13-04-2022
Culture
Holy Mass wine and its particular features
Here there are some of the best-known features of the wine, which is served during Eucharistic celebrations. A sweet or dry wine, but according certain standards.
It is well known that the wine has quite ancient origins. According to the Dionysian myth, wine is seen as a gift that helps people to forget life concerns, while according to the Christian point of view, it represents Jesus' life, his 'blood shed' for his faithful people. During the transubstantiation, the substance of wine changes into the substance of Jesus' Blood. The same happens to the substance of bread. Everything recalls the Last Supper, when Jesus himself offered bread and wine to his disciples, two elements which have an importance in Christianity.
Going deep into details, during Eucharistic celebrations there is a tendency to prefer fortified wine for its best preservation. Among the different features that this wine for Holy Mass must have, it is important that it has an alcohol content of less than 18 degrees. Moreover, it must be natural and not altered, but above all it must comply with Article 924 of the Code of Canon Law. This article, in fact, mentions the importance of using a type of wine that is "natural, from the fruit of the vine, genuine, not altered and not mixed with other strange substances. (...)". In terms of the choice of the colour, red wine was used till the end of the 19th century. Red was a colour that easily recalled the Christ's blood. Nowadays, however, there is no longer any distinction between white wine and red wine. On the contrary, white wine is often preferred because it creates less obvious stains when spilt.
At the same time, it can be either a sweet or a dry wine, but it must meet the required standards, as well as the Curia's authorisation, which is renewed every two years, and which serves above all to guarantee its chemical purity and validity. (Vino, un viaggio tra fede e cultura)
Going deep into details, during Eucharistic celebrations there is a tendency to prefer fortified wine for its best preservation. Among the different features that this wine for Holy Mass must have, it is important that it has an alcohol content of less than 18 degrees. Moreover, it must be natural and not altered, but above all it must comply with Article 924 of the Code of Canon Law. This article, in fact, mentions the importance of using a type of wine that is "natural, from the fruit of the vine, genuine, not altered and not mixed with other strange substances. (...)". In terms of the choice of the colour, red wine was used till the end of the 19th century. Red was a colour that easily recalled the Christ's blood. Nowadays, however, there is no longer any distinction between white wine and red wine. On the contrary, white wine is often preferred because it creates less obvious stains when spilt.
At the same time, it can be either a sweet or a dry wine, but it must meet the required standards, as well as the Curia's authorisation, which is renewed every two years, and which serves above all to guarantee its chemical purity and validity. (Vino, un viaggio tra fede e cultura)