Why Is the Common Cup Still Missing? A Blunt Take

Reading Dr Muriel Porter’s piece on the Common Cup, I couldn’t help but nod along. As someone who’s lived and worshipped in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney (yes, I get around—call it the Methodist in me), I’ve seen firsthand how different parishes have handled the return of the chalice post-COVID. At St James King Street in Sydney, the Common Cup is back, and it’s back in plenty of other places too. So why are some churches still holding out?

Let’s be honest: it’s probably down to some overcautious medical advisor with a string of letters after their name, still clutching their mask and handing out “advice” to the Diocese of Melbourne. Maybe they mean well, but at this point, it feels like clericalism dressed up as public health. The science is clear: the risk from the Common Cup is tiny. Theologically, it’s even clearer—Jesus didn’t say, “Drink from this, some of you, if you’re not too worried about germs.” The Common Cup is about unity, equality, and our shared faith. Withholding it from the laity, while the clergy still drink, just reinforces old power imbalances and misses the whole point of the Reformation.

If some folks are still nervous, fine—give them the option. But don’t deny the rest of us our Anglican birthright because of a few person’s lingering anxieties. It’s time to bring back the Common Cup for everyone, as Christ intended.