Dipping Host Into Chalice?

[Kylie Spinelli]

I am an extraordinary minister at my church. This morning, someone came up to me as I served the Precious Blood and dipped the Host into the chalice. I had no idea what to do! I'm not even sure that this is accepted, or what I could have done to prevent it if it's not accepted. Should I ask someone? Perhaps the head EM or my priest?? Any input would be GREATLY appreciated!
God bless you and have a nice week!
~Kylie

[CatherineM]

Talk to your priest about how he would like for you to handle it. It's called intinction. The GIRM allows for the dipping of the host into the chalice, but it is supposed to be done only by an ordinary minister, not the communicant. How I used to handle it was to hold the chalice close to me until I saw that the host was in their mouths first. Some people want to do it rather than touch their lips to the cup because of germs.

[cappie]

[center] CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP
AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENT
INSTRUCTION[/center]
[center]Redemptionis Sacramentum[/center]
[center]On certain matters to be observed or to be avoided
regarding the Most Holy Eucharist[/center]

104. The communicant must not be permitted to intinct the host himself in the chalice.

It is the priest who takes the host and dips it into the consecrated wine, not the communicant. Liturgical law makes no provision for people to serve themselves communion. Receiving communion is not an individual, private affair. The tradition has always been to receive, not to take, communion. Some people may believe that intinction is a more hygienic way of receiving the precious blood than drinking from the chalice. In fact, more germs are probably spread by communicants dipping bread that they have handled into the cup from which others will drink. The practice also introduces particles of wheat into the consecrated wine, endangering those coeliacs who cannot tolerate any gluten and who can receive the Body and Blood of Christ only from the chalice.