Host in album

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what do you do if you are in a situation in which you visit a relative’s house and you are looking through a photo album of a vacation and you find a host in the album.

You ask the relative what it is and you are told that they took the host as a souvenir to remember the trip since they happened to be visiting a Catholic Church during communion time.

What do you do in such a situation? Should you go on your knees and adore the Blessed Sacrament right then and there or what else?
 
a83192 said:
what do you do if you are in a situation in which you visit a relative’s house and you are looking through a photo album of a vacation and you find a host in the album.

You ask the relative what it is and you are told that they took the host as a souvenir to remember the trip since they happened to be visiting a Catholic Church during communion time.

What do you do in such a situation? Should you go on your knees and adore the Blessed Sacrament right then and there or what else?
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Is the relative Catholic? I’m assuming not.

First you tell the person who put it in the album that it is NOT a souvenir or anything like - if it were they would be selling them at a gift stall out the front of the church :rolleyes: Tell them that if a Catholic did such a thing it would be considered a serious sacrilege - as bad as taking God’s name as a swear word for example.

Then tell them that they need to take it to the nearest Catholic church, before or after a Mass so that a priest is there, explain to the priest what happened and that they did not know what they were doing, and give it to him. He will know what to do.
 
LilyM said:
Is the relative Catholic? I’m assuming not.

First you tell the person who put it in the album that it is NOT a souvenir or anything like - if it were they would be selling them at a gift stall out the front of the church :rolleyes: Tell them that if a Catholic did such a thing it would be considered a serious sacrilege - as bad as taking God’s name as a swear word for example.

Then tell them that they need to take it to the nearest Catholic church, before or after a Mass so that a priest is there, explain to the priest what happened and that they did not know what they were doing, and give it to him. He will know what to do.
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so if its a fallen away Catholic what do you do?
 
LilyM said:
Is the relative Catholic? I’m assuming not.

First you tell the person who put it in the album that it is NOT a souvenir or anything like - if it were they would be selling them at a gift stall out the front of the church :rolleyes: Tell them that if a Catholic did such a thing it would be considered a serious sacrilege - as bad as taking God’s name as a swear word for example.

Then tell them that they need to take it to the nearest Catholic church, before or after a Mass so that a priest is there, explain to the priest what happened and that they did not know what they were doing, and give it to him. He will know what to do.
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I believe this is the best thing to do, but if they are just too embarrassed to take it to the priest, you should get them to allow you to dissolve it in water and when it is completed dissolved and no longer the consistence of the Host, pour it into the ground, somewhere out of foot traffic like near a plant or tree.
 
a83192 said:
what do you do if you are in a situation in which you visit a relative’s house and you are looking through a photo album of a vacation and you find a host in the album.

You ask the relative what it is and you are told that they took the host as a souvenir to remember the trip since they happened to be visiting a Catholic Church during communion time.

What do you do in such a situation? Should you go on your knees and adore the Blessed Sacrament right then and there or what else?
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Consume it when they’re not looking…
 
I have a priest friend who told me exactly this same story. The people had been on a trip to rome and the husband “saved” the host from a Mass at St. Peters. He said he reached into the album and took out the host and consumed it, he said you should have seen the look on the guys face…and then he explained!!
 
“Consume it when they’re not looking:” Do you mean only if you are in a state of grace?

I tend a little toward scrupulosity, so I think I’d swipe it when they’re not looking and take it to a Catholic priest. I’d be concerned about being in a state of sin, and couldn’t see myself sitting there agonizing over whether something was a mortal sin and lose the opportunity to get the Blessed Sacrament outta there!
 
odile53 said:
“Consume it when they’re not looking:” Do you mean only if you are in a state of grace?

I tend a little toward scrupulosity, so I think I’d swipe it when they’re not looking and take it to a Catholic priest. I’d be concerned about being in a state of sin, and couldn’t see myself sitting there agonizing over whether something was a mortal sin and lose the opportunity to get the Blessed Sacrament outta there!
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Someone who is aware of a mortal sin should not consume the Eucharist. However, in this case if there is an intention to confess the sin asap I think a reasonable exception can be made.
 
I would be shocked as well. I would politely explain to them how faithful Catholics believe this to be extremely disrespectful to the Eucharistic species and to believing Catholics. Dont get angry…it will do no good. I would ask if i could place it into a cup of water, let it dissolve and put it into the soil. But…if they refuse after doing your best, remember that once the consecrated host is contamnited, its no longer food that can be eaten. It has spolied so it is no longer vali matter and is no longer the Blessed Sacrament.
The couple did wrong but it sounds like they didn’t realize it.
 
NewEnglandPries said:
Someone who is aware of a mortal sin should not consume the Eucharist. However, in this case if there is an intention to confess the sin asap I think a reasonable exception can be made.
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Wouldn’t the principle of the double effect apply here? The intention isn’t to steal from a person (even though that action would have to be carried out), but rather to protect the Sacred Specie from a state of being treated irreverently.
 
Remove the host and place in a tissue, a piece of cloth, a handkerchef etc… taking care to not lose any particles. Place the host in a glass of water and let dissolve. Once disolved pour the liquid in the ground. Next day if possible.
The only time I would advise one to consume the host would be if a physical issue over the removal would present a problem.That would be a last resort.
 
When my daughters were still in grade school, they decided to help with the straightening out of the pews picking up paper and straightening the booklets in church after school one day. My daughter came across an old bulletin that had a Host stuck to the paper. It must have been previously in someone’s mouth then put into the bulletin for it to stick the way it did. She was shocked and not knowing what to think or do, took it immediately, bulletin and all, to the convent where our only remaining Sister was at that time. Sister thanked them for being so careful to guard the Host and they watched as she put the Host and portion of the paper that it was stuck to into a bowl of water.
 
Contact the Pastor of the local Parish…

Such needs to be done in proper way…not just dissolving the Host in water…

Even if such was to be done -in is to be done at the Parish and in the proper place… Most likely the Priest will just consume the Host.
 
NewEnglandPries said:
Someone who is aware of a mortal sin should not consume the Eucharist. However, in this case if there is an intention to confess the sin asap I think a reasonable exception can be made.
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I would not take that approach…a person who has in fact committed a mortal sin ought not receive…one does not do a sacrilege to avoid undo a sacrilege (not speaking of those who are struggling with scruples…see your regular confessor and follow his direction) …but I do not know that even a person who is not conscious of mortal sin ought to “self communicate” (though I imagine an immediate threat to the Host is present that might be an exception)… contact the local Priest or perhaps even take it to the Priest.

PS: the Eucharist by nature can not “be a possession” …cannot “belong” to anyone.
 
Bookcat said:
I would not take that approach…a person who has in fact committed a mortal sin ought not receive…one does not do a sacrilege to avoid undo a sacrilege (not speaking of those who are struggling with scruples…see your regular confessor and follow his direction) …but I do not know that even a person who is not conscious of mortal sin ought to “self communicate” (though I imagine an immediate threat to the Host is present that might be an exception)… contact the local Priest or perhaps even take it to the Priest.
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To consume the Host in this situation would not be to receive Jesus in Communion, nor to self communicate. The purpose would be to properly dispose of the Sacred Host.
 
zab said:
To consume the Host in this situation would not be to receive Jesus in Communion, nor to self communicate.
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Sure it would. It cannot be otherwise. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ. I understand what you are seeking to say here…that the point is to protect the Eucharist from sacrilege. But it would still be receiving Jesus in Holy Communion…and I do not see that one ought to do such oneself…outside perhaps what I noted above.
 
Bookcat said:
Sure it would. It cannot be otherwise. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ.
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The Eucharist is Jesus, but the intention of consuming the Host would be to properly dispose of the Host not to receive Jesus in Holy Communion.
 
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