Kenya Catholics Drop Altar Wine
The Kenyan Catholic Church has rolled out a new type of altar wine for Holy Mass, responding to worries that the previous variety had become too widely available in bars, hotels, and supermarkets.
Simply called ‘Mass Wine,’ this new sacramental beverage features the official coat of arms of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) along with a signature that certifies its authenticity.
As Nyeri Archbishop Anthony Muheria explains, this initiative aims to bring back a sense of reverence and exclusivity to the sacramental wine used during the Eucharist.
“The newly approved wine is not for sale at any business outlet, but is imported and owned by the KCCB, and only distributed to the dioceses,” Archbishop Muheria told the BBC.
The Church’s decision follows widespread complaints from Catholic faithful who felt that the old altar wine, produced and distributed locally, had lost its sacred meaning after becoming widely available for casual consumption.
“It reached a point where even non-Catholics were using it…. Catholics prefer to keep what is sacred exclusive to Catholic practice,” Father Kibaki Robert, a Kenyan priest serving in California, told Kenyan diaspora news outlet Mwakilishi.
Wine plays a significant role during Mass, representing the blood of Jesus Christ. While it’s mainly consumed by the priest, there are special occasions when the congregation gets to partake as well.
Archbishop Muheria shared that the guidelines for altar wine, including its composition and usage, are set by Canon Law, with bishops tasked with ensuring the quality meets those standards.
“Vigilance on the quality and standards of the wine and hosts used in the Mass is given to the Catholic bishops of the country. This is reviewed from time to time,” he said.
The Church has now settled on a new South African vintage produced by Lutzville Vineyards, whose history dates back to the 1700s.
The wine was officially introduced during this year’s National Prayer Day at the Subukia National Marian Shrine in Nakuru, where nearly 60,000 worshippers gathered.
“This is the only wine that will be used in Mass celebrations across the country, going forward,” Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba, the KCCB chairman, said as he unveiled the bottle of the new wine.
He further directed all parishes to discontinue the old brand and to adhere strictly to the new distribution guidelines.
“The newly approved wine is not for sale at any business outlet,” reiterated Archbishop Muheria. “This assures purity from source.”
The label on the new Mass Wine features a biblical quote: “The fruit of the vine and the work of human hands will become our cup of joy,” highlighting its sacred significance.
In Swahili, altar wine is commonly referred to as ‘divai,’ and its use varies across different dioceses, with demand soaring during major liturgical seasons like Easter and Christmas.
For Christians, communion wine carries profound symbolic meaning, embodying themes of unity, fellowship, and redemption—key elements of the Lord’s Supper and the promise of eternal communion with Christ.
According to government statistics, around 80% of Kenya’s 50 million residents identify as Christians, with approximately 10 million, or about 20% of the population, being part of the Catholic Church.
Kenya Catholics Drop Altar Wine
