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Eucharistic tweezers 16 cm.
While we live this 21st century plague with growing concerns about the transmission of diseases through the species of Holy Communion, it is interesting to examine the different forms of reception of holy communion with the tools that the Latin Church has used over the centuries. While their appearance was due to scruples during the manipulation of the Blessed Sacrament and acquired a ceremonial character, they demonstrated practicality for the administration of Holy Communion to the faithful during the periods of pestilence or when they were unable to consume the host.
The Eucharistic forceps were initially used to immerse Ostia particles in the chalice. While their origin is probably ancient, we see that it becomes common in the papal court of Avignon during the 14th century, probably limited to the most solemn celebrations. Contemporary sources, including the Liber de Cæremoniis, also call them tenacula or furcheta and clearly declare their Eucharistic use.
The liturgical use of the clamps does not seem to have passed to Rome after the Western schism, but they were still used to give Holy Communion to lepers or plague victims.
