Vessels

[just_4_him]

Yesterday as I was teaching my sixth grade class on communion and the real presence of Christ at the Eucharist, I put in a video to help illustrate some of my points. This was a video provided by the text book company to go with the unit I teaching. In the video, there were several errors shown. The first was the use of crystal for the vessels and cups for the Prescious Blood and the Ciborium for the Blessed Sacrament. I was under the impression that the vessels were to be of prescious metal…What is the deal?

The second was after the priest concecrated the wine he then poured the Prescious Blood into other vessels for distribution. This was not allowed at one time. Did this change?

What is the apporopriate form if several cups are needed for EMHC?

 

[Marauder]

just 4 him:

The first was the use of crystal for the vessels and cups for the Prescious Blood and the Ciborium for the Blessed Sacrament. I was under the impression that the vessels were to be of prescious metal…What is the deal?

There is actually debate on this particular topic. The appropriate section of the GIRM says the following:
GIRM:

1. In the Dioceses of the United States of America, sacred vessels may also be made from other solid materials that, according to the common estimation in each region, are precious, for example, ebony or other hard woods, provided that such materials are suited to sacred use and do not easily break or deteriorate. This applies to all vessels which hold the hosts, such as the paten, the ciborium, the pyx, the monstrance, and other things of this kind.
2. As regards chalices and other vessels that are intended to serve as receptacles for the Blood of the Lord, they are to have bowls of nonabsorbent material. The base, on the other hand, may be made of other solid and worthy materials.

Depending on how you read this, crystal may or may not be appropriate. Glass is not appropriate because it is not precious and easily breakable. A strong, expensive, crystal set COULD fit the requirements but some people say it does, others don’t. It would be up to the judgement of the Bishop as the final say.

The second was after the priest concecrated the wine he then poured the Prescious Blood into other vessels for distribution. This was not allowed at one time. Did this change?

This is actually a change/clarification from previous times. Apparently in the US the bishops had received a previous document from the Vatican that a deacon or priest could pour the precious blood into seperate containers. With the recent release of the new GIRM and RS, this is no longer appropriate. The US is asking for clarification. This is more complicated then it sounds, due to several aspects of canon law.

Now if you go by the new regulations, if you need multiple chalices, the wine needs to be poured into seperate chalices before it is consecrated.

 

[kmktexas]

The vessels are supposed to be of nobel metal. There are some allowances for other nobel materials if they are locally considered to be nobel and are unbreakable. There was a time in the not-too-distant past that some bishops were ok’ing crystal on the grounds that fine crystal is a nobel substance. There was no real way to say that crystal was unbreakable and the new Redemptionis Sacramentum document pretty much rules out glass or anything like it.

The fractioning of the Precious Blood after the consecration was allowed in the US, with permission, for some time. The new RS document says it shouldn’t be done. The Bishops asked for permission to keep this option and were denied. They may or may not be asking this to be reconsidered (depending on the source you check). You can search the forums for more of that particular discussion.

I have had similar problems with some of the CCE texts. For something like this, which is just really an outdated video, you can just explain the differences to your class. I do that anyway with the Mass video I use. It doesn’t contain anything illicit, just a few things that are done differently.

Depending on which text series you are using, this could be the least of the problems you find. Good luck.

 

[kmktexas]

Oops Marauder and I were typing at the same time. Sorry.

 

[asquared]

the video you saw probably was made in the 70s or early 80s when these practices were considered okay, which is why RS had to be published and the GIRM had to be rewritten to counteract such problems.

 

[just_4_him]

asquared:

the video you saw probably was made in the 70s or early 80s when these practices were considered okay, which is why RS had to be published and the GIRM had to be rewritten to counteract such problems.

This series was actually produced in the late 90’s…it is supposed to be the best out there.

 

[kmktexas]

This series was actually produced in the late 90’s…it is supposed to be the best out there.

So there’s your answer. RS just came out earlier this year. You may want to check with the textbook publisher. They may have published a suplement to cover the current practices.