lord may be received either by drinking from the chalice directly, or by intinction, or by means of a tube or a spoon.”
So it is still mentioned, still an option, but it receives less detail.

The 2004 Instruction Redemptionis highlights that Conferences of Bishops may decide to remove this option:
“[103.] The norms of the Roman Missal admit the principle that in cases where Communion is administered under both kinds, “the Blood of the Lord may be received either by drinking from the chalice directly, or by intinction, or by means of a tube or a spoon”.[footnote 191: Missale Romanum, Institutio Generalis, n. 245] As regards the administering of Communion to lay members of Christ’s faithful, the Bishops may exclude Communion with the tube or the spoon where this is not the local custom, though the option of administering Communion by intinction always remains. …”