Reverend Larry Silva, Bishop | Diocese of Honolulu

The Diocese of Honolulu is taking steps to restore the practice of offering Holy Communion from the cup, a tradition disrupted by the pandemic. Bishop Larry Silva has addressed priests in the diocese, urging them to reintroduce this practice at every Mass.

In his message, Bishop Silva emphasized that while receiving Communion under either species conveys the entire Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ, offering the Precious Blood represents a fuller sign of the sacrament. He explained that this act serves as a memorial of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.

Challenges to restoring this practice were discussed during a recent Presbyteral Council meeting. One issue raised was intinction—dipping the consecrated host into the Precious Blood—which is not allowed in Honolulu. "Ministration of Communion by intinction...is reserved to the priest (GIRM, 287)," stated Bishop Silva. He noted that it restricts communicants' option to receive Communion in hand and denies their right to receive only the consecrated host.

Bishop Silva asked pastors to prepare for offering Communion from the cup, which may require organizing and training within parishes. He also stressed catechizing parishioners about receiving both species as intended by Christ while reminding them never to refer to "the contents of the chalice as 'wine,' but rather as 'the Precious Blood.'"

The bishop concluded with a request for all parishes yet to reinstate this practice: "I ask that every parish that has not already done so offer the Communion cup to all the faithful."