Sacred Cup

For about the first twelve centuries of my church religion, it was considered an abuse, bad form, to NOT drink from the consecrated blood in the cup when going to communion.  It was the norm to eat and drink at communion.  Then stuff happens.  We began to emphasize seeing and adoring the "Eucharist."  But you could see the host, the bread, but you could not see the wine because it was in the cup.  Elevation of the host began in the thirteenth century.  The cup did not get elevated for three more centuries.  The plague came along too.  Hardly anyone was going to communion and if you did, the cup was not offered.  In 1415 the cup was refused to laity.  The Eastern Rite kept the ancient traditions right up to today.  So you see, church changes, at least the Western church of which most Catholics are in this country.  Vatican II Council in 1960s tried to restore the cup.  In some places it is still on life support as a practice.