Eucharist

There is only one Eucharist, one Body, one Lord, one faith, one Baptism. The Jesus whom we receive in Communion is the same Jesus Who gave Himself to the disciples at the Last Supper, Who gave Himself to the Father on the Cross, and Who has continued to give Himself, whole and entire, to every member of His Body at every time and in every place where the Church celebrates the Eucharist. All who are in Communion with Him are in communion with each other.

Receiving Communion under Both Kinds

Olmsted Controversy

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix statement: "Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds."

In the Diocese of Phoenix, like other places where the practice of reception from the chalice became frequent or even commonplace, the new norms call for the practice of less frequent distribution of Holy Communion under both kinds than the faithful may have been accustomed.

Though these norms are for the universal Church, latitude is given to the local bishop to apply them for his particular diocese. In the Diocese of Phoenix, the norms provide for the distribution of Holy Communion under both kinds for special feast days and other important occasions (e.g, the Chrism Mass, Holy Thursday, the Feast of Corpus Christi, retreats, spiritual gatherings, weddings, and more).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches in paragraph 1390, “Since Christ is sacramentally present under each of the species, communion under the species of bread alone makes it possible to receive all the fruit of the Eucharistic grace.”

• Phoenix Diocese FAQ about Bishop Olmsted's decision.

Christ’s blood must be received if He is to be received “whole and entire.” He is risen from the dead, and we know that His body, blood, and human soul are all united in harmony with His divinity, even if we don’t know exactly how this works. His body and blood cannot be separated. Jesus is not re-crucified at a Catholic Mass; His body and blood are not ripped apart once again. The key point is this: under the form of bread, a communicant receives Jesus Himself — body, blood, soul, and divinity; under the form of wine, a communicant receives Jesus Himself — body, blood, soul, and divinity. The priest will say “Body of Christ” or “Blood of Christ” when he distributes Holy Communion, but these expressions do not exhaust the reality of what and Who is received. The identical though invisible reality (Christ Himself) is received under both forms, though the visible forms each provide key symbols of the reality.

As highlighted in the GIRM, the practical need to avoid obscuring the role of the priest and the deacon as the ordinary ministers of Holy Communion by an excessive use of extraordinary (or lay) ministers might in some circumstances constitute a reason for limiting the distribution of Holy Communion under both species. This is explained in the GIRM, paragraph 24.

We have had special permission to experiment with Holy Communion under both forms for 25 years. The practice of both forms became very common in certain parts of this country, including parishes in Arizona. However, the vast majority of the parishes throughout the world have not had Communion under both forms. From the broadest, most inclusive perspective, the new norms are a great expansion of the practice. But it is true, from the more narrow perspective of a very small segment of the Catholic population, the norms could seem like a restriction. You can see, then, how the new norms will promote unity of practice around the world, even as it challenges almost every parish in the world to update its normal liturgical life. The norms invite us as U.S. Catholics to a more global and inclusive perspective, especially with those poor countries which cannot afford large amounts of wine for frequent usage.

• "Phoenix Diocese's limit on wine a major change in Mass."
• "Catholic bishop to limit Eucharist to under one kind."