Chalice

The cup is a drinking vessel used in the Liturgy of the Holy Mass, the Divine Liturgy of the Last Supper or supporting the measuring wine. The use of a chalice goes back to the biblical accounts of the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples. (Matthew 26.17-29, Mark 14, 12-25; Luke 22.14-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 ). Cup shape also has the food cup ( the ciborium ), which is used in the Catholic and Orthodox liturgy for receiving the consecrated hosts.

The Goblet of art is subject to change over time. The first for the Eucharist used, mostly glass cup differed from secular vessels most by Christian pictorial decoration. Even in antiquity, but were, in addition chalices from less valuable materials such as bronze or wood, even those made ​​of gold and silver; since the 9th century almost exclusively precious metals such as silver, brass, or copper are used. These are often elaborately decorated with ornaments and Christian symbols.

Construction

In the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church, the wine is consecrated during the Mass in a chalice. The actual cup ( Cuppa ) and the foot put on all cups in a classic design clearly from each other. The Cuppa is gilded inside. As an intermediate piece of a knob -like thickening has been designed in the form of a nodus, so that the cup is better to grip.

The cup is built to worship with additional items for use. On the cup itself the chalice cloth, it optionally a spoon with which at the offertory water is added to wine, then the paten, a die-cast metal, very shallow tray on which the Zelebrationshostie is placed below. To cover the Palla is placed, it the corporal, a folded linen cloth on which the chalice and paten are placed at the Eucharist. To protect the whole structure and the cup against external influences, the cup is covered with a chalice veil. The chalice veil is held in the liturgical color. It is also permissible to always use a plain white chalice veil. If a chalice veil used, then the corporal often lies in a Bursa matching color on the velum.

Special shapes

At the beginning of the 20th century there was in the Protestant church ( instrumental promoted by Friedrich Spitta ) to a cup of movement that advocated the introduction of individual chalices, which was initially rejected by most church leaders. Especially hygienic reasons were guided into the field. Critics see the single cup movement as an expression of bourgeois- individualistic narrowing of the Last Supper. For the issuance of the wine in individual goblets a specially designed Gießkelch is required if you do not fill the individual chalices before. Single glasses are usually made ​​of stainless steel, ceramic or glass. At the end of the 20th century also plastic glasses were for single use in trade.