Wednesday Liturgy: Follow-up: Communion and Concelebrants
ROME, MARCH 6, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
After our remarks on Communion during concelebrations (Feb. 20) a priest from the U.S. state of Georgia sent this comment:
"I have a real problem with the idea of 'intinction.' At the Last Supper, 'Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, "Drink from it, all of you"' (Matthew 26:27). In Luke and Mark, the evidence is clearly on the taking of the cup and the sharing and drinking of the wine ... not the dipping of the bread in the wine. In the Eucharistic prayers we intone, 'Take and drink this all of you' ... the key words there are 'take' and 'drink.' These are verbal commands."
Drinking from the chalice is preferred whenever feasible. But I do not think that we should apply the biblical text as referring to precise details of the ritual, which developed over the centuries.
Otherwise we would end up questioning the legitimacy of centuries-old customs such as the Western practice of Communion under one kind alone or the custom of some Eastern Churches of Communion under both species together, using a spoon.
Rather, we should trust the interpretation of the Church which allows for intinction as a practical solution for communicating large numbers of concelebrants or when space, or the number of chalices available, is limited.
Finally an Eastern deacon sent me an interesting comment on the role of the deacon in presenting the chalice and hosts to priests during concelebrations:
"The GIRM paragraphs 242 and 246 also should be read within the context of long-standing rulings and practices of the Church as early as the Canons of the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325), ratified also at Trent:
"Canon XVIII: It has come to the knowledge of the holy and great Synod that, in some districts and cities, the deacons administer the Eucharist to the presbyters, whereas neither canon nor custom permits that they who have no right to offer should give the Body of Christ to them that do offer. And this also has been made known, that certain deacons now touch the Eucharist even before the bishops. Let all such practices be utterly done away, and let the deacons remain within their own bounds, knowing that they are the ministers of the bishop and the inferiors of the presbyters. Let them receive the Eucharist according to their order, after the presbyters, and let either the bishop or the presbyter administer to them. Furthermore, let not the deacons sit among the presbyters, for that is contrary to canon and order. And if, after this decree, any one shall refuse to obey, let him be deposed from the diaconate."
While not every detail mentioned in Canon 18 would apply to the present Roman rite, the fundamental principles remain the same even today.
After our remarks on Communion during concelebrations (Feb. 20) a priest from the U.S. state of Georgia sent this comment:
"I have a real problem with the idea of 'intinction.' At the Last Supper, 'Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, "Drink from it, all of you"' (Matthew 26:27). In Luke and Mark, the evidence is clearly on the taking of the cup and the sharing and drinking of the wine ... not the dipping of the bread in the wine. In the Eucharistic prayers we intone, 'Take and drink this all of you' ... the key words there are 'take' and 'drink.' These are verbal commands."
Drinking from the chalice is preferred whenever feasible. But I do not think that we should apply the biblical text as referring to precise details of the ritual, which developed over the centuries.
Otherwise we would end up questioning the legitimacy of centuries-old customs such as the Western practice of Communion under one kind alone or the custom of some Eastern Churches of Communion under both species together, using a spoon.
Rather, we should trust the interpretation of the Church which allows for intinction as a practical solution for communicating large numbers of concelebrants or when space, or the number of chalices available, is limited.
Finally an Eastern deacon sent me an interesting comment on the role of the deacon in presenting the chalice and hosts to priests during concelebrations:
"The GIRM paragraphs 242 and 246 also should be read within the context of long-standing rulings and practices of the Church as early as the Canons of the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325), ratified also at Trent:
"Canon XVIII: It has come to the knowledge of the holy and great Synod that, in some districts and cities, the deacons administer the Eucharist to the presbyters, whereas neither canon nor custom permits that they who have no right to offer should give the Body of Christ to them that do offer. And this also has been made known, that certain deacons now touch the Eucharist even before the bishops. Let all such practices be utterly done away, and let the deacons remain within their own bounds, knowing that they are the ministers of the bishop and the inferiors of the presbyters. Let them receive the Eucharist according to their order, after the presbyters, and let either the bishop or the presbyter administer to them. Furthermore, let not the deacons sit among the presbyters, for that is contrary to canon and order. And if, after this decree, any one shall refuse to obey, let him be deposed from the diaconate."
While not every detail mentioned in Canon 18 would apply to the present Roman rite, the fundamental principles remain the same even today.
posted by Chipi Buenafe at
9:57 AM
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