Desecration of Eucharist

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amy13150

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At an Extraordinary Ministry training meeting recently the question was asked, “What happens to the Eucharist if someone leaves the church with a consecrated Host with the intention of desecrating it?” The person asking the question was concerned about what efforts should be taken to prevent a person leaving the church. Our priest said, if possible, ask the person to consume it before leaving. However if they do get out of the church you shouldn’t “start WW III over a host. If someone desecrates a host, Christ is no longer present.”
Would you comment on this please – is this correct?

(I posted this “somewhere” in the Forum but don’t remember where - I apologize, I haven’t done this for a long while 🤷
 
You do your best to convince the person to consume but in so doing, do not sin. Ask nicely, even ask forcefully, but do not sin. Christ doesn’t want us to sin.

Descration of the Eucharist will be on their soul, not yours, but if you sin by threatening then that will be on your soul.

-Tim-
 
The host most certainly would still be the Blessed Sacrament! The sacred species would still be the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our dear Lord. It would not suddenly cease to be simply because someone took it out of the church with ill will.

However, I do agree with the previous poster that it is important to not risk committing a sin or endangering themselves or others to chase after. In this hypothetical situation, the one who chose to commit the desecration would be judged by the Lord and their sin will be on their soul.
 
The host remains the Body of Christ as long as it maintains the accidentals of bread, which is a philosophical way of saying: as long as it maintains the appearance of bread upon simple inspection. So, for instance, if it is dissolved in water, it is no longer the Body of Christ.

Likewise the Precious Blood remains the Blood of Christ as long as it remains the appearance of wine. So, for example, if it is spilt on the floor and then (properly) wiped up, any dried stain remaining is not the Blood of Christ, it is simply a stain.

A desecration of the host does not necessarily mean Christ is no longer present. It would depend on what the desecration of the host physically does to the substance.
 
If someone desecrates a host, Christ is no longer present.
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If that is true, why would our priest run full speed the length of the church to stop someone leaving with the Eucharist?
To go a step farther, if this were true, why would we even need to bother guarding against desecration? Unused hosts could be tossed in the garbage if indeed Christ is no longer present. Logically, it makes no sense. It is only desecration if it is Holy. It is Holy because Christ is present. If Christ is not present, it is not Holy, and thus no desecration occurs. So it would seem that if Christ is not present in a desecrated Host, then it is impossible to desecrate a Host. I don’t buy that for a second.
 
I can tell you of a situation that was told to me by a very good friend. During Wedding Mass for her nephew an individual came up to receive Communion and I really can’t remember what happened as the priest gave communion to the person. She said the priest followed the person down the isle and into the back of the Church. Everyone was very upset. All I can remember thinking was if that priest heard something said as that person received -that was bad- and felt it necessary to follow that individual- Praise the Lord!!.
 
We were told to stop distributing and follow the person, they either must consume or return the host. Call on ushers to assist if necessary. Call on Fr if you cannot get compliance. Follow them into the parking lot.

But if they drive away and you were unable to stop them, it is in God’s hands.
 
Evan said:
We were told to stop distributing and follow the person, they either must consume or return the host. Call on ushers to assist if necessary. Call on Fr if you cannot get compliance. Follow them into the parking lot.

But if they drive away and you were unable to stop them, it is in God’s hands.
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“Follow them into the parking lot.” And do what?

If someone starts to walk away with a host, our EM’s are instructed to encourage them to either consume it or return it. If they don’t cooperate the EM is to call the situation to the attention of the priest. Beyond that, however, there isn’t much that can be done - even by the priest. Physically assaulting someone or restricting their movement in order to retrieve a host could lead to some very serious trouble. Better to leave it in God’s hands than to risk a beat down in the parking lot.
 
BettyBoop416 said:
“Follow them into the parking lot.” And do what?

If someone starts to walk away with a host, our EM’s are instructed to encourage them to either consume it or return it. If they don’t cooperate the EM is to call the situation to the attention of the priest. Beyond that, however, there isn’t much that can be done - even by the priest. Physically assaulting someone or restricting their movement in order to retrieve a host could lead to some very serious trouble. Better to leave it in God’s hands than to risk a beat down in the parking lot.
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Hopefully, by then there will be a pack of you (EMHC, ushers, servers, priest, deacon, master at arms, RCMP, a legion of angels). I suppose you could stand around their car and wait for 911. Unless they wish to assault you by running over you.
 
Evan said:
Hopefully, by then there will be a pack of you (EMHC, ushers, servers, priest, deacon, master at arms, RCMP, a legion of angels). I suppose you could stand around their car and wait for 911. Unless they wish to assault you by running over you.
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Yeah, but when the cops arrive, it’s not going to be the guy you have trapped in his car that’s in trouble. It’s going to be the pack of folks preventing him from leaving that are going to have some explaining to do. While you’re trying to explain about Eucharistic desecration, the cops are going to hear “He wouldn’t eat the cracker so we unlawfully detained him.”

As I said, better to let God sort it out.
 
BettyBoop416 said:
Yeah, but when the cops arrive, it’s not going to be the guy you have trapped in his car that’s in trouble. It’s going to be the pack of folks preventing him from leaving that are going to have some explaining to do. While you’re trying to explain about Eucharistic desecration, the cops are going to hear “He wouldn’t eat the cracker so we unlawfully detained him.”

As I said, better to let God sort it out.
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But you could claim he stole the host (since he is not a member of the community) and, under your first amendment rights in the US, you have the right to legal protection from this kind of activity.

If you are not willing to give your life for Christ, would you be willing to give it for a good man, and if not that, for an evil man?
 
Evan said:
But you could claim he stole the host (since he is not a member of the community) and, under your first amendment rights in the US, you have the right to legal protection from this kind of activity.

If you are not willing to give your life for Christ, would you be willing to give it for a good man, and if not that, for an evil man?
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Sorry Evan…you lost me.
 
BettyBoop416 said:
Sorry Evan…you lost me.
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The officers of the law are there to protect and serve. They wish to maintain peace between people of various beliefs. If someone intentionally comes to disturb that peace, they will try to resolve faithfully the differences.

If someone desires to insult the faith of another they will try to restore peace.

If I shout ‘christ killers’ at a jewish service, if I insult muhammed in a mosque, if wear a nazi uniform to a meeting of quakers, I will be removed and my behaviour reprimanded by the police. I may be arrested, but they will try to put things in order.
 
I don’t know if anyone would notice someone like that leaving the church on Sunday morning it is just so busy at Communion time.
 
I remember attending a parish in Seattle near downtown.

A woman came up to receive, who had a lapel of chains on her upper jacket. She took the host and then stomped out wearing boots. The ushers just looked, they being women. The priest afterwards said he saw what happened. The pastor was not competent in protecting the sacred. Could go on here but won’t.

My pastor always looks for new comers and he says before communion, if you are not Catholic, you still can come up, cross yourself with your arms and receive a blessing. Actually I have heard this in some other parishes as well.
 
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