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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Alcoholics and Melkite Communion dipped in wine	Jonathan	Sunday, February 12, 2012
Question: Dear Br. Ignatius Mary, My father is a recovering alcoholic. We went to the Melkite liturgy today and he commented after, "I want to ask the priest if he can give me the Communion without dipping it into the wine." I personally believe he seems to be taking the alcoholic label he has placed on himself a bit too far. My logic is that he is turning away both the Body and Blood of our Savior to sustain his attachment to this persona he has grown a sort of affinity to. To add to that I emphatically stated to him that the wine was no longer wine but the Blood of Christ. Could this even be personally heretical? He asserted in this respect that the taste is then the problem. It seems to me he places more faith in his helplessness and disease and consequently the power of the alcohol and even the taste of it over the saving grace of Christ and the power of His Body and Blood. I earnestly feel this may have negative psychological and spiritual consequences for him. Mind you I am coming from having been an alcoholic of sorts myself and I have since been cured. I can drink a glass of wine or a beer (maybe but rarely two) and I simply don't want anymore. More over I have a sincere aversion to the simple thought of being intoxicated. So perhaps I am being unreasonably biased though I don't think this is the case. What are your thoughts on this Brother?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), L.Th., D.D. Dear Jonathan: The accidentals of the bread and wine remain bread and wine. It is the substance of the bread and wine that becomes the Real Presence. Thus the bread and wine will look like bread and wine and taste like bread and wine, including the alcoholic content of the wine which remains in the consecrated wine.. I agree with you that alcoholism is not a disease, and it certainly is not incurable. People have and do recover from alcoholism sufficiently that they are able to drink moderately like any other person. You apparently are an example of that. For some people they never make it to the point you have made and thus even the taste of it can be a trigger. If your father feels like this is a potential trigger, then that must be respected. Your father will not be turning away from the Body and Blood of Jesus by receiving our Lord only under the species of bread. At one time Our Lord under the species of the wine was never offered to the laity. To offer our Lord under both species is a rather modern development around 100 years old. Since receiving under both the species of Bread and the species of Wine forms a more complete image of the Body and the Blood, the Church began to allow it if the faithful were properly catechized to understand the the Body and Blood of our Lord is completely present in each species by itself. Thus, in receiving our Lord under the species of Bread we are also receiving His blood, even if we do not partake of the consecrated wine. I never receive under both species. I receive only our Lord under the species of Bread. I do that because a medical condition doesn't make it prudent. Since receiving under both species is not required by the Church, and since the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity is fully present under the form of Bread by itself, and it is fully present in the form of Wine by itself, I choose to only receive under the species of Bread. If someone, like your father, should not have alcohol touch his lips then your father may receive under the species of the Bread alone. He is still getting our Lord's Body and Blood by receiving the Bread alone. He should talk with his pastor and explain the he wishes to received our Lord only under the species of Bread. This is not a problem. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Alcoholics and Melkite Communion dipped in wine

Jonathan

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Question:

Dear Br. Ignatius Mary,

My father is a recovering alcoholic. We went to the Melkite liturgy today and he commented after, "I want to ask the priest if he can give me the Communion without dipping it into the wine."

I personally believe he seems to be taking the alcoholic label he has placed on himself a bit too far. My logic is that he is turning away both the Body and Blood of our Savior to sustain his attachment to this persona he has grown a sort of affinity to. To add to that I emphatically stated to him that the wine was no longer wine but the Blood of Christ. Could this even be personally heretical? He asserted in this respect that the taste is then the problem. It seems to me he places more faith in his helplessness and disease and consequently the power of the alcohol and even the taste of it over the saving grace of Christ and the power of His Body and Blood. I earnestly feel this may have negative psychological and spiritual consequences for him.

Mind you I am coming from having been an alcoholic of sorts myself and I have since been cured. I can drink a glass of wine or a beer (maybe but rarely two) and I simply don't want anymore. More over I have a sincere aversion to the simple thought of being intoxicated. So perhaps I am being unreasonably biased though I don't think this is the case.

What are your thoughts on this Brother?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), L.Th., D.D.

Dear Jonathan:

The accidentals of the bread and wine remain bread and wine. It is the substance of the bread and wine that becomes the Real Presence. Thus the bread and wine will look like bread and wine and taste like bread and wine, including the alcoholic content of the wine which remains in the consecrated wine..

I agree with you that alcoholism is not a disease, and it certainly is not incurable. People have and do recover from alcoholism sufficiently that they are able to drink moderately like any other person. You apparently are an example of that.

For some people they never make it to the point you have made and thus even the taste of it can be a trigger. If your father feels like this is a potential trigger, then that must be respected.

Your father will not be turning away from the Body and Blood of Jesus by receiving our Lord only under the species of bread.

At one time Our Lord under the species of the wine was never offered to the laity. To offer our Lord under both species is a rather modern development around 100 years old. Since receiving under both the species of Bread and the species of Wine forms a more complete image of the Body and the Blood, the Church began to allow it if the faithful were properly catechized to understand the the Body and Blood of our Lord is completely present in each species by itself. Thus, in receiving our Lord under the species of Bread we are also receiving His blood, even if we do not partake of the consecrated wine.

I never receive under both species. I receive only our Lord under the species of Bread. I do that because a medical condition doesn't make it prudent. Since receiving under both species is not required by the Church, and since the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity is fully present under the form of Bread by itself, and it is fully present in the form of Wine by itself, I choose to only receive under the species of Bread.

If someone, like your father, should not have alcohol touch his lips then your father may receive under the species of the Bread alone. He is still getting our Lord's Body and Blood by receiving the Bread alone.

He should talk with his pastor and explain the he wishes to received our Lord only under the species of Bread. This is not a problem.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum