www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Use of plastic spoons in Divine Liturgy

Without getting into specifics, I've seen it. Has anybody else ever come across this?

what is the plastic spoon used for?

Tacky--like using a paper cup for a chalice and a paper plate for a diskos. What next? A spork for a lancia?

I believe that the general rule is only "noble materials" can be used for Eucharistic furnishings, including plate. That would mean gold or silver at a minimum (cheap gold or silver plated chalices have a nasty habit of corroding due to the acidity of the wine). The only exceptions would be cases of dire emergency--like if you are stuck in the GULAG, and that's all you've got.

I believe the Latin Church went through an unfortunate phase in which Eucharistic plate was being made out of ceramic, wood and other base materials in the mistaken belief that this better reflected Christ's "poverty". I hope they got over it.

I'm a Latin-rite Catholic and just started switching to Byzantine masses/liturgies. There was a basket of spoons being held by an assistant, and the Priest used one per communicant. The used spoons were being placed in another basket. I didn't think much of it at the time, now I'm curious what prompted this. Even if this were done for health considerations, from a ritual perspective, they still have to wash the spoons (all of them). I have no idea if they reuse them for subsequent liturgies.

Just like after the onset of AIDS, some priests and some churches got nervous and started doing things like this. We are now faced with the fear of a swine flu epidemic, so I am assuming, (as I have heard talk on Greek television about this) this is what it is about.

This displays a great lack of faith in those priests and laity.
As one priest on Greek television told the morning talk show hosts who were asking about it: with all the illnesses people have, not once has any priest, (who have to consume the left over Holy Communion), gotten sick. Period.

My priest and others who are periodically asked this question when a new contagious illness appears, have answered in exactly the same way.

In Christ,
Alice

I have never heard of anyone ever getting sick because of the communion spoon--and, serving at the altar, I've seen all sorts of things that would make you wonder, like little kids with runny noses who lick the spoon, or old people who clamp down on it and won't let go.

It was precisely fear of "les microbes"--instilled by French missionaries--that compelled the Melkite Greek Catholics to adopt communion by intinction, with the Prosphora cut up into neat little "French fry" strips dipped into the Chalice and then neatly inserted into the communicant's open mouth by the priest. Of course, far more germs are transmitted by hand than by mouth. But people don't pay much attention to science, I'm afraid.

They're generally transmitted from the mouth, to the hand, to another person. Whether the Melkite practice actually prevents this transmission is a whole other issue, however. :-P

I, for one, prefer the method of intinction and always have. Not for any health reasons, but purely as a personal stylistic preference.

Peace and God bless!

I made a serious effort to track down the Melkite usage and finally determined that it arose no earlier than the nineteen-thirties, and probably is even more recent in some places.

Don't know about you, but I really do not care to stick my fingers into someone's mouth - and I especially do not care to do this in the case of small children, who may bite by way of reflex.

I'll remain with my nice, consecrated, one only sterling silver Communion spoon.

I've seen the usage of plastic spoons and paper spoons. We hope that they are burned immediately and the ashes are reverently buried.

Father Georges Florovsky of holy memory once happened to replace the priest for a Sunday in a parish which used paper spoons, and the priest several times exhorted Father Georges to "remember that we use paper spoons here". He remembered; he communicated over 50 people with only one paper spoon!

Fr. Serge

Not yet, alas. In my country, most of the Hosts are placed in cheap wooden bowls.

Alice is absolutely right. I've been a priest for 42 years and have never fallen ill from consuming the Chalice.

I've noticed for the past decade or so that among certain groups the clergy are becoming a bit squeamish - instead of drinking from the Chalice at a concelebration, each priest will dip a Host into the Chalice and content himself with that! Words fail me.

Fr. Serge

Dear Father Serge,

Bless.



Thank you! It is not often that I am told that I am absolutely right!!!

Respectfully,
Alice

The blessing of the Lord!

I'm sure there are many occasions when you are absolutely right!

Fr. Serge

Then I will pile on and also say that Alice is absolutely right on this!

This Lutheran cleric is shaking his head in bewilderment.

Until the Spanish Influenza most Lutheran congregations used only a common Chalice and all who communicated drank from it. Then one of the most regretable inventions of the 20th century infiltrated the churches in the form of the "shot glasses" which were generally pre-filled before the liturgy by the Altar Guild; blessed en masse; and the glasses distributed either at the chancel rail or, worse still, simply passed down the pew like an offering plate. And as for what became of glasses blessed but unused---I shudder to think.

By the 1980's there was the slight improvement of filling each communicant's glass or plastic cup from a Chalice fitted with a pouring lip, and, in many congregations, the common Chalice had be reintroduced and received well.

Now it appears that a regression is taking place--and the eastern rites are taking the lead!

No wonder I am bewildered.

Too bad those stodgy bishops frown upon biting back.



hawk