Inspired by "cashiers" thread - for those churches with "common cup", do you par

[Deb in IA]

With a nasty cold and flu season already upon us, if you go to a church with a common cup for communion (Episcopal, Roman Catholic, others?), do YOU put your mouth where others have drunk from the cup?

Our priest (Episcopal) recently made an announcment that this policy was recently reviewed. The bottom line is that they think the alcohol in the wine kills most all bacteria and viruses. The practice they really discourage is intinction - dipping the bread or wafer into the wine - because they think the contamination from fingers is worse.

I've also read that church officials are encouraging clergy to merely drop the host into the palms of the communicants, and not touching their hands, but our priest still has this annoying habit of almost clasping my hands when I receive.

I used to intinct, but since they don't like that, I just receive the host and skip the wine these days. Official church doctrine says that I can receive full communion with taking only the host, so I'm good with that, for now.

How about anyone else? What are you doing?

[Angelhalo]

our church uses intinction. We dip. I don't think anyone dips their whole finger into the cup though, just the tip of the bread, and children aren't allowed to dip their own bread for that specific reason. The pastor and other helpers who tear and hand you the bread all use anti-bacterial gel before they begin the process and they never touch anyone else's hands. I would not drink from a common cup. Gross.

[VillageMama]

Originally Posted by Deb in IA

I've also read that church officials are encouraging clergy to merely drop the host into the palms of the communicants,

I think I just had a heart-attack.

Our priest would never risk dropping the Holy Eucharist onto the floor. We receive on the tongue... if it's done properly, there is no contact between fingers and mouth.

This season I am reluctantly avoiding receiving from the chalice because of the spreading of germs. Normally I don't worry about it but normally there isn't a swine flu hysteria.

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Yes I do--but not now b/c I am pregnant. I don't consume the blood/wine at mass since it has alcohol and I don't know--I'm just weird about that even though it is miniscule.


When the swine-flu first became a pandemic, our diocese stopped offering the blood. I think only the priest had it to keep it within the mass. But they didn't offer it to the congregation and we also at that time stopped holding hands for the our father and shaking hands for passing of the peace.

[BeachGirlFLA]

I never took the wine when I went to church.

[minniecarousel]

Yeah, they don't allow "dipping" at my Church either. We receive Communion from Eucharistic Ministers, who each use a squirt of hand sanitizer before they handle the chalice.

I haven't sipped from the communal wine chalice in years, for that very "germy" reason. They wipe in between each sipper, but I still don't like to drink from it.

[Deb in IA]

Originally Posted by VillageMama

We receive on the tongue...

That has been strongly discouraged, in our church, as it has the highest risk of contamination.


(And frankly, I wouldn't want anyone's hands in my mouth, if its been in everyone else's.)

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Originally Posted by Deb in IA

That has been strongly discouraged, in our church, as it has the highest risk of contamination.


(And frankly, I wouldn't want anyone's hands in my mouth, if its been in everyone else's.)

I only do that if I don't have both hands available to receive it. (i.e. when I am holding an infant.)

That is preferred in situations like that so that you don't risk dropping the host and I only see people do that who are in those situations.

I just wish when that happens that i don't get someone who feels they need to put their whole hand in my mouth to make sure I have a good handle on it.

I now use pouches, so when I have an infant I dont' have to worry about that anymore and both hands are free.

[Mouse House Mama]

You mean the Mono Cup?
No way on earth I would drink from a cup that a bunch of strangers drank from. Nasty! I wouldn't do it as a kid, I won't do it as an adult, and I wouldn't let my kids do it when the time comes either. Gross! I don't care who blessed it. There is nothing remotely sanitary about it.
Blech!

[VillageMama]

Originally Posted by Deb in IA

That (receiving on the tongue) has been strongly discouraged, in our church, as it has the highest risk of contamination.

It needn't. Like I said, there should be no contact between fingers and mouth. (We receive on the tongue for theological reasons, though. My hands have not been consecrated and, thus, are not suitable for touching the Holy Eucharist.)

In doing research on the reception of Holy Communion and the tansmission of germs, I saw a quote that you are more at risk at handling the money in the collection basket.

I like to think that our church does a good job of avoiding the spreading of germs. Only the priest distributes Holy Communion and he sanitizes his hands first. We do not hold hands during the Our Father because it is a liturgical abuse.

We do, however, have the kiss of peace. It has been recommended that we stick with a happy hand wave of peace.

[diesel]

I don't like in the Catholic Church that you shake hands with a bunch of people then when you get communion in your hand you then take it out of the palm of your hand and put it in your mouth. Your had is so dirty from shaking strangers hands.

[Silent1CB]

Its been on the news here, so I thought ALL churches nationwide were taking precautions. No?

Here, the hand shaking is temporarily discontinued.
The holy water needs to be changed & cleaned every day.
No sharing of wine. Last few times, wine has NOT been offered. Just for the priest.

And the priest has a BIG bottle of Purell on the alter that he lathers up with before touching communion wafers. (Its actually a little funny seeing the bottle on the alter.)
Dropping wafers into open hands. No touching.

At my DH's church, they only do communion once a month. And when they do, you stay in your seat, and the wine is passed in tiny little cups on a tray with little holes for the cups. You take a cup, & pass the tray. Its been like this for at least 35 years.

[Disneefun]

Our church does the tiny individual cup thing (always has), but you go up to receive your cup and the person handing it out is wearing "cafeteria worker" gloves. And now the priest wears gloves, too when he handles the wafers. Drops in to open palms, no touching, and the hand shaking has been suspended until further notice.

[jx3smom]

Our church (Lutheran) has always given the option of the Common cup or indivdual ones and I've always opted for the individual.

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Originally Posted by Deb in IA

That has been strongly discouraged, in our church, as it has the highest risk of contamination.


(And frankly, I wouldn't want anyone's hands in my mouth, if its been in everyone else's.)

I'm with you. I don't drink from the chalice and the priest drops it in my hands. My hands are regular size and they use a platten (?) underneath. The altar servers are trained to catch the hosts. DD is one. And my old priest hated having to put it in people's mouths. He never said anything but you could see by his expression and he seemed to toss it into the person's mouth. It was pretty funny.