Sarah Mitchell
In the Catholic Church, the consecrated wine, or the Blood of Christ, is consumed during Holy Communion. However, it is typically the priest who drinks the wine, while the congregation receives only the consecrated bread, or the Body of Christ. This practice differs from Protestant denominations, where the congregation usually receives both the bread and wine as symbols of Christ's body and blood. While the Catholic Church traditionally restricted laymen from taking wine during communion, the Vatican eased these restrictions in 1970, allowing local bishops to decide whether to offer communion under both kinds. Nevertheless, the belief that bread alone represents Christ's body and blood remains a fundamental aspect of Catholic dogma.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who receives wine at communion? | The priest or clergy |
| Who doesn't receive wine at communion? | The believers, or laity |
| Why don't believers receive wine at communion? | It is not necessary; parishes are often not designed for smooth distribution of both bread and wine; it is unhygienic and risky to spill |
| Which Catholic churches offer wine at communion? | Byzantine Rite Catholic Church; some Eastern Catholic Churches; some Latin Catholic Churches |
| Which Catholic churches don't offer wine at communion? | Roman Rite of the Catholic Church; some Latin Catholic Churches |
| What is the wine at communion? | Pure grape wine, sometimes minimally fermented |
| What is the wine mixed with? | A small quantity of water; in the Byzantine Rite, hot water is added shortly before communion |
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What You'll Learn
- In the Roman Rite, Communion is administered as wine or by intinction
- The Byzantine Rite uses a spoon to administer consecrated wine and bread
- The Council of Trent taught that receiving the host or chalice provides the fullness of Jesus
- The Vatican relaxed restrictions on wine at communion in 1970
- The wine must be pure grape wine, naturally fermented, and alcoholic
In the Roman Rite, Communion is administered as wine or by intinction
In the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, Communion is administered in the form of wine, either by drinking directly from the chalice or by intinction. Intinction is a method in which the priest partially dips the consecrated bread into the consecrated wine and then places it in the communicant's mouth. The use of a silver tube (fistula in Latin) or a spoon, as in the Byzantine Rite, was also mentioned in editions of the Roman Missal published between 1970 and 2000.
The Catholic Church's understanding of the Eucharist is reflected in this practice. The Church teaches that Christ is present in his entirety ("body and blood, soul and divinity") in both the bread and wine after consecration. Thus, receiving Communion under the species of bread alone is sufficient to receive all the fruit of Eucharistic grace. This manner of receiving Communion has been established as the most common form in the Latin rite for pastoral reasons, such as easy distribution, especially to large congregations, and protecting the Precious Blood from profanation.
The practice of only the priest drinking wine during Communion can be traced back to the Council of Trent, which taught that receiving either the host or the chalice provides the fullness of Jesus' body, blood, soul, and divinity. It is not necessary for the faithful to drink from the chalice, and the layout of many parishes does not facilitate the smooth reception of both species.
In the Byzantine Rite of the Eastern Orthodox Church and some Eastern Catholic Churches and Lutheran Churches, the normal method is to use a spoon to administer the consecrated wine together with a portion of the consecrated bread that has been placed in the chalice. This practice developed to avoid spilling the Blood of Christ. The majority of liturgical churches, including the Catholic Church, require that sacramental wine be pure grape wine, and in Eastern Christianity, it is usually red to better symbolize its transformation into the blood of Christ during the Eucharist.
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The Byzantine Rite uses a spoon to administer consecrated wine and bread
In the Byzantine Rite, the Lamb (Host) is cut into smaller portions and placed in the Chalice. The communicants are then given some of the consecrated wine along with a piece of the consecrated bread using a spoon. This method of administering Communion is also known as intinction.
The use of a spoon for Communion arose out of the need to avoid spilling the consecrated wine, which is believed to be the Blood of Christ. The spoon is a sanctified object, and only a deacon or someone of a higher rank is allowed to touch it.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches, the clergy continued to drink the consecrated wine directly from the chalice. However, the Byzantine Rite, used in some Eastern Catholic Churches and Eastern Lutheran Churches, employs the use of a spoon to administer Communion.
The Byzantine Rite also involves the addition of hot water, referred to as the zeon (Greek for "boiling"), to the consecrated wine before Communion. This practice, which originated in the ancient Mediterranean, symbolises the mystery of Christ's human and divine natures, his unity with the Church, and the flow of blood and water from Christ's side at his death.
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The Council of Trent taught that receiving the host or chalice provides the fullness of Jesus
The Catholic Church teaches that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ at the consecration and that Christ is present "body and blood, soul and divinity" in both items. The Council of Trent taught that receiving either the host or the chalice provides the fullness of Jesus' body, blood, soul, and divinity. This is because, by the words of consecration, Christ's Body is under the appearance of bread, and His Blood is under the appearance of wine. The Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ form one indivisible Person, and must be found together. This is known as concomitance in Catholic theology.
The Catholic Church generally adheres to the rule that all wine for sacramental use must be pure grape wine and alcoholic. However, there are some circumstances where wine that is only minimally fermented, called mustum, may be used. In the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, Communion is administered under the form of wine either by drinking directly from the chalice or by intinction, where the priest partially dips the consecrated bread into the wine and then places it in the communicant's mouth. In the Byzantine Rite of the Eastern Orthodox Church and some Eastern Catholic Churches, the normal method is to use a spoon to give the communicant some of the consecrated wine together with a portion of the consecrated bread that has been placed in the chalice.
The practice of receiving communion under both kinds (i.e. bread and wine) is more common in the Eastern rites of the Catholic Church. In the Latin rite, which is the most common form, communion is usually received under the species of bread alone. This manner of receiving communion has been established for pastoral reasons, such as the easy distribution of Holy Communion, particularly to large congregations, and protecting the Precious Blood from being profaned. Hosts may be dropped and easily recovered, but the consecrated wine is more easily spilled and cannot easily be recovered.
While the Catholic Church teaches that receiving either the host or the chalice provides the fullness of Jesus, in practice, it is more common for the priest to be the only one who drinks the wine during Mass. This is because many parishes are not designed in a way that permits the smooth reception of both bread and wine for the congregation. Additionally, after the Second Vatican Council, there was a return to more widespread sharing of both bread and wine in the Latin Catholic Church, but this practice has been questioned in recent years due to hygiene concerns, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Vatican relaxed restrictions on wine at communion in 1970
In the Catholic Church, the Eucharist or communion is usually made available to the lay congregation that attends public masses. However, in many countries, the congregation is only offered communion in the form of bread, which is mystically transformed into the Body of Christ. The chalice of wine, which is mystically transformed into the Blood of Christ, is reserved for the priest celebrating the Eucharist to consume.
In the Early Church, both the clergy and laity received the consecrated wine by drinking from the chalice after receiving a portion of the consecrated bread. However, due to various factors, including the difficulty of obtaining wine in Northern European countries, drinking from the chalice became restricted mainly to the celebrating priest.
In the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, Communion can be administered under the form of wine either by drinking directly from the chalice or by intinction, where the priest partially dips the consecrated bread into the consecrated wine and then places it in the communicant's mouth. In the Byzantine Rite of the Eastern Orthodox Church and some Eastern Catholic Churches, the normal method is to use a spoon to give the communicant some of the consecrated wine along with a portion of the consecrated bread that has been placed in the chalice.
While the Catholic Church generally adheres to the rule that sacramental wine must be pure grape wine and alcoholic, there are exceptions. For example, in some circumstances, it may be necessary to use a wine that is only minimally fermented, called mustum. Additionally, in some Christian churches, such as Methodist Churches, grape juice is substituted for wine due to the disapproval of alcohol consumption.
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The wine must be pure grape wine, naturally fermented, and alcoholic
The Catholic Church generally adheres to the rule that wine for sacramental use must be pure grape wine and alcoholic. This means that the wine must be naturally fermented with nothing added to it, and the wine itself cannot have soured or turned to vinegar. It also cannot contain any artificial additives, such as preservatives or flavours. The use of pure grape wine is also normative in Lutheran Churches.
The requirement for the wine to be pure grape wine is a criterion that has been laid down over the centuries for wine to be considered appropriate for use in the Eucharist. In most liturgical churches, such as the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church, sacramental wine must be pure grape wine. However, in some Christian churches, such as Methodist Churches, alcohol consumption is disapproved of, and grape juice is substituted for wine.
In the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, Communion is administered under the form of wine either by drinking directly from the chalice or by intinction, where the priest partially dips the consecrated bread into the wine and then places it in the communicant's mouth. In the Byzantine Rite of the Eastern Orthodox Church and some Eastern Catholic Churches, the normal method is to use a spoon to give the communicant some of the consecrated wine along with a portion of the consecrated bread that has been placed in the chalice.
The Catholic Church teaches that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ at consecration and that Christ is present "body and blood, soul and divinity" in both items. It is believed that receiving either the host or the chalice provides the fullness of Jesus' body, blood, soul, and divinity. Therefore, while receiving both bread and wine is not required to receive the fullness of the sacrament, the sign of communion is considered more complete when given under both kinds.
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Frequently asked questions
Catholics may receive wine at communion, but it is not necessary. In the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, Communion is administered under the form of wine either by drinking directly from the chalice or by intinction, where the priest partially dips the consecrated bread into the wine and then places it in the communicant's mouth.
The Catholic Church teaches that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ at the consecration and that Christ is sacramentally present under each species. Therefore, receiving communion under the species of bread alone makes it possible to receive all the fruit of Eucharistic grace. Pastoral reasons for this tradition include the easy distribution of Holy Communion, especially to large congregations, and protecting the Precious Blood from being profaned.
The Council of Trent taught that receiving either the host or wine from the chalice, one receives the fullness of Jesus' body, blood, soul, and divinity. Receiving both species is not required to receive the fullness of the sacrament. The faithful usually do not receive from the chalice because it is unnecessary, and many parishes are not designed to permit the smooth reception of both species.
In the Eastern rites, it is usual to receive communion under both kinds. In the Byzantine Rite, the normal method is to use a spoon to give the communicant some of the consecrated wine together with a portion of the consecrated bread that has been placed in the chalice.
