# Poll: Have you heard of the Eucharist? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 12, 2007, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841 "2007-04-12T19:12:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/61 "2007-04-13T14:28:30Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] The Catholics, of course, use wafer and wine/juice that is actually and literally turned into Jesus’s actual body and blood through the ritual and miracle of transubstantiation. It is also actually and literally still wafer and wine/juice. [/QUOTE] I think it’s always alcoholic (wine). I’ve never seen juice used; an alcoholic can refrain from receiving the wine. [Yep](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05584a.htm). “The second Eucharistic element required is wine of the grape (vinum de vite). Hence are excluded as invalid, not only the juices extracted and prepared from other fruits (as cider and perry), but also the so-called artificial wines, even if their chemical constitution is identical with the genuine juice of the grape. The necessity of wine of the grape is not so much the result of the authoritative decision of the Church, as it is presupposed by her (Council of Trent, Sess. XIII, cap. iv), and is based upon the example and command of Christ, Who at the Last Supper certainly converted the natural wine of grapes into His Blood” ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/62 "2007-04-13T16:28:41Z")
I’m familiar with the word. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/63 "2007-04-13T16:29:59Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] I’m familiar with the word. [/QUOTE] Well, color me completely and totally shocked by that revelation out of nowhere. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/64 "2007-04-13T19:07:15Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] I’m familiar with the word. [/QUOTE] I never would have guessed. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/65 "2007-04-13T19:21:12Z")
Catholic, and yes. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/66 "2007-04-13T19:37:17Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] I think it’s always alcoholic (wine). I’ve never seen juice used; an alcoholic can refrain from receiving the wine. [/QUOTE] Sorry, that’s not entirely accurate. Yes, it’s true of Roman Catholics. However: “E003. Norms for the Celebration of The Holy Eucharist (the Mass). The Holy Eucharist must be celebrated using only bread made from wheat flour and wine made from grapes. **For pastoral reasons, grape juice or non-alcoholic wine may be substituted.** ” (bolding mine) [From here.](http://members.aol.com/NatCathCh/canons.html) Or another: “We use non-alcoholic wine so that everyone can be included.” [From here.](http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/faq.htm) There are many Catholic churches. Many of them, with the notable EXCEPTIONS of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox, serve or have as an option non-alcoholic wine or grape juice. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/67 "2007-04-13T19:54:53Z")
Yes, **What Exit**. If it’s not consecrated, it’s not “Eucharist” in the sense of “the Holy Wafer”, it’s just a regular wafer. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/68 "2007-04-13T22:24:21Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] Sorry, that’s not entirely accurate. Yes, it’s true of Roman Catholics. However: “E003. Norms for the Celebration of The Holy Eucharist (the Mass). The Holy Eucharist must be celebrated using only bread made from wheat flour and wine made from grapes. **For pastoral reasons, grape juice or non-alcoholic wine may be substituted.** ” (bolding mine) [From here.](http://members.aol.com/NatCathCh/canons.html) Or another: “We use non-alcoholic wine so that everyone can be included.” [From here.](http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/faq.htm) There are many Catholic churches. Many of them, with the notable EXCEPTIONS of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox, serve or have as an option non-alcoholic wine or grape juice. [/QUOTE] Pardon me. I thought you were using Catholic as shorthand for Roman Catholic. ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/69 "2007-04-13T23:00:38Z")
I am Jewish, but I grew up and went to school with a lot of Catholics. I know what the Eucharist/Communion is. Then again, I have surprised people with my knowledge of Catholicism to my friends in college. They would talk about something and then say oh you probably don’t know about “\_\_\_”. And I would say “oh yeah \_\_\_\_, isn’t that where blah blah blah?” Them" 😕 but you’re Jewish. I am Jewish, but not uninformed 😃 ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/70 "2007-04-14T01:36:24Z")
Sure. Also Jewish but informed. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/71 "2007-04-14T02:05:52Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] Sorry, that’s not entirely accurate. Yes, it’s true of Roman Catholics. However: “E003. Norms for the Celebration of The Holy Eucharist (the Mass). The Holy Eucharist must be celebrated using only bread made from wheat flour and wine made from grapes. **For pastoral reasons, grape juice or non-alcoholic wine may be substituted.** ” (bolding mine) [From here.](http://members.aol.com/NatCathCh/canons.html) [/QUOTE] The interesting part here to me is not the wine but the wafer, especially after reading a delightful little story some years back about a little girl with celiac disease who was refused a bread substitute. Her church would just not budge. Especially funny since it was right at the middle of a huge molestation scandal (or rather the media’s focus on one). ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/72 "2007-04-14T04:14:03Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Question to **Nava** , \*_Gigi \*\* & **Caridwen** : So the Eucharist is the Wafer and the Wine {grape juice} and what exactly? I am missing a key part here_ and I always thought it was just the Wafer and the Wine. Between the three of you, I see it is something more, but what exactly? [/quote] From Episcopal Explanation of the Eucharist > [@](#): > > There are two parts to the Eucharist which we should keep in mind as we experience the service. The first is “the Word of God,” sometimes called the Ante-Communion (“ante” means “before”). This includes (1) the opening prayers, (2) lessons from the Old and New Testaments appointed for the day, (3) the Church’s statement of faith, the Nicene Creed, and (4) the intercessions or the prayers of the people. The second part of the Eucharist is called the Holy Communion during which bread and wine are offered, consecrated or set apart, and then received by God’s people with thanksgiving. Is that what you mean? If not I’ll ask my sister, she’s a pro at this stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/73 "2007-04-15T03:11:56Z")
Heard of it? Hell, I’ve eaten it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/74 "2007-04-15T03:15:14Z")
[QUOTE=Kat] Heard of it? Hell, I’ve eaten it. 😉 [/QUOTE] Roger that. I’m a cradle Episcopalian. It was always called “Communion” at the modest, relatively poor church I attended in my childhood, but more often is called “the Eucharist” at the much bigger, wealthier, hifalutin’ church I now attend. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/75 "2007-04-15T03:17:47Z")
what **Elendil’s Heir** said. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/76 "2007-04-15T17:40:50Z")
[QUOTE=Bogdan99] In the Orthodox church is the same, the wine is Jesus Christ`s blood and the bread ( I never saw wafer being used ) is his body.And when you eat these, it is like Jesus is entering your body and soul and you become one. Probably that is why the Catholics call it the Holy Communion. At least this is what I understand of this ritual. [/QUOTE] **Bogdan99** , welcome to the SDMB. I hope you will strongly consider joining us here. We like the opportunity to talk with people who come from other cultures than those of the US, Australia, New Zealand, and Western Europe. If it is financially difficult, please let us know; I’m sure there are plenty of us who would happily contribute to your membership fee. I’m curious as to which Orthodox you are referring: Greek, Russian, Eastern, or some flavor with which I am not familiar? Not that I’m all that familiar with any of the Orthodox faiths, mind you. ---
**Author:** ![AThingWithFeathers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@AThingWithFeathers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AThingWithFeathers)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/77 "2007-04-15T17:56:18Z")
I read this title and thought “Pffft! Who wouldn’t?” Sometimes I forget not everyone grows up going to Catholic school. I’m sure there are plenty of lapsed Catholics who have no idea what it means, let alone Protestants and Jews. Of course, it goes both ways. Everything I ever learned about Passover was from Rugrats, and the family whose Seder I went to last month still talks about my ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/78 "2007-04-16T15:48:17Z")
[QUOTE=Cat Fight] The interesting part here to me is not the wine but the wafer, especially after reading a delightful little story some years back about a little girl with celiac disease who was refused a bread substitute. Her church would just not budge. Especially funny since it was right at the middle of a huge molestation scandal (or rather the media’s focus on one). [/QUOTE] She can always receive the wine and that’s full participation in the sacrament. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/79 "2007-04-16T16:06:46Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] She can always receive the wine and that’s full participation in the sacrament. [/QUOTE] It may be full participation and therefore the same theologically, but I don’t know that I think it’s the same psychologically. Especially from the point of view of a child who is anticipating her first communion with all her little friends, all of whom will be recieving the wafer. (Says the Methodist who attends a church that offers gluten-free bread for anyone who wants it. I’ve not actually noticed anyone taking it, but that doesn’t prove much. I have attended a church where someone I knew generally had a bite of rice cake rather than bread). ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841/80 "2007-04-16T16:07:50Z")
Eucharist (noun): One who plays Euchre. _Daniel and his brother are professional Eucharists._ I know what it means, it’s when the bread & wine are eaten by the congregation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-have-you-heard-of-the-eucharist/399841.md?page=3)