Worry About Tainted Wafers Scare Ny Parishioners?

[Ed Normile]

This is a strange story from a town in NY state. It seems somebody who touched communion hosts was diagnosed with Hepatitus A, a non serious strain which causes flu-like symptoms. I would feel safe eating a consecrated host, I feel that once it would be the Body of Christ it would be disease free, of course that is just my personal opinion. Anyway they reccommended vaccinations for all those who ingested the "wafers", seems as if the press could not print the words "Host" or "Eucharist", almost like they were trying to make light of the faith of those involved. Whaddya think?

[url="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/nyregion/05communion.html?partner=rss&emc=rss"]"Wafer" story link[/url]

ed

[Papist]

Although the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ, the Eucharist retains its properties on the physical level, including contamination. That is the way I understand it anyway.

[AudreyGrace]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=2][size="2"][b]How is hepatitis A transmitted?[/b][/size][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=2][/size][/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=2]The hepatitis A virus is found in the feces of infected persons. The virus is usually spread from person to person by putting something in the mouth that has been contaminated with the feces of a person with hepatitis A. The virus is more easily spread under poor sanitary conditions and when good personal hygiene is not practiced. The virus can also be transmitted through oral and anal sexual activity.[/size][/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=2]People can get hepatitis A by drinking contaminated water or eating raw and undercooked shellfish harvested from contaminated water. Fruits and vegetables or other foods can become contaminated during handling. However, working with an infected person, for example sharing an office, does not pose the risk for hepatitis [/size][/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=2]from [font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][size=3][url="http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/hepatitis_a.html#_1_5"]http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/hepatitis_a.html#_1_5[/url][/size][/font][/size][/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=2]Unless the person who gave out the Eucharist (the article said they wouldn't release whether it was a priest, lay minister, or someone else who received communion) wiped their butt with their bare hands before Communion, spit on the hosts, or had sex with everyone there (God forbid), it seems highly unlikely that it would spread that easily. [/size][/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=2]p.s. I don't care about germs when I receive Jesus. I guess something about his true presence seems to trump that for me. I can't say I've ever clearly gotten sick from Communion, and I've received alot. lol. [/size][/font]

[/size][/font]

[dominicansoul]

[quote name='AudreyGrace' timestamp='1294899181' post='2199591']
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=2]Unless the person who gave out the Eucharist (the article said they wouldn't release whether it was a priest, lay minister, or someone else who received communion) wiped their butt with their bare hands before Communion, spit on the hosts, or had sex with everyone there (God forbid), it seems highly unlikely that it would spread that easily. [/size][/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=2]p.s. I don't care about germs when I receive Jesus. I guess something about his true presence seems to trump that for me. I can't say I've ever clearly gotten sick from Communion, and I've received alot. lol. [/size][/font]

[/size][/font]
[/quote]




The Sacrament is one of healing...so, i'm always a little when people freak out about 'germs' from the Chalice, and from receiving as in this case...

This is Jesus!!! How in da world can you get sick from HIM????

O we of little faith... *sigh*

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

Peace be with you brothers and sisters in christ...Intinction can be done as far as i'm aware,some people freak about sharing the cup,plus intinction leaves more blood for the priest and the special ministers(me personaly only let the blood touch my lips not sip it that in hope will than be available to the whole parish).Also jesus is fully present in both the body and the blood in accordance with the church,i have seen people whom only recieve the body but not only the blood,is a question that has burned me on occasion after attending the latin mass for a while,the question is "Can one choose to only recieve the blood if jesus is fully present in both the body and blood".
Yours Truely
Tab'le Du'Bah-Rye
God Bless

[Ed Normile]

[quote name='Tab'le Du'Bah-Rye' timestamp='1294910845' post='2199610']
Peace be with you brothers and sisters in christ...Intinction can be done as far as i'm aware,some people freak about sharing the cup,plus intinction leaves more blood for the priest and the special ministers(me personaly only let the blood touch my lips not sip it that in hope will than be available to the whole parish).Also jesus is fully present in both the body and the blood in accordance with the church,i have seen people whom only recieve the body but not only the blood,is a question that has burned me on occasion after attending the latin mass for a while,the question is "Can one choose to only recieve the blood if jesus is fully present in both the body and blood".
Yours Truely
Tab'le Du'Bah-Rye
God Bless
[/quote]

Uh, Intinction can only be done by a Priest, I guess that is what you meant.

ed

[Ed Normile]

[quote name='dominicansoul' timestamp='1294899706' post='2199593']



The Sacrament is one of healing...so, i'm always a little when people freak out about 'germs' from the Chalice, and from receiving as in this case...

This is Jesus!!! How in da world can you get sick from HIM????

O we of little faith... *sigh*
[/quote]


I agree totally. have any of you ever seen hand sanitizer on the altar during mass? I have now seen this at seven different parishes, this blows my mind, I can not help but think to myself will this some day be called sacramental hand sanitizer? Thats sounds like a bad joke, but having hand sanitizer on the altar is a bad joke as far as I am concerned, and its a sad commentary on the modernization of the Church.

ed

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

[quote name='Ed Normile' timestamp='1294976919' post='2199938']
Uh, Intinction can only be done by a Priest, I guess that is what you meant.

ed
[/quote]
No this is not what i meant, in the latin rite a priest can choose to allow intinction for the whole parish on extra-ordinary circumstance(according to a latin priest i talked to about it), as far as i'm aware(site only) anyone can do intinction in the novus ordo, some parishes in the novus ordo do it traditionly i have read,neither is it compulsary or not allowed in the ordinary mass.If i am wrong please somone with the knowledge of such matters please interceed that i may not wander in confusion about such a matter.
God Bless

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

Dominus Pax, i have read more of the comments, are you guys saying that you have come accross incidents where a priest has to sanitize his hands before touching the host? i thought that was already done with the water bowl(sorry i know not the theological term for this bowl) at the start of the eucharistic celebration of the mass, and i am sure the majority of priests wash there hands before mass anyhow, i have heard it a couple of times when a priest has accidently bumped his mic on before the start of mass(well i assume the priests where washing there hands).
God Bless

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='dominicansoul' timestamp='1294899706' post='2199593']



The Sacrament is one of healing...so, i'm always a little when people freak out about 'germs' from the Chalice, and from receiving as in this case...

This is Jesus!!! How in da world can you get sick from HIM????

O we of little faith... *sigh*
[/quote]
That's how I feel.

[quote name='Tab'le Du'Bah-Rye' timestamp='1295114632' post='2200380']
Dominus Pax, i have read more of the comments, are you guys saying that you have come accross incidents where a priest has to sanitize his hands before touching the host? i thought that was already done with the water bowl(sorry i know not the theological term for this bowl) at the start of the eucharistic celebration of the mass, and i am sure the majority of priests wash there hands before mass anyhow, i have heard it a couple of times when a priest has accidently bumped his mic on before the start of mass(well i assume the priests where washing there hands).
God Bless
[/quote]
The priest isn't washing his hands at the start of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. This practise is to symbolise the priest's need for purification before celebrating the Eucharist.

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

[quote name='Archaeology cat' timestamp='1295115316' post='2200387']
That's how I feel.


The priest isn't washing his hands at the start of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. This practise is to symbolise the priest's need for purification before celebrating the Eucharist.
[/quote]

both symbol and actual i assume, just like when discerning the word of god, literal and/or spiritual and there are 3 parts to the spiritual it's in the catechism(can't remember for the life of me what the 3 part spiritual discerment is i have no degree in theology but i do read the catechism and bible) ,Maybe one can not relate this rule to the mass, i don't know ask catholicanswers.com or send an email to openline on ewtn.com
God Bless

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

Of course one is not going to take the literal sense when jesus says "if your right hand causes you to sin than cut it off" he is talking i assume of somone whom is very close ie: right hand man/women best friend confidone and i assume this passage also relates to antoher passage "that it is better to go into heaven with half your body than into hell whole." This is just an example.But in the literal i feel the washing of hands is both literal and spiritual,the mass can not be broken down into symbolism,the mass is our highest form of prayer and the bread and wine truely become the body and blood of christ.
God Bless

[Ed Normile]

[quote name='Tab'le Du'Bah-Rye' timestamp='1295114187' post='2200376']
No this is not what i meant, in the latin rite a priest can choose to allow intinction for the whole parish on extra-ordinary circumstance(according to a latin priest i talked to about it), as far as i'm aware(site only) anyone can do intinction in the novus ordo, some parishes in the novus ordo do it traditionly i have read,neither is it compulsary or not allowed in the ordinary mass.If i am wrong please somone with the knowledge of such matters please interceed that i may not wander in confusion about such a matter.
God Bless
[/quote]


No, intinction is expressly forbidden in the Church, Tab' .

ed

[Ice_nine]

don't touch the lepers, you might get sick. Ugh I just feel the world is becoming more sterile both figuratively and literally and it's kinda suffocating.

[MissScripture]

[quote name='Ed Normile' timestamp='1295075585' post='2200300']
I agree totally. have any of you ever seen hand sanitizer on the altar during mass? I have now seen this at seven different parishes, this blows my mind, I can not help but think to myself will this some day be called sacramental hand sanitizer? Thats sounds like a bad joke, but having hand sanitizer on the altar is a bad joke as far as I am concerned, and its a sad commentary on the modernization of the Church.

ed
[/quote]
I've seen that, too, for the EMHC, but at least at my parents' parish they keep it in the sacristy, and at the parish I go to, it's tucked off on the side where you really can't see it (at least not from the side of the church I sit on, so it doesn't bother me, lol). I've never seen a priest use it, though. At that point I'd find it beyond ridiculous. (Another argument for eliminating EMHC --how much would you save on hand sanitizer? )