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Original poster

Any catholics on here who can answer a question for me?

136 replies

TrySleepingWithABrokenHeart · 15/12/2019 10:39

I go to church every Sunday and although I take communion, I don’t have the wine.

Is this disrespectful of me? Or is this optional?

I feel like I have a strange fear of it for some reason. I also struggle to share cups etc with other people so the combination of these two things is the reason why.

I definitely don’t want to be disrespectful so I’d be really grateful for your opinions on this. Thanks.

OP posts:
Looneytune253 · 15/12/2019 12:04

Wow it's the norm at our church (not catholic tho but Anglican ). Some people dip their bread (wafer) in the wine instead but it's preferred you drink it

KnightandDay · 15/12/2019 12:07

The only person I know who takes the wine is my cousin who is coeliac.
Do whatever you feel is right for you.

soupforbrains · 15/12/2019 12:08

I'm catholic born and bred and my mum teaches adult converts in the 'ways' of Catholicism.

The wine is 100% optional. You are in no way being disrespectful. In fact in some churches it has been known that they don't serve the wine at all (only prepare a tiny amount for the ceremony which the priest consumes himself) due to problems with homeless alcoholics trying to get a 'fix'

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Philosophy & religion
JFDI2019 · 15/12/2019 12:11

I wonder if this a British catholic thing? I'm Irish, and have been to thousands of masses in dozens of different churches, and the congregation has never, ever in my experience been offered wine, only communion. Only the priests and ministers of the Eucharist take the wine.

Toddlerteaplease · 15/12/2019 12:24

If you are catholic, you should know that it is not wine, but the Precious Blood! But it is entirely optional if you consume it.

soupforbrains · 15/12/2019 12:24

Definitely not just British.

In Ireland things were changed to attempt to inhibit/not encourage alcoholism. So the norm changed.

But wine has been offered in most catholic masses I have been to in France, spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany and Belgium, so perhaps predominantly a European thing? Or possibly only the 'norm' in historically catholic European countries? Though I've also had wine served at masses in Kenya, Uganda and the Congo in Africa And also in Australia.

Toddlerteaplease · 15/12/2019 12:25

@Honeybee85 it doesn't symbolise. It is the body of Christ. (In the RC church anyway)

Toddlerteaplease · 15/12/2019 12:26

@ShamblyChristmas intinction is banned.

MamaFlintstone · 15/12/2019 12:27

Most people take the wine at communion at my church, but no one would be bothered if someone didn’t. I generally don’t as I’ve got toddler DD in one arm (who I take with me for a blessing from the priest) and would need two hands for the chalice.

I remember when they stopped sharing the communion wine during the swine flu outbreak too and that does make me think about the germy element of it...

DioneTheDiabolist · 15/12/2019 12:28

At my local Catholic Church the wine is available for coeliacs, everyone else just takes the bread.

happypotamus · 15/12/2019 12:32

It's strange how different things are. I am a practising Catholic. At my church the wine is available for everyone at every mass (every Sunday mass, not been to many at other times) and I think most people take some. There are gluten-free hosts available according to the newsletter, but I don't know how they are kept seperate from the other hosts to avoid contamination or how the priest knows who should have which one.

Arnoldthecat · 15/12/2019 12:34

Maybe gluten free to the left, non gluten free hosts to the right ?

ShamblyChristmas · 15/12/2019 12:36

Intinction is banned.

Not where I live Todderteaplease which is a very Catholic country in Europe.

It's a very sensible and practical solution to this issue.

AnFiadhRuaRua · 15/12/2019 12:37

The Catholic church doesnt recognise anglican first communion so although roman catholics are welcome to take communion at an anglican church the reverse is not true. Charming!

NannyR · 15/12/2019 12:38

I was brought up Catholic and when I made my first communion it was bread only, but when I was a teenager (30 odd years ago) there was a big thing (in our diocese anyway), about how everyone should take both bread and wine and since then there has always been a Eucharistic minister stood to the side of the priest with the wine.

53rdWay · 15/12/2019 12:40

About 1 in 5 people take the wine at my church. Nobody’s bothered whether you do or not.

NannyR · 15/12/2019 12:41

Catholics are not allowed to take communion in an Anglican church - the Anglican church would allow them to and welcome them but their Catholic beliefs would prevent them from taking communion.

IdiotInDisguise · 15/12/2019 12:47

It doesn’t matter at all.

Babdoc · 15/12/2019 12:47

In my church (Church of Scotland) we only do Communion three times a year. The wine is served to your pew in individual glasses, so there's no risk of germs from a shared chalice, and we have real bread, not wafers.
Everyone is welcome to partake, and we all do.
I think only having it thrice yearly makes it a bit more of a special ceremonial event, with an atmosphere of reverence.

Savingshoes · 15/12/2019 12:55

"One can receive only the Body of Christ, and because it is ENTIRELY and completely Him, there is no need to receive His Precious Blood as well... It is not required to receive Holy Communion under both species"

Stolen from a Catholic forum... there goes the 8th, off to confession. Xmas Wink

ParkheadParadise · 15/12/2019 13:42

This thread reminds me of my mum.
In the care home the Priest would come once a Month for Mass. When they gave out communion they always gave the residents some water in case they would choke.
My mum had dementia she asked the Priest if it was Whisky, He told her it was holy water she was adamant that she only drank whisky not water. Next thing all the residents are asking for whisky.
He did promise to bring whisky the next month 😂😂

TalbotAMan · 15/12/2019 13:50

The wine is optional. Until about 30 years ago it was extremely rare for wine to be offered to the congregation.

I'm pretty well detached from the church, but on those rare occasions when I do go, since I was diagnosed as coeliac I only take the wine.

ThePrincessButtercup · 15/12/2019 13:51

It’s entirely optional how you take the Eucharist, the only thing that seems disrespectful, as an RC is referring to the Precious Blood as wine. As @Toddlerteaplease pointed out, it’s not wine any more by that point.

TheCanterburyWhales · 15/12/2019 13:51

I'm in Italy and the wine is never offered to the congregation or the people helping out the priest with the wafers. Only the priest drinks the wine.

The children took a teensy sip at their own HC as others have said, but not at any masses afterwards.
I don't know about other countries. It always strikes me as quite amusing that the church in Italy is probably a lot less rigid than in other countries. You hear "oooh they wouldn't like that, oooh they wouldn't let you do that" and here at least, it's just not the case.

I'm not catholic, but go to mass, and discussed my not taking HC ever for that reason with the priest. He basically said "so what? you can still come up if you want, the modern church doesn't differentiate"

He's been promoted now and is at the Vatican.

Toddlerteaplease · 15/12/2019 13:55

@ThePrincessButtercup I was horrified when a Eucharistic minister once said: " I forgot to give X their wine." Something had clearly gone wrong In her formation. Communion under both kinds was only introduced in my parish.( the cathedral)

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