SPLIT: Leaving the chalice unattended during distribution

[Evan]

One thing to keep in mind is that the decision must be made before the consecration.

You cannot leave the Body or Blood of Christ unattended on the altar while communion is being distributed.

You cannot pour the Blood from one chalice into another.

So there must be a, Bishop, Priest, Deacon, or EMHC for each chalice containing the Blood of Christ.

 

[Elizium23]

You cannot leave the Body or Blood of Christ unattended on the altar while communion is being distributed.

So there must be a, Bishop, Priest, Deacon, or EMHC for each chalice containing the Blood of Christ.

That is extremely odd. Because at practically every Mass I have ever been to since my childhood at which Holy Communion was under the species of bread only, the priest has always left the chalice on the altar during distribution. Commonly in my current parish, the priest takes one sip to complete the sacrifice and then finishes the rest after distribution, before purifying the vessels. So you are telling me this is irregular? Is there a citation to liturgical law you can provide as proof? What would you suggest as the liturgically correct thing to do with a chalice that is intended for nobody else but the priest?

 

[Evan]

That is extremely odd. Because at practically every Mass I have ever been to since my childhood at which Holy Communion was under the species of bread only, the priest has always left the chalice on the altar during distribution. Commonly in my current parish, the priest takes one sip to complete the sacrifice and then finishes the rest after distribution, before purifying the vessels. So you are telling me this is irregular? Is there a citation to liturgical law you can provide as proof? What would you suggest as the liturgically correct thing to do with a chalice that is intended for nobody else but the priest?

The priest consumes all the Blood. What he leaves on the altar is the vessel to be purified after the distribution of communion. During the purification he pours additional water into the vessel and that is what he consumes after communion.

 

[Jean_Anthony]

aaa

 

[Gorgias]

Elizium23:

in my current parish, the priest takes one sip to complete the sacrifice and then finishes the rest after distribution, before purifying the vessels.

The priest consumes all the Blood. What he leaves on the altar is the vessel to be purified after the distribution of communion. During the purification he pours additional water into the vessel and that is what he consumes after communion.

Evan,

Elizium is claiming that his priest consumes from the chalice before purifying, not during purification…

Taking a look through the GIRM, I don’t see anything that suggests that the priest must consume all the Precious Blood that’s in his chalice prior to distributing communion.

 

[Evan]

Evan,

Elizium is claiming that his priest consumes from the chalice before purifying, not during purification…

Taking a look through the GIRM, I don’t see anything that suggests that the priest must consume all the Precious Blood that’s in his chalice prior to distributing communion.

That is odd. I’ve never seen a priest leave any of the Blood of Christ in his personal chalice to be consumed after distribution.

 

[Gorgias]

That is odd. I’ve never seen a priest leave any of the Blood of Christ in his personal chalice to be consumed after distribution.

I don’t think I’ve seen it either. I think that the Eucharist is not to be left unattended at the altar during distribution, which would imply that neither is a chalice with the Precious Blood; but I can’t find any document that states this as a norm of any sort. Perhaps it’s just an unspoken custom?

 

[Brigid34]

That is odd. I’ve never seen a priest leave any of the Blood of Christ in his personal chalice to be consumed after distribution.

Leaving the rest of the Blood to be consumed after distribution is almost the only way I’ve seen it.

 

[Evan]

Leaving the rest of the Blood to be consumed after distribution is almost the only way I’ve seen it.

Why would there be any Blood left? Why would the priest not consume all that is there since nobody else is going to consume it? Maybe you could ask your priest if there is Blood in the chalice while he is distributing communion to the assembly. That might clear it up for us.

What I said above about not leaving it unattended is something I was taught during EMHC training. But it is similar to not leaving the Body during adoration unattended. Someone should always be there, too.

 

[TimothyH]

Just because someone isn’t hovering over the altar doesn’t mean that the Blessed Sacrament is unattended.

A good server is conscious of what is happening in the sanctuary when they serve, even at the biggest solemnities. If there is a good, attentive altar server in the sanctuary then the Blessed Sacrament might attended even if the altar server isn’t standing right next to the altar.

-Tim-

 

[agapewolf]

Why would there be any Blood left? Why would the priest not consume all that is there since nobody else is going to consume it? Maybe you could ask your priest if there is Blood in the chalice while he is distributing communion to the assembly. That might clear it up for us.

What I said above about not leaving it unattended is something I was taught during EMHC training. But it is similar to not leaving the Body during adoration unattended. Someone should always be there, too.

Walking around to the front of the altar and forward a few steps is NOT “leaving the altar unattended”. Also, the tabernacle doors are often open at this time, and there may be a luna with the Body of Christ in the tabernacle (as well as hosts from a previous mass). This is not leaving them unattended being 25 feet vs 5 ft.

 

[TimothyH]

Walking around to the front of the altar and forward a few steps is NOT “leaving the altar unattended”. Also, the tabernacle doors are often open at this time, and there may be a luna with the Body of Christ in the tabernacle (as well as hosts from a previous mass). This is not leaving them unattended being 25 feet vs 5 ft.

That is a good point. There is typically a luna containing the Blessed Sacrament for the monstrance left in the tabernacle.

-Tim-

 

[FAB]

One thing to keep in mind is that the decision must be made before the consecration.

You cannot leave the Body or Blood of Christ unattended on the altar while communion is being distributed.

You cannot pour the Blood from one chalice into another.

So there must be a, Bishop, Priest, Deacon, or EMHC for each chalice containing the Blood of Christ.

There is nothing I know that prevents the blood from being “unattended” during distribution of communion. The RITE only says that all the precious blood must be consumed and cannot be stored.
Deacon Frank