Shared communion cup

I haven't ever been to a Catholic or Methodist service, but am interested in how people do their faiths. I knew that Catholics believe in transubstantiation.....and I wouldn't have thought that covid would change anything. This is a faith who do not use contraception, after all- so they trust God for His will and for life to emerge- or not. I'm interested, I just don't understand a lot of things.

For Catholics it's not symbolic - they believe in transubstantiation and take it very seriously.

I attended a Catholic memorial service for a former patient along with some colleagues. As people were going up for communion I asked the colleague next to me why she wasn't going, she replied that she couldn't because hadn't been to confession recently, so all serious stuff. But it can set aside on account of government guidelines; I'm surprised people obeyed!

Riverwalk The French Catholic priest very rarely gives the chalice to the congregation.

Riverwalk, faith doesn't protect you from health and safety guidelines set by the diocese. The authorities didn't want to risk being responsible for the passing on of infection. It was a while before we could start having communion at all, let alone indoor services.

Not having wine at communion is perfectly valid - as I said above, communion in one kind (i.e. the bread only) is just as valid as having both.

When I said Aids, someone at home said "You can't get AIDS from a shared cup" and I said "what about bleeding gums or a mouth ulcer?".

I think it is an act of faith, that you're trusting nothing bad will happen to you as a result of sharing the cup. At least, that's been my (probably pedantic) view in the past, well before covid was known about.

I definitely think dipping is the way forward if people can't have separate cups- but also cannot see why it can't be blessed in one cup- and then decanted into separate cups to keep things hygenic? Technically then everyone drinking from the little cups would also have drunk from the chalice, if it had been poured there after being blessed?

That's really interesting question Riverwalk presumably the issue which has split the C of E and the RC churches for centuries would still apply. The C of Es wouldn't share because the wine is symbolic and no miracle occurs, so it's just wine with spit, but the RC says it becomes Christ's blood, which presumably is immaculate and incorruptible so should be safe to share.

Our church was closed due to structural problems as well as due to lockdown, Smileless, so there were times when we couldn't go in to ring the bell. There were also times when we could and, I think it was for the last of the clapping series, one of the local youngsters was driven round filming people clapping etc, and the church bell was ringing.

I don't think the rules were different for our diocese, we just took the opportunity when we were allowed to.

Sorry should have said, anti-viral as well as anti-bacterial.

Both silver and red wine have anti-bacterial properties, especially silver, but I can see why you think this may not be enough in current circumstances. In our church the vicar says he’s very happy if people just take the wafer, as nothing is lost in symbolic terms.

Exactly an act of faith, which can be so easily derailed by guidelines?

Guidelines are not law, and in the unlikely event there was a law, no one would be prosecuted for taking communion surely.

Ringing the church bells is neither here nor there, presumably this is cultural rather than sacred, but I'm back to my ponderings as to why the devout have so easily dropped such an important spiritual act to comply with 'guidelines'.

Does your faith not override such things and defend you from a bit of spittle?

This was when the church was closed Septimia and not being opened at all accept for necessary maintenance. Maybe there were differences in the rules depending on the Diocese.

I'm not aware that drinking from a shared cup is an act of faith Onward, it's only a sip and the cup is wiped. Our C of E vicar doesn't think we'll be drinking from the same cup any time soon, if ever.

In our CofE church, we've been having communion 'in one kind' for months, ever since communion has been allowed again. It's perfectly valid to only have the bread.

We've just reached the stage of having the wafers intincted with wine. So far as I know, having the wine and, especially, the shared cup is not yet approved.

The use of individual cups isn't favoured because, following what happened at the Last Supper, the cup is supposed to be shared.

We rang our church bell a number of times during the pandemic, including for the NHS. When the buildig was allowed to be open for private prayer DH rang the bell when unlocking or locking the building.

I understand that the chalice is now permitted again, though my church is not yet offering it, but my cathedral is. It is of course optional. I can’t see myself wanting to partake. I have always felt it was too risky, though I am assured that alcohol and silver will neutralise germs.
Non- Anglican churches often use individual cups, but the symbolism of sharing a common cup, as happened at the Last Supper, is thereby lost.

That's interesting Onward, I've only ever seen that in the Methodist service of Communion.

(Obviously I didn't set out to upset someone, but asked a question innocently in the light of covid changing people's rituals)

I think it is and always has been an act of faith to drink from a shared cup. After all, AIDS, Hepatitis.... etc...

I have found that Some people IRL (not on Gransnet) get very upset if you ask about Communion. Especially if you suggest that they use little individual cups to be more hygenic... I am not sure why this is forbidden , but apparently , it is.

We have no choice but to follow the guidelines Riverwalk. The service of Holy Communion remains as sacred as it's always been.

When there was clapping for the NHS, Mr. S. asked if he could ring our church bell at 8.00pm (he sometimes does during the service) but was told he wasn't allowed in even though he'd have been in there on his own.

Smileless2012

The changes that have been implemented because of Covid have been to adhere to Government guidelines Riverwalk, and aren't about an individuals faith or the meaning of the Communion service.

I know about the guidelines Smileless but I was thinking on a higher plane here!

Something once so sacred versus guidelines?

Dipping seems a very good compromise indeed Smileless and as Riverwalk says I think communion is an integral part of faith for many Christians. I am not Catholic, but did watch a Catholic service at Easter and saw no wine, but only a wafer. I could have blinked and missed it?

The changes that have been implemented because of Covid have been to adhere to Government guidelines Riverwalk, and aren't about an individuals faith or the meaning of the Communion service.

The minister in our church dips the wafer into the communion cup. We've only recently started kneeling at the alter which I have to say I have missed.

Yes, it is wiped Polly but that itself probably isn't sufficient.

Just thinking out loud here as I'm not religious and have never taken communion.

From what I know the taking of wine and wafer are integral to the faith and for Catholics it really is the body and blood of Christ, and has been a ritual for two thousand years so why in the face of Covid would you give up something formerly deemed essential and sacred?

Has anyone ever knowingly caught a disease after communion?

Polly73

Is the cup / chalice wiped (cleaned) between each person?

Yes, it’s wiped, but there are varying degrees of wiping.

When I was younger, the then vicar gave the chalice a really vigorous clean between each person, but some clergy do a really feeble dab.

I know which method I prefer.

I wouldn't be surprised if people start wanting to sit in the front pews all of a sudden (haha)