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Hi, guys —
Every Sunday, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is celebrated at my local
hospital. Prior to the Mass is a Protestant service. In both the Holy
Mass and Protestant service, the same chalice and paten are used. This
does not seem right to me. I have approached the priest about my concern
but he assures me, this is acceptable, as both are Christian services,
but I am not convinced.
I have searched for Church teaching on this matter but, so far, I have
been unable to find anything to prove whether this practice is right
or wrong. I was hoping that you could point me in the right direction so that
I may find something definite on this matter.
If what the priest is doing is wrong, it would be good to have something
concrete in writing to show him.
Yours in Christ,
Aidan O'Sullivan
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John replied:
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Hi, Aidan —
Thanks for your question.
This is one of those matters I don't think (and I could be wrong) is
directly addressed by canon law. It wouldn't be part of the teaching of
the Church either. It's one of those things that probably hasn't come
up too often and therefore has not really been addressed by the Church.
It's seems intuitively wrong. The sacred vessels used for the liturgy
are reserved for that purpose only. You can't use a wine glass as a chalice.
It's not something that invalidates the sacrament, but it is illicit.
The best place to start is to call the diocese's office of worship and
ask them. You can be indirect if you like. Don't tell them, at first,
where this is taking place. Let them answer whether this sort of practice
is appropriate.
Once you get your answer, then you can tell them where it's happening.
Hopefully they will address it themselves and that might be an easier
pill for the priest to swallow. Some priests don't like being corrected
by laity.
John
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