The Common Cup and Intinction

It’s impossible not to notice that at Christ’s Church almost all communicants prefer to dip (intinct) the Eucharistic bread into the common cup rather than take a sip from it.

I was talking to Cris Thorne the other day and he told me that in the past, and especially on major feasts, a large flagon of wine was consecrated so that during communion chalice bearers could have their cups re-filled by acolytes. That reflects my own memory of years past in various parishes. It’s still the practice in many of our congregations.

It was the AIDS crisis of the 1980’s onward that began to shift our communion practices. Many people, fearful of contracting AIDS from the common cup, would simply pass it by. Of course, we now know that AIDS is not contracted in this way. Then came COVID in 2020 and the common cup was removed for a short time and only the clergy received the blood of Christ.

Once the COVID crisis eased, and the restoration of the common cup was mandated by our bishop, many more people began to intinct the wafer into the chalice as a way to avoid germs. This practice is actually forbidden by our diocese because having individuals dip the wafer - and often their fingers - into the chalice is decidedly not germ free.

What do we do? I’ve not raised this issue before now because when I first arrived we didn’t know each other. Why listen to a bossy interim rector who will only be with you for a limited time. :-) I’m raising it now because to continue the practice of intinction will put your new rector in a liturgical bind. The simple solution is to resume the practice of taking a sip from the chalice. The chalice bearer wipes the inside and outside of the chalice, with a clean cloth, after each communion. (The alcohol and silver have anti-microbial qualities.) The COMMON CUP is a great symbol of our unity in Christ. We eat of one bread and drink from one cup to show our unity as a congregation in Christ. That unity isn’t disturbed by the fact that we have several communion stations (and therefore several cups). The altar is the sign of unity with its one cup and bread that must be broken.

No one is forced to receive from the cup if they don’t feel safe or if they have other contraindications. You may simply receive the bread alone and walk back to your seat or you may wish to acknowledge the cup with a slight bow of the head and then return to your seat.

I have no plan to enforce a no intinction practice. The chalice bearer will not prevent you from dipping your wafer in the wine. But please do be aware of the problems with fingers touching the wine and perhaps just give a wave of the bread over the cup. Better still, try going back to the custom of this parish and all Episcopal parishes, where the common cup is offered to ALL and not just clergy.

The link below will take you to our diocesan website and some reflections on the common cup.

Peace,

—Janet Vincent

Interim Rector

https://dioceseny.org/for-clergy/liturgical-and-sacramental/healthcare-concerns-and-liturgical-practices/