What does your church do with unusable communion bread?

[Jig]

There exists many examples of communion bread becoming unsuitable for consumption. A piece could have fallen to the ground and become dirty, a piece could go stale/moldy, a piece could have been spit out by an child or elderly person who is unwilling or unable to swallow it, etc.

What would your church do with this bread? Still consume it? Throw it in the trash? Feed it to the birds? Bury it? Burn it?

I personally would just toss it in the trash. Of course, I don't subscribe to the idea that it has transformed into Christ's flesh. I'm curious to see what those who believe in real presence do with non-consumable communion bread/wine.

 

[Cappadocious]

If it is still edible (non toxic) it is typically eaten by the present presiding bishop and/or presbtyers.

If it is not edible anymore, it is burned or buried. Buried is most common, I think.

 

[Erose]

1. The proper way of disposing of a Consecrated Host is to:

A. In a situation where a communicant drops the Sacred Host on the floor in the Church when receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion, he should pick it up and consume it immediately.

B. In the case where a priest or eucharistic minister served the Sacred Host to an elderly in a Senior's Home and the senior spit it out, being unable to swallow it, the Sacred Host should be collected in a piece of linen and returned to the parish for the priest to dispose of it.

C. To dispose of a Sacred Host, the priest or eucharistic minister must dissolve it in water to the point where the Host no longer has the appearance of bread. This may require that the Host be broken up in pieces prior to placing it in water.

D. The next step is to pour the liquid down the sacristies sacrarium (a special sink with a drain going directly into the ground, not the sewer). When such is not available, the liquid should be poured on the ground in a location that would not be walked over, such as behind a flower bed that is along a wall, at the foot of a statue or similar places.

Q. 2. What about in a situation where the Sacred Host is not properly disposed in accordance to the teachings of the Catholic Church?

A. 2. The Catholic Church Canon Law # 1367 states: "One who throws away the consecrated species or, for a sacrilegious purpose, takes them away or keeps them, incurs a latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See; a cleric, moreover, may be punished with some other penalty, not excluding dismissal from the clerical state."

In other words, he or she who knows that it is wrong, and throws away the Consecrated Host in the garbage or uses other degrading methods, is automatically excommunicated from the Catholic Church. The only way to have this excommunication lifted is for the person to go to confession and ask the priest to write to the Sacra Penitenzieria Apostolica in Rome, the priest asking for the faculties to absolve the person of the censure (excommunication). There are two steps involved. The person would have to return to the priest a few weeks later to find out if he received the faculties to forgive his/her sin.

This is where the priest has to write:

Sacra Penitenzieria Apostolica
His Excellency Most Rev. Luigi de Magistris
Pro-Penitentiarius
Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary
00120 Vatican City

It should be noted that if the person DID NOT know that he/she was committing a sin by improperly disposing of the Sacred Host, then a sin WAS NOT committed. Accordingly, there is no need to obtain a censure from the excommunication that did not take place.

Frequently Asked Questions: Disposing of Consecrated HostS.

 

[Cappadocious]

ask the priest to write to the Sacra Penitenzieria Apostolica in Rome, the priest asking for the faculties to absolve the person of the censure (excommunication). There are two steps involved. The person would have to return to the priest a few weeks later to find out if he received the faculties to forgive his/her sin.

This is where the priest has to write:

Sacra Penitenzieria Apostolica
His Excellency Most Rev. Luigi de Magistris
Pro-Penitentiarius
Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary
00120 Vatican City

What grace does this department have that the local priest does not?

 

[ebia]

There exists many examples of communion bread becoming unsuitable for consumption. A piece could have fallen to the ground and become dirty, a piece could go stale/moldy, a piece could have been spit out by an child or elderly person who is unwilling or unable to swallow it, etc.

What would your church do with this bread? Still consume it? Throw it in the trash? Feed it to the birds? Bury it? Burn it?

I personally would just toss it in the trash. Of course, I don't subscribe to the idea that it has transformed into Christ's flesh. I'm curious to see what those who believe in real presence do with non-consumable communion bread/wine.

We've had hosts that have been sitting long enough to go stale - but I still consumed them. The wine smelled like it might make one sick, so I reverently poured it at the base of the church mandarine tree.


Even if you don't believe in any kind of transformation, it seems highly inappropriate to chuck in the trash something that has been dedicated to such a holy purpose.

 

[MamaZ]

I would hope they toss it. For it is not the bread nor the wine who gives us life but Christ.

 

[PaladinValer]

If it is still edible (non toxic) it is typically eaten by the present presiding bishop and/or presbtyers.

If it is not edible anymore, it is burned or buried. Buried is most common, I think.

This is what is done in Anglican churches as well.

The ground of course must be especially sanctified for the process and as such the church property is almost always used as it is blessed by the bishop.

 

[Rev Randy]

If it is still edible (non toxic) it is typically eaten by the present presiding bishop and/or presbtyers.

If it is not edible anymore, it is burned or buried. Buried is most common, I think.

True but I cannot say I've ever witnessed burning.

 

[Jig]

After the Last Supper, do you believe this sort of care was given to the bread and wine? The left overs?

 

[Rev Randy]

After the Last Supper, do you believe this sort of care was given to the bread and wine? The left overs?

I think they ate and drank all of it.
Luke 22:17 And he received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:

 

[PaladinValer]

With Christ, there is enough for all.

 

[Jig]

I think they ate and drank all of it.
Luke 22:17 And he received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:

If you've ever eaten matzah, you'd know how crumbly it is. What do you suppose they did with all the left over crumbs and wine stained cups?

 

[Rev Randy]

If you've ever eaten matzah, you'd know how crumbly it is. What do you suppose they did with all the left over crumbs and wine stained cups?

So you think they ate Matzah crackers? Like the ones they sell at Winn-dixie?

 

[Historicus]

In the United Methodist Church...

It would be returned to the earth, or if edible consumed reverently at the end of the Service if none was being taken by tbe Pastor (or those trained to do so) to those who couldn't attend (the sick, etc.). It would never be simply thrown away.

 

[Rev Randy]

In the United Methodist Church...

It would be returned to the earth, or if edible consumed reverently at the end of the Service if none was being taken by tbe Pastor (or those trained to do so) to those who couldn't attend (the sick, etc.). It would never be simply thrown away.

Who would "those trained to do so" be comprised of?

 

[abysmul]

I'd be interested in seeing scriptural/Biblical support for these various practices.

 

[ebia]

I'd be interested in seeing scriptural/Biblical support for these various practices.

That we should treat that which has been dedicated to God with reverence? Start with reading up on the ark of the covenant.

 

[Rev Randy]

I'd be interested in seeing scriptural/Biblical support for these various practices.

For dealing with the unused host, you'll be waiting a while. Most have found a way that is reverent and respectful. The Bible is basically silent on this.
Generally the priest finishes the unused portion and I doubt it became an issue until much later than the Gospels and epistles were penned.
Oddly, even through all the divisions schisms and strife, nearly all came up with very similar methods. (those celebrating the Eucharist anyway)

 

[Metal Minister]

1. The proper way of disposing of a Consecrated Host is to:

A. In a situation where a communicant drops the Sacred Host on the floor in the Church when receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion, he should pick it up and consume it immediately.

Kind of a "Holy 5 Second Rule"? lol, I kid, I kid!

 

[Rev Randy]

Kind of a "Holy 5 Second Rule"? lol, I kid, I kid!

now who is having too much fun?