To the Bishops and Delegates of the Anglican Church in North America:
In the third century, Tertullian wrote: “We feel pained should any Wine or bread, even though our own, be cast upon the ground” (The Chaplet, or De Corona, ch. 3).
This Memorial Day, I was reminded of how grievous it is to those who served our country in the military to see the flag ever touch the ground (U.S. Flag Code, §8b). I am sure we would never want to allow something so much more than a mere symbol, the Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, to be treated in such a way.
I am writing to encourage you to return the rubric regarding the treatment of the consecrated Bread and Wine that remain after communion to the original draft at the upcoming Provincial Assembly.
Original 2019 BCP Draft: Apart from that which is to be reserved, the Priest or Deacon, and other communicants, shall reverently consume the remaining Consecrated Bread and Wine either after the Ministration of Communion or after the Dismissal.
At the very least, the underlined portion of the rubric as it currently appears (below) on page 141 of the proposed 2019 book could be removed.
Current 2019 BCP Draft: If any consecrated Bread or Wine remains after the Communion, it may be set aside in a safe place for future reception. Apart from that which is to be set aside, the Priest or Deacon, and other communicants, reverently consume the remaining consecrated Bread, either after the Ministration of Communion or after the Dismissal. The wine shall likewise be consumed or reverently poured in a place set aside for that purpose.
In either case, such a change would return the rubric to conformity with the English Prayer Book of 1662 (which is the model for our edition and which we claim not to depart from in theology) and it would conform to all of the subsequent Anglican Prayer Books as well.
I outlined the argument for correcting this rubric in my Youtube video.
To summarize:
● The universal tradition of the Prayer Book, beginning with the English and continuing through the various editions of each province, has been for a rubric prescribing reverent consumption of the remaining elements of consecrated Bread and Wine (apart from that to be reserved). No rubric has ever authorized pouring the consecrated Wine on the ground or into the piscina/sacrarium.
● Such action is considered a sacrilege in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. For comparison, if any of the sacrament were to accidentally spill upon the carpet during the administration of communion, that carpet is removed and burned (much like a flag that has been desecrated). Imagine the action that would be taken against someone who poured it out intentionally.
● For Roman Catholics, pouring the consecrated Wine into the piscina/sacrarium is considered “throwing away” the Sacrament, according to Canon 1367 and incurs the penalty of an automatic excommunication reserved to the Holy See. If a cleric does this, he can also be defrocked. This interpretation of the canon was confirmed by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith in paragraph 107 of the document Remptionis Sacramentum, issued to deal with common liturgical abuses.
It is true that mishandling the consecrated Wine is a common liturgical abuse, but the proper way to handle it is with awareness, training, and discipline, rather than by changing the liturgical law to accommodate the abuse. The piscina/sacrarium is only used for the disposal of ashes, salt, and water and never for the Precious Blood.
The Christians of the early centuries had a great love of our Lord in the blessed Sacrament. Some were even martyred to protect it, just as they laid down their lives to protect the holy Scriptures. Think of the devotional writings on the Holy Communion of our own great Anglican divines like Lancelot Andrewes, Jeremy Taylor, John Cosin, Herbert Thorndike, Richard Hooker, and more. I can’t imagine any one of them ever pouring the Precious Blood of Christ upon the ground.
I implore you to correct this rubric in the upcoming Provincial Assembly. We need to get it right this time, rather than wait another 50 to 100 years for the next revision. And frankly, if we can fix the typo in the table of contents, we can surely fix this.
Appendix: Rubrics from the Anglican Prayer Books
1637 Book of Common Prayer (Scottish) And if any of the Bread and Wine remain, which is consecrated, it shall be reverently eaten and drunk by such of the communicants only as the Presbyter which celebrates shall take unto him, but it shall not be carried out of the Church. And to the end that there be little left, he that officiates is required to consecrate with the least, and then if there be want, the words of consecration may be repeated again, over more, either bread or wine: the Presbyter beginning at the words in the prayer of consecration (our Saviour in the night that he was betrayed, took, &c.)
1662 Book of Common Prayer (Church of England) And if any of the Bread and Wine remain unconsecrated, the Curate shall have it to his own use: but if any remain of that which was consecrated, it shall not be carried out of the Church, but the Priest, and such other of the Communicants as he shall then call unto him, shall, immediately after the Blessing, reverently eat and drink the same.
1789 Book of Common Prayer – (American) And if any of the consecrated Bread and Wine remain after the Communion, it shall not be carried out of the Church; but the Minister and other Communicants shall, immediately after the Blessing, reverently eat and drink the same.
1892 Book of Common Prayer (American)And if any of the consecrated Bread and Wine remain after the Communion it shall not be carried out of the Church; but the Minister and other Communicants shall, immediately after the Blessing, reverently eat and drink the same.
1928 Book of Common Prayer (American)And if any of the consecrated Bread and Wine remain after the Communion, it shall not be carried out of the Church; but the Minister and other Communicants shall, immediately after the Blessing, reverently eat and drink the same.
1979 Book of Common Prayer (American)If any of the consecrated Bread or Wine remain, apart from any which may be required for the Communion of the sick, or of others who for weighty cause could not be present at the celebration, or for the administration of Communion by a deacon to a congregation when no priest is available, the celebrant or deacon, and other communicants, reverently eat and drink it, either after the Communion of the people or after the Dismissal.
2019 Book of Common Prayer Proposed (Anglican Church in North America)If any consecrated Bread or Wine remains after the Communion, it may be set aside in a safe place for future reception. Apart from that which is to be set aside, the Priest or Deacon, and other communicants, reverently consume the remaining consecrated Bread, either after the Ministration of Communion or after the Dismissal. The wine shall likewise be consumed or reverently poured in a place set aside for that purpose.
In the third century, Tertullian wrote: “We feel pained should any Wine or bread, even though our own, be cast upon the ground” (The Chaplet, or De Corona, ch. 3).
This Memorial Day, I was reminded of how grievous it is to those who served our country in the military to see the flag ever touch the ground (U.S. Flag Code, §8b). I am sure we would never want to allow something so much more than a mere symbol, the Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, to be treated in such a way.
I am writing to encourage you to return the rubric regarding the treatment of the consecrated Bread and Wine that remain after communion to the original draft at the upcoming Provincial Assembly.
Original 2019 BCP Draft: Apart from that which is to be reserved, the Priest or Deacon, and other communicants, shall reverently consume the remaining Consecrated Bread and Wine either after the Ministration of Communion or after the Dismissal.
At the very least, the underlined portion of the rubric as it currently appears (below) on page 141 of the proposed 2019 book could be removed.
Current 2019 BCP Draft: If any consecrated Bread or Wine remains after the Communion, it may be set aside in a safe place for future reception. Apart from that which is to be set aside, the Priest or Deacon, and other communicants, reverently consume the remaining consecrated Bread, either after the Ministration of Communion or after the Dismissal. The wine shall likewise be consumed or reverently poured in a place set aside for that purpose.
In either case, such a change would return the rubric to conformity with the English Prayer Book of 1662 (which is the model for our edition and which we claim not to depart from in theology) and it would conform to all of the subsequent Anglican Prayer Books as well.
I outlined the argument for correcting this rubric in my Youtube video.
To summarize:
● The universal tradition of the Prayer Book, beginning with the English and continuing through the various editions of each province, has been for a rubric prescribing reverent consumption of the remaining elements of consecrated Bread and Wine (apart from that to be reserved). No rubric has ever authorized pouring the consecrated Wine on the ground or into the piscina/sacrarium.
● Such action is considered a sacrilege in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. For comparison, if any of the sacrament were to accidentally spill upon the carpet during the administration of communion, that carpet is removed and burned (much like a flag that has been desecrated). Imagine the action that would be taken against someone who poured it out intentionally.
● For Roman Catholics, pouring the consecrated Wine into the piscina/sacrarium is considered “throwing away” the Sacrament, according to Canon 1367 and incurs the penalty of an automatic excommunication reserved to the Holy See. If a cleric does this, he can also be defrocked. This interpretation of the canon was confirmed by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith in paragraph 107 of the document Remptionis Sacramentum, issued to deal with common liturgical abuses.
It is true that mishandling the consecrated Wine is a common liturgical abuse, but the proper way to handle it is with awareness, training, and discipline, rather than by changing the liturgical law to accommodate the abuse. The piscina/sacrarium is only used for the disposal of ashes, salt, and water and never for the Precious Blood.
The Christians of the early centuries had a great love of our Lord in the blessed Sacrament. Some were even martyred to protect it, just as they laid down their lives to protect the holy Scriptures. Think of the devotional writings on the Holy Communion of our own great Anglican divines like Lancelot Andrewes, Jeremy Taylor, John Cosin, Herbert Thorndike, Richard Hooker, and more. I can’t imagine any one of them ever pouring the Precious Blood of Christ upon the ground.
I implore you to correct this rubric in the upcoming Provincial Assembly. We need to get it right this time, rather than wait another 50 to 100 years for the next revision. And frankly, if we can fix the typo in the table of contents, we can surely fix this.
Appendix: Rubrics from the Anglican Prayer Books
1637 Book of Common Prayer (Scottish) And if any of the Bread and Wine remain, which is consecrated, it shall be reverently eaten and drunk by such of the communicants only as the Presbyter which celebrates shall take unto him, but it shall not be carried out of the Church. And to the end that there be little left, he that officiates is required to consecrate with the least, and then if there be want, the words of consecration may be repeated again, over more, either bread or wine: the Presbyter beginning at the words in the prayer of consecration (our Saviour in the night that he was betrayed, took, &c.)
1662 Book of Common Prayer (Church of England) And if any of the Bread and Wine remain unconsecrated, the Curate shall have it to his own use: but if any remain of that which was consecrated, it shall not be carried out of the Church, but the Priest, and such other of the Communicants as he shall then call unto him, shall, immediately after the Blessing, reverently eat and drink the same.
1789 Book of Common Prayer – (American) And if any of the consecrated Bread and Wine remain after the Communion, it shall not be carried out of the Church; but the Minister and other Communicants shall, immediately after the Blessing, reverently eat and drink the same.
1892 Book of Common Prayer (American)And if any of the consecrated Bread and Wine remain after the Communion it shall not be carried out of the Church; but the Minister and other Communicants shall, immediately after the Blessing, reverently eat and drink the same.
1928 Book of Common Prayer (American)And if any of the consecrated Bread and Wine remain after the Communion, it shall not be carried out of the Church; but the Minister and other Communicants shall, immediately after the Blessing, reverently eat and drink the same.
1979 Book of Common Prayer (American)If any of the consecrated Bread or Wine remain, apart from any which may be required for the Communion of the sick, or of others who for weighty cause could not be present at the celebration, or for the administration of Communion by a deacon to a congregation when no priest is available, the celebrant or deacon, and other communicants, reverently eat and drink it, either after the Communion of the people or after the Dismissal.
2019 Book of Common Prayer Proposed (Anglican Church in North America)If any consecrated Bread or Wine remains after the Communion, it may be set aside in a safe place for future reception. Apart from that which is to be set aside, the Priest or Deacon, and other communicants, reverently consume the remaining consecrated Bread, either after the Ministration of Communion or after the Dismissal. The wine shall likewise be consumed or reverently poured in a place set aside for that purpose.
