It may not be fair to blame this debacle entirely on the Lambeth Palace staff, it may well be partly due to the Recovery Group (chaired by the Bishop of London), and yet we learn from Twitter that the Diocese of London sent this letter out with the caveat: We share this paper with you because it has been made available, but would not necessarily endorse all the theological thinking behind it., As a priest in London diocese, I have to say the accompanying letter from the bishops with the wording quoted by Simon Sarmiento about not necessarily endorsing all the theological thinking behind it was quite intriguing. The guidance attached is therefore interim and further information will be sent once the work has been done in the new year. [7] In the Russian tradition the wine is placed so that it traces out a cross. Good try, but I suspect that churches which hold to the doctrine of concomitance will find this over fussy and prone to many a slip before even leaving the cup. An official website of the United States government. The practice of giving the people eucharistic communion by means of intinction has no authority in the gospel, where [we read that] he gave his disciples his body and blood: the bread was given separately and the cup was given separately. Im not a medical expert, but intinction seems to me to be a bizarre suggestion during a pandemic. Intinction is a method of administering Holy Communion in many Western Christian denominations.[1][2]. WebThe common wisdom among opponents of intinction is that it arose after the doctrine of transubstantiation, and was a method of preventing Christ's blood from spilling, and that Over here we are having only the presider/ent drink from the chalice, and everyone else simply receives the host. Germs, Viruses, and the Common Cup: Is Intinction Safer? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Here is the official opinion of the Legal Advisory Commission on While the cup is offered for drinking, most parishioners prefer to dip the host into the wine. There is further guidance where for medical reasons it is not possible for the communicant to receive on the hand. Metropolitan Mesogaias Nikolaoshas disclosed an interesting statement [17]. The above norms, however, also take into account the reality that several extraordinary ministers will usually be required when Communion is distributed under both kinds in a parish setting. The US Bishops also emphasize this point: The communicant, including the extraordinary minister, is never allowed to self-communicate, even by means of intinction. Third, in the wake of Redemptionis Sacramentum, the U.S. bishops updated their 2002 document Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion under Both Kinds in the Dioceses of the United States of America: 42. Furthermore, a balance between scientific views and respect for the spiritual needs of the believers is required. The authors concluded that the risk of the transmission of the infection through a common communion cup is negligible [11]. Q: The instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum appears to make it clear that the distribution of Communion to the lay faithful via intinction is done by a priest, but it is silent on the possibility of deacons. Science seems to stand in opposition with the concept of Holy Communion. The clergy person or lay chalice administrator may dip the edge of the host in the wine and then carefully place it on the tongue of the person receiving communion. WebHoly Communion originally referred to a specific part of the eucharistic liturgy the sharing of bread and wine and a particular aspect of its theological meaning the fellowship of the Body of Christ; over time and in some circles, however, this term has come to stand in for the sacrament as a whole. United States: Westbow Press; 2019. It was rightly made clear to me in my days at theological college that celebrating and sharing the eucharistRead more . WebIf Holy Communion is received by intinction (dipping the bread in the cup), be sure to have only the servers touch the loaf. On a purely practical note, most communion wafers even touched with wine on the extreme edge rapidly disintegrate. From there, it would pass more logically to dipping the bread into the wine. The authors reported that although intinction did not eliminate the risk, significantly reduced the hazard of infection compared to the practice of sipping from a common communion cup. In the same direction, Saint John of Damascus clarifies that the consecrated bread and wine are not symbols of the body and blood of Christ, but Christs body itself[7]. WebBritish Dictionary definitions for intinction intinction / ( ntkn) / noun Christianity the practice of dipping the Eucharistic bread into the wine at Holy Communion Origin of intinction 1 C16: from Late Latin intincti a dipping in, New Hampshire: Sophia Institute Press; 2001. The practice of the communicant dipping the host in the chalice I prefer to call dipping or dunking. Still others observe that the Lords command to drink this and not simply receive this is better signified by receiving directly from the chalice. The greatest "medicine of the soul and the body"cannot be explained with human reasoning and pure logical criteria. Clean Hands and Pure Hearts: Hygiene and Holy Rite Questions: Whats Involved in a Corpus Christi Procession? Intinction by communicants is not recommended. What sport! Those who have clean hands and pure hearts" (Psalm 24:3b-4a). However, the outcome of their discussions will take some time. In any case, care should be taken so that communicants who are moving from their places preserve physical distancing. communion - What is the basis for the practice of Intinction (the The Eucharistic practice in the Orthodox faith consists of dipping the consecrated bread into the chalice together with the consecrated wine [1]. These cups may not be recyclable in some communities (despite the claims of vendors to the contrary), are not delivered in sanitary packaging, do not generally stand up well under washing conditions (those labeled "boilable" are nearly as expensive as glass and are not designed to last as long), and, by being disposable, are not designed for a reverent disposition of remaining juice. b) If Communion from the chalice is done by intinction, the hosts should be neither too thin nor too small, but rather a little thicker than usual, so that after being intincted partly into the Blood of Christ they can still be easily distributed. He, at least, should have realised there are a lot of sensitivities around this issue. The president should take care to avoid the possibility of surplus wine dripping from the bread at the time of administration. Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies Manangan LP, Sehulster LM, Chiarello L, Simonds DN, Jarvis WR. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. Social distancing policies have been implemented in order to avoid public gathering. The issue of the potential transmission of infectious diseases through the Holy Communion has given rise to a growing number of research efforts since the late 19th century [11]. However, the risk is considerably lower compared to other conditions of social gathering. Are deacons able to distribute Communion via intinction? Intinction refers to a way of administering the Lords Supper. 287. The antiseptic properties of alcohol and precious metals aside, it seems strange to suggest this as a more hygienic alternative to reception in the usual manner during a pandemic when manual transmission seems an important element of cross-contamination. For those unfamiliar with the practice, intinction is the dipping of the consecrated host into the Precious Blood and then receiving the intincted host in holy Distribution of holy communion to the lay faithful in the Roman Rite can take place in a number of ways: either by drinking from the chalice directly, or by intinction, or by means of a tube or a spoon (General Instruction of the Roman Missal [=GIRM] 245). to instead say Bishops may wish to invite the clergy in their diocese to use this procedure. Remarkably, Streptococcus Pyogenes swabbed from the polished surface of the chalice died of rapidly [12]. During the meal, Christ instructed his disciplines to eat and drink in his memory, saying that bread is his body and wine is his blood. On the other hand, a host may drip the Precious Blood, although current intinction vessels lessen this danger. A: Intinction is the practice of dipping the consecrated host into the Precious Blood and then receiving the intincted host in Holy Communion. Yes, it was and the plague was worst in the summer, if I remember right, i.e. The mystery of Eucharist, also called Holy Communion has been instituted by Jesus Christ before his death [3]. Perhaps the priest receiving in one kind allows this to be met. From the part of the science, the common communion cup may serve as a potential vehicle for transmission. National Library of Medicine Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Year A - Lectionary Planning Notes, The Path of the Disciple: Imagining a New Reality The communicant stands at the place of communion and holds out hand(s). government site. Crypto-Baptists meanwhile will no doubt still want their individual cups. Lawrence G. Lovasik. I could certainly see the priest using the tongs to touching the wine with the wafer before communicating someone. It is our hope and expectation that at the end of the current lockdown it will be possible for public worship in church buildings to continue. We commend this to you. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. It doubles the number of persons receiving both Body and Blood of the 5% of alcohol were used. In order to offer a balanced analysis, we also assessed theological and historical views. Isnt this all such wonderful entertainment? Where does the bishop at Lambeth fit in?. 1. The suspension of Article XXX will remain in place either because of objection to intinction or because the latest wheeze from the Recovery Group is unworkable. Is Common Communion Chalice a Public Health Threat? Despite the considerable debate on this issue, in 1998, the Centre of Disease and Control Prevention attempted to achieve a balance between scientific principles and respect for religious beliefs [13]. They reported that intinction would be a more favorable method to avoid infections [15]. Its definitely a tertiary issue and given the option of dipping my bread or not participating in communion I will always dip but I would much rather have the elements taken separately.