Glass Used for Chalices?
As you may or may not know, there has been a general crackdown on liturgical abuses in the Catholic Church. The new General Instruction (GIRM) was issued about a year ago, and Catholic parishes are scrambling to meet the new guidelines.
Specifically at the heart of much controversy is the use of glass chalices during the consecration of the wine. As the wine is about to become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, there is an issue as to whether or not glass is a “precious metal” or some other valuable material consistent with the object being consecrated (e.g. Jesus deserves gold and silver, not wood).
Now certainly the wooden chalices get the boot. But what about glass or crystal? Even in the case of glass, if it is well made or well cut, doesn’t that mean that we could use an equally well-designed wooden chalice as well? Here is some Q & A from Zenit:
From the historical point of view, glass chalices were known in antiquity up to about the time of St. Gregory the Great (died 604), although most Christians preferred gold and silver vessels, even in time of persecution.
The most relevant document regarding this theme are numbers 328-332 of the new General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) whose adapted English version recently received approval from the Holy See and is now in force in the dioceses of the United States.
No. 328 states clearly: “Sacred vessels are to be made from precious metal.” Liturgical law, however, allows the bishops’ conference to propose other esteemed materials for use in sacred vessels.
The U.S. bishops have allowed for the use of other solid materials “that, according to the common estimation in each region, are precious, for example, ebony or other hard woods,” but, “provided that such materials are suited to sacred use and do not easily break or deteriorate.”
No. 330 has an added proviso that chalices and other vessels destined to serve as receptacles for the blood of Christ should have bowls of nonabsorbent material. These norms are topped off by No. 332, which gives some leeway to artistic taste with respect to the outward form of the sacred vessels, “provided each vessel is suited to the intended liturgical use and is clearly distinguishable from those intended for everyday use.”
So, can a priest celebrate with a glass chalice? The above-mentioned norms don’t allow for a crystal clear response as they do not specify very much at all. Glass is not widely regarded as a precious material; it generally seems more like a household product. Then again, a glass chalice might recall, for some parishioners, the pleasures of cognac.
The verdict seems to be that it must be ornamented enough for it to be generally recognized to be of a high degree of value. Therefore Venitian glass might be in order lacking a gold chalice, but a Dixie cup would be out of the question. Interesting stuff.