Sacramental wine
Encyclopedia
Sacramental wine, Communion wine or altar wine is wine
obtained from grapes and intended for use in celebration of the Eucharist
(referred to also as the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion). The same wine, if intended for use in ceremonies of non-Christian religions or for ordinary use, would not normally be described by these terms.
is generally associated in some way with the Paschal
Seder
, and the Berakah, during which Kosher wine
is drunk.
Wine was used in the earliest celebrations of the Lord's Supper: "The chalice
of benediction
, which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ
? And the bread, which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord? For we, being many, are one bread, one body, all that partake of one bread."
In the Early Church both clergy and laity received the consecrated wine by drinking from the chalice, after receiving a portion of the consecrated bread.
Due to many factors, including the difficulty of obtaining wine in Northern Europe
an countries where the climate was unsuitable for growing grapes, drinking from the chalice became largely restricted in the West to the celebrating priest, while others received communion in the form of bread only. This also reduced the symbolic importance of choosing wine of red colour.
Leaders who accepted the Protestant Reformation
, such as the Lutheran
Church, insisted on use of wine in celebrating the Lord's Supper. As a reaction to this, even in those Western European countries that, while remaining Roman Catholic
had continued to give the chalice to the laity, this practice faded out, in order to emphasize Catholic belief that the whole Christ is received under either form. The Eastern Churches in full communion with Rome
continued to give the Eucharist to the faithful under the forms of both bread and wine. The twentieth century, especially after the Second Vatican Council
, saw a return to more widespread sharing in the Eucharist under the forms of both bread and wine.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church
the clergy continued to receive the consecrated wine by drinking directly from the chalice, but in order to avoid the danger of accidentally spilling some of the Blood of Christ
the practice was developed of placing the consecrated Body of Christ
in the chalice and administering Holy Communion to the faithful, under both species, with a sacramental spoon.
The Coptic Orthodox Church continues the ancient practice to this day.
, for example, sacramental wine used in the Divine Liturgy
must usually be pure red grape wine, often sweet, though this is not required. Greek churches favour the use of Mavrodaphne or Nama
, while Russian churches favour Kagor. Wines with additives, such as retsina
are not allowed.
However, some Christian churches disapprove of the consumption of alcohol
, especially by children, and hold that it is acceptable to substitute grape juice for wine (see Christianity and alcohol). These denominations include Pentecostals, Baptists, Methodists, the Salvation Army
, and other Evangelical
groups. In this case generally only pasteurized
grape juice is used, though exceptions exist.
In Eastern Christianity
sacramental wine is usually red, to better symbolize its change from wine into the blood of Jesus Christ as is believed to happen at the table of the Eucharist. In the Eastern Orthodox Church
, wine used for the Divine Liturgy
must be fermented, red grape wine.
In Western Christianity
, red and also white wine are used, for the practical purpose of avoiding stains on the altar cloths.
In most liturgical rites, like in the Latin, Byzantine
, Antiochene
, the Alexandrian
rites, a small quantity of water is poured in the wine when the chalice
is prepared, while in the Armenian Rite
the wine is consecrated without the previous mingling of water. In the Byzantine Rite
some warm water, referred to as the zeon
(Greek: "boiling") is added to the consecrated wine shortly before the Communion.
There are four manners in which communion is received under the form of wine. All four are admitted in the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church. Eastern Churches usually use only one in normal circumstances. One way is for the communicant to drink directly from the chalice of consecrated wine. Another is by intinction
, whereby the consecrated bread is partially dipped into the consecrated wine and then placed in the mouth of the communicant. Another way, used in the Eastern Orthodox Church
and other Churches that use the Byzantine Rite
, is for the consecrated bread to be placed in the chalice of consecrated wine and to be given, using a spoon
, to the faithful together the liquid that it has absorbed. The fourth way is for the communicant to drink a little from the chalice using a metal tube or "straw" (Latin: fistula).
This means that the wine must be naturally fermented with nothing added to it, and the wine itself cannot have soured or become vinegar
, nor can it have anything artificial added to it (preservatives, flavours). Wines are made from Vitis vinifera
grapes, generally but not always under clerical supervision. The Catholic Church codified this further in a document, which at one time was included in all Missal
s published, called De Defectibus, On the defects which may occur during the Mass. One section, IV, was dedicated to defects of the wine. While the Catholic Church generally adheres to the rule that all wine for sacramental use must be pure grape wine and alcoholic, it is accepted that there are some circumstances, where the priest
is an alcoholic for example, where it may be necessary to use a wine that is only minimally fermented, called mustum.
One exception was historically made in the Roman Catholic Church regarding wine-derived additives to wine. That was this directive published in 1896 by the Congregation of the Inquisition:
Some purveyors of sacramental wine for use in the Catholic Church currently use the following private responsum as license to add sulfites to sacramental wine as a preservative:
In Australia, for example, Australian Jesuits founded the oldest existing winery in the Clare Valley
in 1851 to make sacramental wines. Producing over 90,000 litres of wine annually, this winery supplies all of the Australian region's sacramental wine needs. The oldest still-producing vineyard founded for sacramental wine production in the United States is O-Neh-Da Vineyard in the Finger Lakes Wine Region of New York State, founded by Bishop Bernard J. McQuaid in 1872.
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
obtained from grapes and intended for use in celebration of the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
(referred to also as the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion). The same wine, if intended for use in ceremonies of non-Christian religions or for ordinary use, would not normally be described by these terms.
History
The EucharistEucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
is generally associated in some way with the Paschal
Paschal
Paschal is a variant spelling of the name Pascal , from Latin Paschalis. Two popes and two antipopes have taken this name:* Antipope Paschal * Pope Paschal I * Pope Paschal II...
Seder
Seder
Seder is a Hebrew word meaning "order" or "sequence", and can have any of the following meanings:For Jewish holidays*Passover Seder, a ritualized dinner observed during Passover...
, and the Berakah, during which Kosher wine
Kosher wine
Kosher wine is grape wine produced according to Judaism's religious law, specifically, Jewish dietary laws .To be considered kosher, Sabbath-observant Jews must be involved in the entire winemaking process and any ingredients used, including finings, must be kosher...
is drunk.
Wine was used in the earliest celebrations of the Lord's Supper: "The chalice
Chalice (cup)
A chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. In general religious terms, it is intended for drinking during a ceremony.-Christian:...
of benediction
Benediction
A benediction is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service.-Judaism:...
, which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ
Blood of Christ
The Blood of Christ in Christian theology refers to the physical blood actually shed by Jesus Christ on the Cross, and the salvation which Christianity teaches was accomplished thereby; and the sacramental blood present in the Eucharist, which is considered by Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and...
? And the bread, which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord? For we, being many, are one bread, one body, all that partake of one bread."
In the Early Church both clergy and laity received the consecrated wine by drinking from the chalice, after receiving a portion of the consecrated bread.
Due to many factors, including the difficulty of obtaining wine in Northern Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
an countries where the climate was unsuitable for growing grapes, drinking from the chalice became largely restricted in the West to the celebrating priest, while others received communion in the form of bread only. This also reduced the symbolic importance of choosing wine of red colour.
Leaders who accepted the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, such as the Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
Church, insisted on use of wine in celebrating the Lord's Supper. As a reaction to this, even in those Western European countries that, while remaining Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
had continued to give the chalice to the laity, this practice faded out, in order to emphasize Catholic belief that the whole Christ is received under either form. The Eastern Churches in full communion with Rome
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
continued to give the Eucharist to the faithful under the forms of both bread and wine. The twentieth century, especially after the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
, saw a return to more widespread sharing in the Eucharist under the forms of both bread and wine.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
the clergy continued to receive the consecrated wine by drinking directly from the chalice, but in order to avoid the danger of accidentally spilling some of the Blood of Christ
Blood of Christ
The Blood of Christ in Christian theology refers to the physical blood actually shed by Jesus Christ on the Cross, and the salvation which Christianity teaches was accomplished thereby; and the sacramental blood present in the Eucharist, which is considered by Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and...
the practice was developed of placing the consecrated Body of Christ
Body of Christ
In Christian theology, the term Body of Christ has two separate connotations: it may refer to Jesus's statement about the Eucharist at the Last Supper that "This is my body" in , or the explicit usage of the term by the Apostle Paul in to refer to the Christian Church.Although in general usage the...
in the chalice and administering Holy Communion to the faithful, under both species, with a sacramental spoon.
The Coptic Orthodox Church continues the ancient practice to this day.
Use
The majority of mainstream liturgical churches require that sacramental wine should be pure grape wine. In the Eastern Orthodox ChurchEastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
, for example, sacramental wine used in the Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, use the same term...
must usually be pure red grape wine, often sweet, though this is not required. Greek churches favour the use of Mavrodaphne or Nama
Nama (wine)
Nama is a sweet red wine that is usually used in Greek Orthodox Churches in Holy Communion. It is similar to Mavrodaphne, with the difference that it is sweeter and it contains less alcohol....
, while Russian churches favour Kagor. Wines with additives, such as retsina
Retsina
Retsina is a Greek white resinated wine that has been made for at least 2000 years. Its unique flavor is said to have originated from the practice of sealing wine vessels, particularly amphorae, with Aleppo Pine resin in ancient times. Before the invention of impermeable glass bottles, oxygen...
are not allowed.
However, some Christian churches disapprove of the consumption of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, especially by children, and hold that it is acceptable to substitute grape juice for wine (see Christianity and alcohol). These denominations include Pentecostals, Baptists, Methodists, the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, and other Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
groups. In this case generally only pasteurized
Pasteurization
Pasteurization is a process of heating a food, usually liquid, to a specific temperature for a definite length of time, and then cooling it immediately. This process slows microbial growth in food...
grape juice is used, though exceptions exist.
In Eastern Christianity
Eastern Christianity
Eastern Christianity comprises the Christian traditions and churches that developed in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Northeastern Africa, India and parts of the Far East over several centuries of religious antiquity. The term is generally used in Western Christianity to...
sacramental wine is usually red, to better symbolize its change from wine into the blood of Jesus Christ as is believed to happen at the table of the Eucharist. In the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
, wine used for the Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, use the same term...
must be fermented, red grape wine.
In Western Christianity
Western Christianity
Western Christianity is a term used to include the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church and groups historically derivative thereof, including the churches of the Anglican and Protestant traditions, which share common attributes that can be traced back to their medieval heritage...
, red and also white wine are used, for the practical purpose of avoiding stains on the altar cloths.
In most liturgical rites, like in the Latin, Byzantine
Byzantine Rite
The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...
, Antiochene
Antiochene Rite
Antiochene Rite designates the family of liturgies originally used in the Patriarchate of Antioch.-Liturgies in the Antiochene Rite:The family of liturgies include the Apostolic Constitutions; then that of St. James in Greek, the Syriac Liturgy of St. James, and the other Syriac Anaphoras. The line...
, the Alexandrian
Alexandrian Rite
The Alexandrian Rite is officially called the Liturgy of Saint Mark, traditionally regarded as the first bishop of Alexandria. The Alexandrian Rite contains elements from the liturgy of Saint Basil, Cyril the Great, and Saint Gregory Nazianzus...
rites, a small quantity of water is poured in the wine when the chalice
Chalice (cup)
A chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. In general religious terms, it is intended for drinking during a ceremony.-Christian:...
is prepared, while in the Armenian Rite
Armenian Rite
The Armenian Rite is an independent liturgy. This rite is used by both the Armenian Apostolic and Armenian Catholic Churches; it is also the rite of a significant number of Eastern Catholic Christians in the Republic of Georgia....
the wine is consecrated without the previous mingling of water. In the Byzantine Rite
Byzantine Rite
The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...
some warm water, referred to as the zeon
Zeon (liturgy)
Zeon is a liturgical action which takes place in the Divine Liturgy of the Rite of Constantinople, during which hot water is added to the chalice. The same term is used as a noun to describe the vessel used for this purpose....
(Greek: "boiling") is added to the consecrated wine shortly before the Communion.
There are four manners in which communion is received under the form of wine. All four are admitted in the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church. Eastern Churches usually use only one in normal circumstances. One way is for the communicant to drink directly from the chalice of consecrated wine. Another is by intinction
Intinction
Intinction is the Eucharistic practice of partly dipping the consecrated bread, or host, into the consecrated wine before consumption by the communicant.-Western Christianity:...
, whereby the consecrated bread is partially dipped into the consecrated wine and then placed in the mouth of the communicant. Another way, used in the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
and other Churches that use the Byzantine Rite
Byzantine Rite
The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...
, is for the consecrated bread to be placed in the chalice of consecrated wine and to be given, using a spoon
Spoon (liturgy)
The Spoon is a liturgical implement used to distribute Holy Communion to the laity during the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite...
, to the faithful together the liquid that it has absorbed. The fourth way is for the communicant to drink a little from the chalice using a metal tube or "straw" (Latin: fistula).
Catholic Church canons
Altar wine, or wine appropriate for use during communion, has been defined in many ways over the centuries, subject to certain criteria. The Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church (1983), Canon 924 (emphasis added):§1 The most holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist must be celebrated in bread, and in wine to which a small quantity of water is to be added.
§2 The bread must be wheaten only, and recently made, so that there is no danger of corruption.
§3 The wine must be natural, made from grapes of the vine, and not corrupt.
This means that the wine must be naturally fermented with nothing added to it, and the wine itself cannot have soured or become vinegar
Vinegar
Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...
, nor can it have anything artificial added to it (preservatives, flavours). Wines are made from Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....
grapes, generally but not always under clerical supervision. The Catholic Church codified this further in a document, which at one time was included in all Missal
Missal
A missal is a liturgical book containing all instructions and texts necessary for the celebration of Mass throughout the year.-History:Before the compilation of such books, several books were used when celebrating Mass...
s published, called De Defectibus, On the defects which may occur during the Mass. One section, IV, was dedicated to defects of the wine. While the Catholic Church generally adheres to the rule that all wine for sacramental use must be pure grape wine and alcoholic, it is accepted that there are some circumstances, where the priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
is an alcoholic for example, where it may be necessary to use a wine that is only minimally fermented, called mustum.
One exception was historically made in the Roman Catholic Church regarding wine-derived additives to wine. That was this directive published in 1896 by the Congregation of the Inquisition:
To conserve weak and feeble wines, and in order to keep them from souring or spoiling during transportation, a small quantity of spirits of wine (grape brandy or alcohol) may be added, provided the following conditions are observed:
- The added spirit (alcohol) must have been distilled from the grape (ex genimime vitis);
- the quantity of alcohol added, together with that which the wine contained naturally after fermentation, must not exceed eighteen per cent of the whole;
- the addition must be made during the process of fermentation.
Some purveyors of sacramental wine for use in the Catholic Church currently use the following private responsum as license to add sulfites to sacramental wine as a preservative:
"Mass Wine: Treated with Sulphurous Anhydride, Etc. (Holy Office) Private.
The Holy Office was asked by the Archbishop of Tarracona: Whether in the Sacrifice of the Mass, wine may be used which is made from the juice of the grape, treated with sulphurous anhydride or with potassium bisulphite.
Reply. In the affirmative.
(Private) ; Holy Office, 2 Aug., 1922.
Not published in the AAS; cf. Il Monitore, Oct., 1923, p. 289."
Industry
Throughout the world there are some wineries that exist either solely for the production of sacramental wines, or with sacramental wines as an auxiliary business. The same is true of wine used by other religions, e.g., kosher wine. These wineries are small and often run by religious brothers, priests or dedicated laity.In Australia, for example, Australian Jesuits founded the oldest existing winery in the Clare Valley
Clare Valley
The Clare Valley is one of Australia's oldest wine regions, best known for Riesling wines. It lies in the Mid North of South Australia, approximately 120 km north of Adelaide. The valley runs north-south, with Main North Road as the main thoroughfare....
in 1851 to make sacramental wines. Producing over 90,000 litres of wine annually, this winery supplies all of the Australian region's sacramental wine needs. The oldest still-producing vineyard founded for sacramental wine production in the United States is O-Neh-Da Vineyard in the Finger Lakes Wine Region of New York State, founded by Bishop Bernard J. McQuaid in 1872.
See also
- Religion and alcoholReligion and alcoholThe world's religions have had differing relationships with alcohol. Many religions forbid alcoholic consumption or see it sinful or negative. Other have allocated a specific place for it, as in the Christian practice of drinking Communion wine, which either symbolically represents or is believed...
- Christianity and alcohol
- Blood of ChristBlood of ChristThe Blood of Christ in Christian theology refers to the physical blood actually shed by Jesus Christ on the Cross, and the salvation which Christianity teaches was accomplished thereby; and the sacramental blood present in the Eucharist, which is considered by Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and...
- Chalice (cup)Chalice (cup)A chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. In general religious terms, it is intended for drinking during a ceremony.-Christian:...
- Sacramental breadSacramental breadSacramental bread, sometimes called the lamb, altar bread, host or simply Communion bread, is the bread which is used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist.-Eastern Catholic and Orthodox:...