Eucharist Not Consumed

[Joan_M]

True enough, but how in the world do we assess the risk? Who can read minds?

No, we can’t read minds. However, that is why EMHC’s should be taught - as I was - that (a) each person who receives in the hand MUST consume the Host BEFORE turning away from the EMHC. Really, the person should take one step to the side and consume the Host. If they do not, we were taught that we should intervene and tell the person to consume it immediately or give it back. If necessary, we were to follow the person to ensure that was done. So, no one should just give the Host to someone and ignore them.

Too often, I have seen people receive in the hand, immediately torn and walk on - thankfully, consuming the Host on their way to the Precious Blood, or on their way back to their pew.

About 2 years ago I saw a young girl - probably around 9 or 10, receive in the hand and walk back to her pew, with the Host in her hand. I followed her and told her, gently, that she should have immediately eaten it, and to please do so now. She did - I do not know if she was Catholic or not - not my business to ask.

The point is that we must always be alert to possible sacrilege. And the Host does not turn back into ordinary bread if someone has stolen it. That is nonsense. After the consecration, it is Jesus. And remains so as long as it is still recognizable as such.

 

[Mary_Ellen]

And yet it remains the recommendation of the Church that if there is a risk of profanation, then Holy Communion should not be given in the hand to the faithful.


tee

We had a situation in one of the churches in our parish where hosts were being found on the floor or in the pews after mass. After multiple incidents Communion in the hand was banned in that particular church for three or four months and re-introduced cautiously after a period of catechisis. We haven’t had a repeat of the problem in the few years since.

 

[ProVobis]

The point is that we must always be alert to possible sacrilege.

As well as possible automatic excommunication attached to it.

Violation of the sacred species is the throwing away the consecrated species of Christ’s body or blood or the taking or retaining of them for a sacrilegious purpose (CIC 1367).

 

[pianistclare]

Our Eucharistic Ministers all apply antibacterial hand gel before distributing the Body and Blood of Christ. I think it’s a very good idea.

They do here as well. I hate the practice.
To me it puts doubt in people’s heads. Can you really get cooties form the Body of Christ?
It’s extremely out of place in the Mass to use hand sanitizer, IMHO.
If one feels their hands are not clean, one should not approach to serve.

 

[pianistclare]

No, we can’t read minds. However, that is why EMHC’s should be taught - as I was - that (a) each person who receives in the hand MUST consume the Host BEFORE turning away from the EMHC. Really, the person should take one step to the side and consume the Host. If they do not, we were taught that we should intervene and tell the person to consume it immediately or give it back. If necessary, we were to follow the person to ensure that was done. So, no one should just give the Host to someone and ignore them.

Too often, I have seen people receive in the hand, immediately torn and walk on - thankfully, consuming the Host on their way to the Precious Blood, or on their way back to their pew.

About 2 years ago I saw a young girl - probably around 9 or 10, receive in the hand and walk back to her pew, with the Host in her hand. I followed her and told her, gently, that she should have immediately eaten it, and to please do so now. She did - I do not know if she was Catholic or not - not my business to ask.

The point is that we must always be alert to possible sacrilege. And the Host does not turn back into ordinary bread if someone has stolen it. That is nonsense. After the consecration, it is Jesus. And remains so as long as it is still recognizable as such.

Nobody said it turns back to bread. The priest said that Jesus can take care of Himself. He is God, after all.

 

[ProVobis]

The priest said that Jesus can take care of Himself. He is God, after all.

What kind of theology is this? Why do we pray in the Act of Contrition, “But most of all because they [sins] offend thee, my God” or similar phraseology? If God doesn’t hurt, why are we confessing again?

 

[pianistclare]

What kind of theology is this? Why do we pray in the Act of Contrition, “But most of all because they [sins] offend thee, my God” or similar phraseology? If God doesn’t hurt, why are we confessing again?

Ask my priest.
The point is, that one does whatever humanly possible to prevent sacrilege.
After that, it’s between God and the person.
WE didn’t offend God by desecrating the host. Another did. And God can choose how to deal with the “other”.

 

[Cathryn]

If someone left the church with a consecrated host and when asked to consume it or give it back, refused. What would be the next step? If they say No, and walk away, it seems there is not much we could do. They didn’t steal the host, so we can’t call the police. At this point I would think we would have to leave it then in God’s hands.

 

[jeannetherese]

They do here as well. I hate the practice.
To me it puts doubt in people’s heads. Can you really get cooties form the Body of Christ?
It’s extremely out of place in the Mass to use hand sanitizer, IMHO.
If one feels their hands are not clean, one should not approach to serve.

Amen.

 

[EasterJoy]

This is not that complicated. If anyone sees someone else failing to consume the host after receiving Holy Communion, whether in the hand or if the host was removed from the tongue after reception, the person taking the host away needs to be stopped and told, “You need to consume that right away.” If they say it is for the sick, they need to be told, “OK, well, Father will want to distribute that to you in a pyx, and make certain he knows where you are taking Holy Communion, and to whom. I will stay with you, and we’ll take care of this with Father.” Then you put aside whatever other plans you had, and you do that.

Honestly, if someone were walking out of church with some of the furniture, we wouldn’t be having a discussion about whether furniture in a church ought to be bolted to the floor. We’d say, “If you have reason to believe they have no right to do what they’re doing, detain them and ask. If they shouldn’t be doing it, stop them. If they have good reason to do what they’re doing, but they’re doing it in the wrong way, help them to do it in the right way.” Not that difficult.

 

[EasterJoy]

If someone left the church with a consecrated host and when asked to consume it or give it back, refused. What would be the next step? If they say No, and walk away, it seems there is not much we could do. They didn’t steal the host, so we can’t call the police. At this point I would think we would have to leave it then in God’s hands.

You say, “No, you have to stop. It is not permitted for anyone to leave with a host without consuming it.” Then you call an usher, you call whomever you have to call, and you stop them. A Catholic church isn’t a supermarket, it is a house of worship, the host is the Body of Christ, not anyone’s “property,” and no one is free to come in and profane our sacraments.

It is highly unlikely, BTW, that anyone is going to come into a Catholic church and claim they “own” a sacramental object obtained under the false pretense that they were a member of the faithful who was participating in an agreed-upon ritual. It does not work like that.

 

[Isca]

They do here as well. I hate the practice.
To me it puts doubt in people’s heads. Can you really get cooties form the Body of Christ?
It’s extremely out of place in the Mass to use hand sanitizer, IMHO.
If one feels their hands are not clean, one should not approach to serve.

I don’t see it as out of place, as hand sanitiser is widely-used in public places in the UK to prevent the spread of infection. I don’t know what ‘cooties’ are. Germs?

 

[tee_eff_em]

They do here as well. I hate the practice.
To me it puts doubt in people’s heads. Can you really get cooties form the Body of Christ?

I cannot speak to cooties, but surely the usual germs, pathogens, et cetera might be transmitted from the hand of the minister to the host to the communicant, no?

tee

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Not philosophy, but opinion, as a matter of fact…my philosophy would be collection of all privately held firearms, and repeal the 2nd amendment…but thanks for asking.

Why does a simple thread have to be hijacked into some irrelevant political babble? Are we going to tie global warming and open borders into this too?

I hope not!

It is not really political it is just that your logic for what you said about the Eucharist sounded a lot like the logic pro gun advocates use when arguing against any sort of gun control.
Well, if someone really wants to defame a Eucharist they will so why have any precautions or measures in place to try to stop it?