Consecrated Hosts At My Parish Treated Disrespectfully

[Dave]

When I was in college, shortly before I converted, I heard a guy in my dorm, an ex-Catholic, talk about a friend of his from high school who, on receiving Holy Communion, would slip it in his pocket instead of consuming it. Then he would save it for when he got hungry later on. It pains me to say it, but for the longest time it was hard for me to think about that without laughing. I mean, the very idea that someone could be so disrespectful to the Body and Blood of Christ just seemed laughable to me! I just didn't think anybody could be that stupid! Sadly, I eventually discovered that incidents like that are a lot more common than I once thought.

[Rebecca2009]

[quote name='Raphael' date='16 May 2010 - 09:13 PM' timestamp='1274062389' post='2111652']
"For God so loved the world..."

Amazing to think how strong that love is. Any one of us would have given up long ago.
[/quote]

I have that same thought all the time.

A similar thing has happened at our Parish recently. Hosts found inside the misaalette. Our Priest instructed (again) for parents to make sure their younger children were not receiving if they had not had First Communion yet, and to have the children cross their arms for a blessing instead. That was my first day being a Eucharistic Minister. A lot of kids still didn't seem to "get" why they were coming forward.

[Lil Red]

[quote name='tinytherese' date='16 May 2010 - 07:26 AM' timestamp='1274019973' post='2111404']
I went to the 8 a.m. mass today and Fr. announced that lately there have been what appear to be consecrated hosts found in missalets, the trash bin, and in other places in the church. I don't know if any of this was done deliberately or not, but we want to end this, so please pray.
[/quote]
+JMJ+
you should have the KCs guard the host.

[Bennn]

I am probably going to get flamed for this, but according to Pope Paul VI the Eucharistic Minister is obliged to refuse placing the Host on the hand, when there is a risk of profanation. When such things happen in a parish, the Pastor should no longer give Communion on the hand as long as he isn't sure that there has been any improvement, with the exception of those whom he knows to treat the Sacred Species with respect. (Even then it's sad that they want to 'grab' Him, though.)

Please don't let this post initiate a tongue/hand debate. We already have one of those. I am simply stating the guidelines Pope Paul VI gave when he gave the indult.

Lil Red, I've said it before: Swiss Guard. [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif[/img]

Edited May 17, 2010 by Bennn

[KnightofChrist]

[quote name='Bennn' date='17 May 2010 - 12:21 PM' timestamp='1274113273' post='2111911']
I am probably going to get flamed for this, but according to Pope Paul VI the Eucharistic Minister is obliged to refuse placing the Host on the hand, when there is a risk of profanation. When such things happen in a parish, the Pastor should no longer give Communion on the hand as long as he isn't sure that there has been any improvement, with the exception of those whom he knows to treat the Sacred Species with respect. (Even then it's sad that they want to 'grab' Him, though.)

Please don't let this post initiate a tongue/hand debate. We already have one of those. I am simply stating the guidelines Pope Paul VI gave when he gave the indult.

Lil Red, I've said it before: Swiss Guard. [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif[/img]
[/quote]

Indeed.

[Lil Red]

[quote name='Bennn' date='17 May 2010 - 09:21 AM' timestamp='1274113273' post='2111911']
Lil Red, I've said it before: Swiss Guard. [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif[/img]
[/quote]
+JMJ+
it might be hard to import them though

[Bennn]

Yes, I guess those halberds would have a hard time getting past the borders.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='Bennn' date='17 May 2010 - 12:01 PM' timestamp='1274115672' post='2111941']
Yes, I guess those halberds would have a hard time getting past the borders.
[/quote]
They're a *pike squad*.

[Bennn]

[img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif[/img]


Halberds are more phun.[img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/P.gif[/img]

[tinytherese]

I remember one time during a gymn mass at my high school when I opened my mouth to recieve on the tongue in front of the eucharistic minister (who I think was a priest actually ) and he reached down to where my hands were joined together in front of me and realizing that he was doing this I opened them so that Our Lord wouldn't fall on the ground and received him.

Edited May 17, 2010 by tinytherese

[Bennn]

[quote name='tinytherese' date='17 May 2010 - 10:53 PM' timestamp='1274129635' post='2112151']
I remember one time during a gymn mass at my high school when I opened my mouth to recieve on the tongue in front of the eucharistic minister (who I think was a priest actually [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif[/img]) and he reached down to where my hands were joined together in front of me and realizing that he was doing this I opened them so that Our Lord wouldn't fall on the ground and received him.
[/quote]


That is scandalous. A breach of canon law as well.

[Ed Normile]

This is a shame, things like this make me proud that some people are so reverent in the way they treat the True Presence in the Host. I always get this thought though, we as a church put so much thought into the way the sacrament is distributed, displayed and received, as we should as we know it is Jesus. Then I see occasions where someone who is obviously not prepared to receive, no sense of what they are doing, you know they are not a catholic in grace by their actions. Then I remember what Jesus uttered, Forgive them for they know not what they are doing, and I think Jesus gave his actual body up to the worst type of desecration for just these types of people, and during that abuse he asked for their forgiveness, I usually think about this right after someone says or posts the, He who receives unworthily... passage. Accordingly, should not it be up to us as catholics to approach these people and educate them in our beleifs, for example if you were on vacation in a town in India, the people who worship the cows are lining up for a cow worship thing whatever that may entail, you know its totally wrong, tantamount to idol worship, yet you would respect the peoples beliefs enough to not desecrate their actions, you would never touch the cow, or try to milk or eat it, or say something like that would make a great burger, as you know it means something to them. What is wrong with a priest saying "We are here to worship Jesus as Catholic faithful, as such we beleive in the True Presence of Jesus Christ in every Consecrated Host we distribute during communion, thus only catholic faithful in a state of grace should approach to receive the Body of Christ, all those who are not catholic and in a state of grace are welcome to pray with us and ask the Holy Spirit to fill their hearts with love of God and the grace that goes with it but you must refrain from receiving the actual Blessed Sacrament, and announce the prayer for a spiritual communion and which page it is on, usually found in the missalette at the beginning of each mass.

ed

[tinytherese]

My grandma's theory is that ignorant non-Catholics are doing this, in particular at the parish funerals. I agree with you Ed, it should be announced publically at every mass that only Catholics in a state of grace may receive.

[BG45]

[quote name='tinytherese' date='18 May 2010 - 11:52 AM' timestamp='1274197939' post='2112763']
My grandma's theory is that ignorant non-Catholics are doing this, in particular at the parish funerals. I agree with you Ed, it should be announced publically at every mass that only Catholics in a state of grace may receive.
[/quote]

I believe that theory entirely. As a Baptist, whenever I was at another "church", there would always be a big deal made about there being "Open Communion" so that any Believer might receive, "We're not Catholics after all". I think ignorance is the largest cause of abuse of the Host period, I'd far rather believe in ignorance than willful defilement...

[The Thurifer]

[quote name='CatherineM' date='16 May 2010 - 09:51 AM' timestamp='1274025085' post='2111441']
I hope they find out later that they were unconsecrated hosts being used as a prank by altar boys. That happened once when I was a kid.
[/quote]

As a priest who has stopped people trying to walk away with a host, and as one who lives in an area where Satanic cults are known to exist, I take this sort of thing very seriously. If I ever discovered that my altar servers were playing a joke like that, even with unconsecrated hosts, they would be instantly dismissed and banned from serving. Our EEM's are trained to spot people attempting to steal a host, and they routinely encounter it. I once stopped a woman who had broken the host in half and put the half in her pocket. I stopped her and made her consume the other half, and afterward she told me that she was going to give it to her husband who had to work that Sunday. She didn't know that there was anything wrong with that. In almost every homily, I make at least some mention of the Eucharist being Christ's Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, and the necessity of receiving Him worthily, but I still get the impression (and I don't claim to be able to read souls) that some approach the altar as if I were handing out food samples at Costco. If Rome came out tomorrow and banned reception in the hand, I wouldn't shed a tear.

Edited May 20, 2010 by The Thurifer