Communion Cup

[FaithT]

I’ve heard from two Catholic women that you can’t catch anything from the shared Communion Cup because God wouldn’t let it happen. Can you? What if someone with a cold sore drinks before me? Covid?
I took the Cup Saturday because only one person drank before me.

 

[RileyG]

It’s a personal preference, and yes, you can become sick but I think the alcohol kills most of the germs.

In my diocese, the precious blood is almost never served, except on rare occasions. Then it’s entirely by intinction. (The host is dipped in the precious blood, then put directly into the mouth).

 

[Bob Crowley]

The chance of getting infected from a shared communion cup appears to be negligible.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016344538896029X#:~:text=There%20is%20substantial%20evidence%20that,cup%20has%20ever%20been%20reported.

There is substantial evidence that neither infection with hepatitis B virus nor HIV can be transmitted directly via saliva so that indirect transmission via inanimate objects is even less likely. No episode of disease attributable to the shared communion cup has ever been reported. Currently available data do not provide any support for suggesting that the practice of sharing a common communion cup should be abandoned because it might spread infection.

 

[RileyG]

The chance of getting infected from a shared communion cup appears to be negligible.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016344538896029X#:~:text=There%20is%20substantial%20evidence%20that,cup%20has%20ever%20been%20reported.

I’m not surprised at all!

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Back when I had a blood infection, the infectious disease doctor asked if I had dental work recently? I had not.
However, I was minister of the cup almost weekly. When I mentioned this to the doctor, he was opposed it. He
said all it would take is for a person with a broken tooth or some other bacteria to receive from the same cup
to pass it along and cause a blood infection in me. He didn't say it was the cause of my blood infection, but
I had to eliminate sources. FYI, I was in the hospital for a week and half and with the blood infection and it hit
my bi-cusped aortic valve. I ended up having open heart surgery and having the valve replaced. I now have a
pig valve in my heart.

Now I can not receive from the cup at all and I'm on two heart medications.

You do the math for yourself.

 

[FaithT]

It’s a personal preference, and yes, you can become sick but I think the alcohol kills most of the germs.

In my diocese, the precious blood is almost never served, except on rare occasions. Then it’s entirely by intinction. (The host is dipped in the precious blood, then put directly into the mouth).

I wish my church did it by intinction. The pew where my friend and I sit isn’t up front but close enough and there aren’t that many people ahead of us. Or me. My friend is an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, and sometimes she does that. I kept an eye out for how many are taking the cup and will continue to do so.

 

[FaithT]

The chance of getting infected from a shared communion cup appears to be negligible.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016344538896029X#:~:text=There%20is%20substantial%20evidence%20that,cup%20has%20ever%20been%20reported.

I’m mainly concerned that someone with a cold sore will take it before me. I asked my friend (the one who is an EMHC) what she’d do if someone with a cold sore come up to her line and she said she would just give them a blessing and not the cup. Can an EMHC even give a blessing?

 

[Michie]

I’m mainly concerned that someone with a cold sore will take it before me. I asked my friend (the one who is an EMHC) what she’d do if someone with a cold sore come up to her line and she said she would just give them a blessing and not the cup. Can an EMHC even give a blessing?

They are not supposed to.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are to not to bless the person, but should offer a very brief prayer of spiritual Communion, such as “May Christ be always in your heart” or “Receive Christ in your heart.”

https://nolacatholic.org/documents/2019/8/FAQEMHC.pdf

 

[FaithT]

They are not supposed to.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are to not to bless the person, but should offer a very brief prayer of spiritual Communion, such as “May Christ be always in your heart” or “Receive Christ in your heart.”

https://nolacatholic.org/documents/2019/8/FAQEMHC.pdf

Maybe that’s what she meant.

 

[Michie]

Maybe that’s what she meant.

I don’t know. I’d ask just out of curiosity.

 

[Bob Crowley]

I’m mainly concerned that someone with a cold sore will take it before me. I asked my friend (the one who is an EMHC) what she’d do if someone with a cold sore come up to her line and she said she would just give them a blessing and not the cup. Can an EMHC even give a blessing?

While I'm convinced that the chances of getting an infection from the communion cup are almost nil, if I had the flu, cold or facial blemish I wouldn't drink from the cup for the sake of others.

If I had a cold or flu I wouldn't even be in church.

Meanwhile I'll keep taking from the communion cup which we use in our parish, and always have done other than in the Covid years (we even had numbered spaces on the seats so we weren't sitting too close together).

 

[FaithT]

I don’t know. I’d ask just out of curiosity.

I’ll ask her. I dont want her to know that I’m talking about her to strangers on the internet so I just told her it was my understanding that Eucharistic Ministers (that’s what we call them) can’t offer a blessing but can offer a brief prayer. I asked her if that was correct. I texted my question so I probably won’t hear back from her until tomorrow.

 

[FaithT]

I added “like”’receive Christ in your heart’. “I think it’s called a spiritual Communion.”

 

[Gnarwhal]

I think the way ministers are trained to handle the chalice is the best way to keep it clean from germs.

I never receive from the chalice though, mainly because it wasn't offered for centuries and still isn't in the Latin Mass (even though I go to a Novus Ordo). My parish never resumed offering the chalice after COVID. My priest said it's because they need to build up a new supply of sacramental wine and re-train the ministers to offer the chalice again.

 

[RileyG]

I think the way ministers are trained to handle the chalice is the best way to keep it clean from germs.

I never receive from the chalice though, mainly because it wasn't offered for centuries and still isn't in the Latin Mass (even though I go to a Novus Ordo). My parish never resumed offering the chalice after COVID. My priest said it's because they need to build up a new supply of sacramental wine and re-train the ministers to offer the chalice again.

My parish where I grew up used Franzia Chillable Red Wine for the Precious Blood. It lasted for months.

Ironically, I love drinking (the un-consecrated boxed wine) it for fun. Doesn't remind me of holy communion these days at all.

I think a monastery I used to go to used bottled red wine.

 

[FaithT]

I added “like”’receive Christ in your heart’. “I think it’s called a spiritual Communion.”

She answered with a simple “yes”, meaning that’s what she was talking about.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

When I was minister of the cup, I have no doubt that people who had colds still received.

The grosses thing that I often witnessed was a parishioner who had a large bristle style
mustache. I knew when he took a sip from the cup, the hairs from the bottom of his
mustache would get into the precious blood. Nothing I could say or do could change
this.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

When I was minister of the cup, I have no doubt that people who had colds still received.

The grosses thing that I often witnessed was a parishioner who had a large bristle style
mustache. I knew when he took a sip from the cup, the hairs from the bottom of his
mustache would get into the precious blood. Nothing I could say or do could change
this.

And that is enough for me to forego the cup.

 

[Michie]

We get Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in each species. So if anyone wants to forego the chalice, you are not missing anything.

 

[RileyG]

When I was minister of the cup, I have no doubt that people who had colds still received.

The grosses thing that I often witnessed was a parishioner who had a large bristle style
mustache. I knew when he took a sip from the cup, the hairs from the bottom of his
mustache would get into the precious blood. Nothing I could say or do could change
this.

Yuck!