About the monstrance in the crowd

[ekindermann]

Grotto posted this in the Terri Forum but I’m posting it here too in the hopes someone will have an answer.
Does anyone have a suggestion about what to do when encountering a person who is rather “overzealous” in a crowd where you really do not want to make a scene for the media but the situation warrants attention??? I wrote about the man in the crowd in front of Terri’s hospice holding up a monstrance as in adoration - the place for the Eucharist was not empty but what it had I can’t be sure - it was an “off-white” in color. So! I was very perplexed - I felt moved to not allow this - I didn’t know if I should “take it from him” - no, not a good idea - anyhow what if it was the Holy Eucharist that he had taken from a tabernacle somewhere? What would a priest have to do about that ? As it was, the good priest that was summoned and tried to converse with him wasn’t really able to correct the situation.
Like I said, the news media was all over the place and some of the nearby people didn’t want me to keep telling the guy that he couldn’t be doing what he was doing (he clearly was not a priest, nor was anything else right about this) - they were afraid it would be meat for the lions that the Catholics were fighting amongst themselves. I can understand that. So, what is your advice when
something like this happens - sacreligious for sure but what needs to be done? Believe me, I need this kind of advice because I sure do run into off-the-wall situations. Anyone?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

ekindermann:

Grotto posted this in the Terri Forum but I’m posting it here too in the hopes someone will have an answer.
Does anyone have a suggestion about what to do when encountering a person who is rather “overzealous” in a crowd where you really do not want to make a scene for the media but the situation warrants attention??? I wrote about the man in the crowd in front of Terri’s hospice holding up a monstrance as in adoration - the place for the Eucharist was not empty but what it had I can’t be sure - it was an “off-white” in color. So! I was very perplexed - I felt moved to not allow this - I didn’t know if I should “take it from him” - no, not a good idea - anyhow what if it was the Holy Eucharist that he had taken from a tabernacle somewhere? What would a priest have to do about that ? As it was, the good priest that was summoned and tried to converse with him wasn’t really able to correct the situation.
Like I said, the news media was all over the place and some of the nearby people didn’t want me to keep telling the guy that he couldn’t be doing what he was doing (he clearly was not a priest, nor was anything else right about this) - they were afraid it would be meat for the lions that the Catholics were fighting amongst themselves. I can understand that. So, what is your advice when
something like this happens - sacreligious for sure but what needs to be done? Believe me, I need this kind of advice because I sure do run into off-the-wall situations. Anyone?

Technically it would be the Pastor of the parish within which this took place. The Man committed grave offense against the Sacrament if there was in fact a consecrated Host in the Monstrance. He violated many Canon Laws for which there are serious penalties. I myself would not care what the media thought. My concern would be for the Blessed Sacrament if it was a real Host. If it was not a real Host the man woould be mocking the Blessed Sacrament by doing this.

 

[chicago]

I suppose I would try to engage the guy in “polite” conversation.

“Gee, what a beautiful monstrance. Where did you get it from? What’s that you have in it? It doesn’t look like a typical host?” Maybe if you could earn his trust, he would open up and tell you enough that you’d have the information necessary to follow up as need be.

 

[grotto]

Polite conversation did not work with this man. He was behaving like he was in his own world - not communicating. When the priest tried to get him to talk and asked him where he got the monstrance, the man said it was given to him. Very few words came from him. The priest told him something like “this is very troubling to believers” - no response. So the priest concluded his confrontation and as he began his return to where he had been in the crowd, I caught his eye and he said, " I tried". Thats true - he did try but the situation was left hanging. I am puzzled what to do? I had to struggle with myself to not struggle with the man, if I could have KNOWN the Holy Eucharist was inside - trust me there would have been a different outcome. So, I’m asking for your thoughts. The environment with the national media present and the surrounding people’s concern for probable distortion and exploitation of “fanatical religion” made me live with it.

 

[chicago]

Well, let me turn the question around on you. Realistically, what more could have you done to remedy the situation?