Sacreligious Sighting (gross!)

[Dave1982]

First off, although this happened in church, the religion angle only enters into it for background. I do not want to see this turned into a religious debate of any kind.

I was at church with my mother this past Sunday, and as we normally do, we sit towards the front.

So after communion I'm kneeling in my pew with my eyes closed when I heard coughing and sputtering. I opened my eyes and there was some schlub choking on the communion wine..........and coughing and spewing DIRECTLY BACK INTO THE CHALICE!

Not only did he quite thoroughly contaminate an entire chalic full of wine, but he also spilled a bunch on the floor. It was horrifying not just from a spiritual angle but from a basic health & hygiene angle as well.
e
Seriously, you don't *have* to have a sip of communion wine; the host alone is quite sufficient. If you don't like the taste of wine or otherwise can't handle it or are ill DON'T DRINK IT!

Because of this, they had to shut down that communion station and the poor Eucharistic Minister had to explain it to the Priest. Oh, and because he was forced to use a Purificator (a type of white towel which is the only thing allowed to be used on chalices/communion wine) to wipe up the spill, someone's going to have an extra fun time when laundry time comes.

Ugh.....I wanted to smack the guy that did it. Luckily, we were in church so I just closed my eyes again and ignored him as he went back to his pew.

[Sapphire Silk]

Could it be when he drank the wine, it went down the wrong pipe?

[Kheldarson]

It could be that, but if it were that bad, he drank too much. You're only supposed to have a sip of wine.

[Becks]

Could it be when he drank the wine, it went down the wrong pipe?

Even if that were the case, you don't spew it back into the chalice.

[Dave1982]

Even if that were the case, you don't spew it back into the chalice.

Exactly. That's just inconsiderate and gross.

[Sheldonrs]

Could it have been because ...HE IS SATAN?!!!!! :-)

[Mystic]

Ours uses small personal cups as well as the chalice, you can choose which you want to use.

Me? I use the little personal cups for this very reason. :P

[MoonCat]

OK, I can see that it was gross, but I'm guessing it happened by accident. I've had small sips go down the wrong way and start off a major coughing fit. It actually happened to me just last Friday, I stopped to buy a bottle of wine on my way home from work. The owner of the shop offered me a taste of something I was looking at, I took one small sip and immediately started to cough. It just hit me the wrong way. However, I've learned that with liquids, the best thing to do is to swallow very carefully and usually I can stop myself from spitting it all over the place.

This guy probably just couldn't stop himself, and it happened too fast for the priest to move the chalice out of his way.

[Kogarashi]

I will say, this is one reason I'm grateful my denomination's version of communion (though by a different name) uses plain tap water instead of wine, and in individual disposable cups (sip-sized). You're generally not contaminating anything if the incident in the OP happens, and clean-up is hassle-free.

But anyway, yeah, even if it was just an accident, he probably should've aimed away from the chalice instead of back in. Oops.

[fireheart]

Ummm dumb question-do kids drink the wine?

(was brought up Uniting Church of Australia which doesn't do communion)

[XCashier]

I can't speak for the OP, but I've attended several churches throughout my life, and only one used the chalice; the rest used the individual cups (a little larger than a thimble) with maybe a teaspoon of wine in them, just enough to taste. That tiny amount, plus the fact that most of them used either a low-alcohol wine or plain grape juice, should not harm a child.

[Legal Eagle]

(my experience is with Church or England which is protestant, other denominations may vary)

Children who have been confirmed can take communion wine, it is sipped literally just to taste. There are exceptions in licensing/under age drinking laws to allow this.

[Sapphire Silk]

Ummm dumb question-do kids drink the wine?

(was brought up Uniting Church of Australia which doesn't do communion)

Some churches use grape juice. Some use individual cups, other (esp Catholic in my admittedly limited experience) use the chalice.

[Mystic]

Ummm dumb question-do kids drink the wine?

(was brought up Uniting Church of Australia which doesn't do communion)

Kids in mine (Lutheran, USA) are given wine in communion after they are through confirmation class, usually between ages 11-12. Prior to that, they are given a blessing by the pastor as he walks by as you can only take communion in our church if you understand the symbolism behind it.

[Flying Grype]

I was raised Anglican. My first Communion was at age 7, and I got the bread but not the wine until I was confirmed at 13. After that I got both. There was a big beautiful chalice and I was told to just let the wine touch my lips and tongue. The priest would wipe the rim of the chalice with a cloth in between people.

Regarding hygiene, I stopped going to church around age 17 (around 1994), but up until then the chalice was used as described above in that church. Whenever I've been to church with my husband's family within the last five years we're given a wafer and told to dip it in the wine. That way nobody's germs get spread around.