D
DianaCC
Guest
I heard fascinating dilemma regarding transubstantiation: What if a drunken priest stumbles into a bakery and pronounces the words of consecration over the entire inventory of the shop?
The first thing that will happen is the priest will have committed a sacrilege (in addition to the already-committed sin of consensual intoxication) and probably several other sins and canonical violations. But given his state, can he consecrate? Is this a case of ex opere operato?
Supposing transubstantiation does in fact happen, then the inventory that happens to be valid matter will be transubstantiated, while invalid matter like gluten-free focaccia and white-chocolate macadamia cookies obviously will not. But will both leavened and unleavened valid matter be affected? What about flour, batter, and unbaked dough?
Let’s say the bakery specializes in what just so happens to be valid matter. A significant portion of the inventory is now unsellable. What recourse does the baker have? Since the priest celebrates mass only with the approval of the bishop, can the baker sue the diocese for compensation? Is he required to maintain a lighted candle in the shop 24/7 to signify the Real Presence while it remains? Would it be proper to genuflect on your way in if you’re only there to order a birthday cake? Need there be a holy water font by the door?
May he publish a notice in the parish bulletin describing the event and have people sign up for adoration time slots in the shop? Would he need to secure permission from the local ordinary? Supposing he got it, would it be permitted to profit from the sale of other goods such as cookies to the faithful on their way out? Would it be ethical for people to stop in to make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament without patronizing the business?
After arrangements have been made to transfer the consecrated species, what can be done with it? (I mean, done with *Him *
) Does it have to be collected by a priest, or can a couple of EMHCs come by and pick it up? Since there’s so much of it, does it have to be transferred in a gold-lined container, or can it be carried in the plastic bins the shop already uses?
After the proper authorities take custody of it, can it be administered to the faithful as preconsecrated hosts in liturgies? What becomes of identifiable crumbs in the trash? Are these to be dissolved in water and deposited in a sacrarium?
I heard this dilemma originated among anti-Catholics for the sake of ridiculing Catholic doctrine, but after thinking about it I realized it’s actually pretty deep and would make a worthwhile discussion for high school religion because it brings up a lot of unexpected issues that most people never think about, some of which strike me as hilarious on account of the sheer incongruity of the situation, and yet intriguing because it puts a lot of our practices, and a lot of the implications of our beliefs, in a new light.
The first thing that will happen is the priest will have committed a sacrilege (in addition to the already-committed sin of consensual intoxication) and probably several other sins and canonical violations. But given his state, can he consecrate? Is this a case of ex opere operato?
Supposing transubstantiation does in fact happen, then the inventory that happens to be valid matter will be transubstantiated, while invalid matter like gluten-free focaccia and white-chocolate macadamia cookies obviously will not. But will both leavened and unleavened valid matter be affected? What about flour, batter, and unbaked dough?
Let’s say the bakery specializes in what just so happens to be valid matter. A significant portion of the inventory is now unsellable. What recourse does the baker have? Since the priest celebrates mass only with the approval of the bishop, can the baker sue the diocese for compensation? Is he required to maintain a lighted candle in the shop 24/7 to signify the Real Presence while it remains? Would it be proper to genuflect on your way in if you’re only there to order a birthday cake? Need there be a holy water font by the door?
May he publish a notice in the parish bulletin describing the event and have people sign up for adoration time slots in the shop? Would he need to secure permission from the local ordinary? Supposing he got it, would it be permitted to profit from the sale of other goods such as cookies to the faithful on their way out? Would it be ethical for people to stop in to make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament without patronizing the business?
After arrangements have been made to transfer the consecrated species, what can be done with it? (I mean, done with *Him *
) Does it have to be collected by a priest, or can a couple of EMHCs come by and pick it up? Since there’s so much of it, does it have to be transferred in a gold-lined container, or can it be carried in the plastic bins the shop already uses?After the proper authorities take custody of it, can it be administered to the faithful as preconsecrated hosts in liturgies? What becomes of identifiable crumbs in the trash? Are these to be dissolved in water and deposited in a sacrarium?
I heard this dilemma originated among anti-Catholics for the sake of ridiculing Catholic doctrine, but after thinking about it I realized it’s actually pretty deep and would make a worthwhile discussion for high school religion because it brings up a lot of unexpected issues that most people never think about, some of which strike me as hilarious on account of the sheer incongruity of the situation, and yet intriguing because it puts a lot of our practices, and a lot of the implications of our beliefs, in a new light.
God bless you!
