Key in the Tabernacle - what would you have done?

[runningdude]

Attitude.

Both the priest and deacon are marked by God. Maybe not as dramatically as the Eucharist, but nonetheless marked. Speaking flippantly about a member of the clergy is disrespectful to the sacrament of Holy Orders. Isn’t it interesting that you are accusing them of being disrespectful to the sacrament of the Eucharist?

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

 

[HonoraDominum]

Attitude.

Both the priest and deacon are marked by God. Maybe not as dramatically as the Eucharist, but nonetheless marked. Speaking flippantly about a member of the clergy is disrespectful to the sacrament of Holy Orders. Isn’t it interesting that you are accusing them of being disrespectful to the sacrament of the Eucharist?

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

A huge part of my prayer life is prayer and sacrifice for the sanctification of priests. I am well aware of how fragile they are and how much they need our prayers and support. But I feel very little guilt calling clergy on a) leaving the blessed host in a place where it can be profaned, and b) breaking the liturgical guidelines of the GIRM.

I never said I was better than the priest. What I was saying is that the Eucharist, the body, blood, soul and divinity of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ, was left unattended and vulnerable, and to me that was an absolute horror. I would never say anything about what I saw as a liturgical irregularity, or pastoral procedures, or any other activities that go on in the parish. But the Sacrament, the holy and Blessed Host, that is a whole other ball game.

 

[runningdude]

A huge part of my prayer life is prayer and sacrifice for the sanctification of priests. I am well aware of how fragile they are and how much they need our prayers and support. But I feel very little guilt calling clergy on a) leaving the blessed host in a place where it can be profaned, and b) breaking the liturgical guidelines of the GIRM.

I never said I was better than the priest. What I was saying is that the Eucharist, the body, blood, soul and divinity of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ, was left unattended and vulnerable, and to me that was an absolute horror. I would never say anything about what I saw as a liturgical irregularity, or pastoral procedures, or any other activities that go on in the parish. But the Sacrament, the holy and Blessed Host, that is a whole other ball game.

Both the priest and deacon have a right and duty to handle and protect the Eucharist. It is not your place to question how they do so, which is a matter of discretion. Leaving the key in the tabernacle might be foolish, but is not an inherently sinful action. Priests and deacons have many grave responsibilities, and it is disrespectful at a minimum to undermine them, even pseudonymously on the internet.

 

[HonoraDominum]

If you feel this strongly, perhaps you should write to your bishop asking for clarification of this section of the GIRM. Without going into any specific instance, simply ask him what is appropriate and what is not during the minutes leading up to Mass and during Mass.

That is a most excellent, and charitable, way to approach the Bishop. Thank you for your feedback, I will definitely use this approach in my letter to the Bishop. Blessed be God for people who have a clearer head than I do when it is swarming with uncharitable thoughts.

 

[Allegra]

If you were the last person in there, I think it would have been okay to take the key and hand it to the priest and just say, “Father, I was the last person in the chapel and the tabernacle wasn’t locked so I locked it.” and give him the key. Since, there was someone else in there when you left, I think what you did was fine. He may have intended to go right in there. The priest might have told the deacon to leave it there for a reason.

 

[HonoraDominum]

Both the priest and deacon have a right and duty to handle and protect the Eucharist. It is not your place to question how they do so, which is a matter of discretion. Leaving the key in the tabernacle might be foolish, but is not an inherently sinful action. Priests and deacons have many grave responsibilities, and it is disrespectful at a minimum to undermine them, even pseudonymously on the internet.

Yes, priests and deacons have very grave responsibilities. But one would think that one of the ones on the top of their list would be the safety of the blessed host. There is a reason for locks on the tabernacle. There are bad people out there with bad intentions. And there are good people out there with perfectly good intentions that can also blaspheme hosts - maybe a parishioner who wants to take a couple home “just in case” they need one.

 

[benjohnson]

While some here have said that HonoraDominum has come across a being flippant, given how much distress he has at seeing the very personal sacrifice of God being treated without the utmost respect, I would cut him some slack.

He described the idea of mailing the key. He didn’t say it was good advice nor did he do it, but shared his reaction as an indication of how upset he was.

We may debate the his actions, that is true. But the response of “rolling the eyes” is an indication of something wrong. In my opinion, our god-given teachers are allowed to be frail and frail from time to time, but they should never be dismissive of a valid concern brought out of love of god. Even if that concern is wrong.

The correct initial response to someone taking the time to attempt to make you a better person in God is always “Thank you!.” Then the conversation or education can continue.

Of course, this is my opinion.

 

[paperwight66]

Okay, would it be better to say “Dropped the hosts like Alka Seltzer into the pix”? It was irreverent, in my opinion. I know this is my opinion, and I’m aware that my “Alka Seltzer” is another’s “he was just doing his job”. And I’m okay with that.

And sorry, I mean to say water, not salt. At my parish, there is an Ablution Cup on the altar. According to the book “From Sanctuary to the Altar”:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-.../AAAAAAAAAGI/lEB5kgHGT9s/s500/ablutioncup.png

Yes, of course it would be better to say ‘dropped’. There’s a whole difference between ‘dropped’ and ‘threw’ and I’m glad you realise that now. Apology accepted.

He probably ‘dropped’ the Hosts into the pyx because that it the only way to do it. I presume you are not implying that it was from a great height?

I ask the quiestion again, have you actually ever handled a pyx? They are typically made to the size of the altar-bread/host. There is no room for any fingers to go in as well.
At some stage, the EMHC has to let go of the host and let it land in the pyx.

As for the ‘holy’ water - (usually just plain old tapwater) - there was no need to post a lengthy reference as to the requirement for an ablutions cup at the side of the Tabernacle. What made you think it was salt? That is the puzzle. It makes me wonder if you are actually a Catholic, to be honest.

 

[HonoraDominum]

Yes, of course it would be better to say ‘dropped’. There’s a whole difference between ‘dropped’ and ‘threw’ and I’m glad you realise that now. Apology accepted.

He probably ‘dropped’ the Hosts into the pyx because that it the only way to do it. I presume you are not implying that it was from a great height?

I ask the quiestion again, have you actually ever handled a pyx? They are typically made to the size of the altar-bread/host. There is no room for any fingers to go in as well.
At some stage, the EMHC has to let go of the host and let it land in the pyx.

As for the ‘holy’ water - (usually just plain old tapwater) - there was no need to post a lengthy reference as to the requirement for an ablutions cup at the side of the Tabernacle. What made you think it was salt? That is the puzzle. It makes me wonder if you are actually a Catholic, to be honest.

I have never handled a pyx. However, I have seen many pyxes filled, and I have seen reverent and I have seen irreverent.

“Salt” was a typo. And yes, while I am a convert, I have been baptized and, barring that my uncharitable thoughts about this issue are not a mortal sin, am in a state of grace by the graces of Almighty God. It’s hard for me to believe that someone could interpret my passion for the safety of the Holy Eucharist in repose as being from someone who is not Catholic.

I know I have faults, I know I have weaknesses, such as pride and too much “Third Mansion” preaching on these boards (That’s a St. Teresa of Avila reference). And I know that I commit sins many times a day, for which I constantly beg God for His mercy and His grace. I can do nothing without the graces of the love of God. Without God, I cannot have so much as one good thought. God has been so very good to me, and yet has granted me the grace of love for our Eucharistic Lord without granting me the grace to learn to accept His will in all things. He obviously wanted that to happen, and He wanted me to witness that, and learn from it.

The question then becomes, what am I to learn? Should I take this as a message to pray even harder for the sanctification of clergy and for an increase in vocations? Or to mortify myself with the intention of making reparations for all the neglect and sin shown to Christ and his Sacred Heart in tabernacles throughout the world? Should I try even harder to return Love for Love, so that my love can make up for all the love that is not shown to him? Should I take action like writing a letter so as to avert a true danger of sacrilege? St. Therese of Lisieux tells in the story of her soul of how a novice wanted to write her sister a letter saying she felt that her sister was being called to be a religious, and the Reverend Mother said, “Carmelites save souls by prayer and not letters.” Should I take this as a reminder of the blessing of having holy and orthodox priests in my parish? Or is that taking something bad and making it about me and my feelings instead of about God and His feelings? What does God want me to do, what is His divine will? What can be done that will conform to His wish for me, and for that parish?

Maybe I should simply learn to keep these sorrows in my heart as a cross to bear for love of my Lord and my God.

 

[1ke]

The question then becomes, what am I to learn?

That perhaps you have a skewed view of things. You say you were “filled with terror”, that this is an “absolute horror”, etc.

You further state you have “never” touched the host and “only” receive from a priest or deacon. Yet, the Church says it is perfectly fine to do BOTH of these things (receive in the hand and receive from an extraordinary minister).

I think you have some sort of scrupulosity going on with regard to the host. The fact that the deacon left the key in the tabernacl 5 minutes before Mass and it induced TERROR and all sorts of wild imaginings of profanation of the host (together with all of the fear and anxiety you express in your posts) leads me to believe you need some spiritual counsel.

 

[estesbob]

This happened to me last night. I’ll tell you what happened, then tell you how I dealt with it.

I went to a church near where I work (not my usual parish) for Eucharistic adoration at 6:30p last night. They have a small Eucharistic chapel that connects the parking lot to the main doors of the church. When I walked in, I saw there was no adoration because apparently there was a special Mass at 7p. Around 6:35p, a man in street clothes came into the small chapel, opened the tabernacle, threw some hosts into a pix, and closed the tabernacle. He did not remove his key. At this point, almost everyone had left the chapel and people were walking through the chapel to get to the main church.

At 6:55p, there was only two of us left in the chapel. I was seriously concerned because I was about to leave and the key was still in the tabernacle.

At this point what would you have done?

[pauses for a moment to give you time to reflect]

What I wanted to do:
Take the key, walk out to my car, drive home, and mail it anonymously to the Bishop asking him to please review the GIRM with the people in the parish who have keys to the tabernacle:
The Place for the Reservation of the Most Holy Eucharist

1. In accordance with the structure of each church and legitimate local customs, the Most Blessed Sacrament should be reserved in a tabernacle in a part of the church that is truly noble, prominent, conspicuous, worthily decorated, and suitable for prayer.

The tabernacle should usually be the only one, be irremovable, be made of solid and inviolable material that is not transparent, and be locked in such a way that the danger of profanation is prevented to the greatest extent possible. Moreover, it is appropriate that before it is put into liturgical use, the tabernacle be blessed according to the rite described in the Roman Ritual.

What I ended up doing:
I asked the other lady who was there if she could watch the tabernacle for a moment as I was going to find out when the person was going to come back with the key. I found the man - apparently a Deacon at the parish - standing with a priest at the entrance of the church. I approached the priest and said, “Father, the key is in the tabernacle.” He said “I know.” I said, “But Father, no one is in there to watch the tabernacle.” He said, “Yes, it’s supposed to be there.” I said, “Um … okay Father. I just thought you would want to know.” He said, “Okay …” and rolled his eyes at me.

I was so upset I almost cried. This was a Mass where many non-parishioners were in attendance, and were using the Eucharistic chapel as a walk-thru. Any number of things could have happened to profane the host. However, at that point, I felt I was under obedience to the priest to leave the key and so I left it there.

I am trying to figure out what I should say in my letter to the Bishop, because our Bishop is a strong and orthodox priest. I feel confident he would want this issue addressed. I told my priest after Mass this morning, and asked him what I should have done, and without missing a beat, he said “Take the key. Walk it to the Priest and give it to him. It’s not stealing, it’s a rescue mission.”

So what would you have done?

I would have left the key in the Tabernacle.

 

[Diana_Catherine]

Which is exactly what I did. I went and found the priest. We all have temptations and actions. My temptation did not win, and I did what I felt was most appropriate. Had I done what I wanted to do, it would not have been taken in a spirit of charity at all. It would have only caused anger by the priest and deacon.

But that doesn’t negate the terror I had of thinking that the hosts, that the true presence of Christ, was left endangered, at risk of being profaned or stolen, and the parish priest had a complete ignorance of this reality. Hence my reaction of being upset.

I would do anything to protect the profanation of Christ in the sacrament. He’s really there. For anyone to have such a lackadasical attitude towards the safety of the Host breaks my heart. My parish priest keeps the key for the tabernacle in his pocket, and the only time it is taken out is during Mass or if he has to get a Host for the sick. And when he does that, he rubs his fingers in the holy Salt after he handles the hosts, and makes sure that everything is locked, and genuflects when he approaches the altar, when the door to the tabernacle opens, and when he is leaving the altar.

I agree. As I said I think you did right and it is always good when we are able to fight our temptations and win, so it is good you didn’t take the key and mail it. God was truly leading you.

I agree, too that we have become too flippant and disrespectful toward Christ in the sacrament. I think you’re being upset over the possibility of someone getting into the tabernacle and the deacon disrespectfully putting the host away are good. We should become upset when we see disrespect to the host. People today are in such a hurry and he could have been running late and didn’t take the time to be as respectful as he should.

I’m really kind of surprised at a lot of the reactions to your post.

 

[HonoraDominum]

That perhaps you have a skewed view of things. You say you were “filled with terror”, that this is an “absolute horror”, etc.

You further state you have “never” touched the host and “only” receive from a priest or deacon. Yet, the Church says it is perfectly fine to do BOTH of these things (receive in the hand and receive from an extraordinary minister).

I think you have some sort of scrupulosity going on with regard to the host. The fact that the deacon left the key in the tabernacle 5 minutes before Mass and it induced TERROR and all sorts of wild imaginings of profanation of the host (together with all of the fear and anxiety you express in your posts) leads me to believe you need some spiritual counsel.

I received spiritual counsel. He said, take the key and give it to the priest. He said to do more than I did. He said that what the deacon did was wrong.

I took it upon myself to vent on the boards, which again, my weakness and my responsibility. Like most striving towards perfection, I do have moments of scrupulosity, but they are never in regards to the Eucharist.

I didn’t say I was having nightmares. I didn’t say I thought a group of traveling Satanists were breaking into churches in my diocese. I was saying that it seems very wrong to not do everything possible to protect the Holy Eucharist in repose. If I were not to address what I saw as irreverence towards the tabernacle and its sacred contents, I would have felt like I was not doing my duty for love of God.

If someone would have left a sleeping baby in a stroller in the Eucharistic chapel unattended for 30 minutes, people would have been horrified. Even if there were people in there who would have not let anything happen to the baby, something could have happened. People would have called for the parent to be arrested. And yet addressing the security of the true presence of our Lord and Savior brings on accusations of mental health issues.

And as to someone being in there the whole time: The other lady was walking out at the same time I was. When I left, the tabernacle was unattended. I was dressed very well and professionally that day - and that person who was in there didn’t know me from Adam. She could have thought I was supposed to be handling what was in the Tabernacle. I could have easily opened the tabernacle, taken a host, walked out, and been in my car and out the door before the lady had a chance to get anyone to stop me. Or with the best of intentions I could have taken the key and walked out the door, causing the parish to have to hire a locksmith, on a weekend, to rekey the tabernacle.

 

[keepingfaith4]

I would have locked the tabernacle, removed the key and found a cleric to give it to or someone else in charge. Some parishes have sadly adopted this abominable (truly horrific!) practice of placing the key in the tabernacle before Mass to “expedite” things and it’s terribly wrong. Not only does it leave the Blessed Sacrament unsecured, it also screams “speed before reverence” to everyone that sees it.

This got to be a big deal in my parish. I complained (and so had others before me), to my pastor tried to stop the practice and the “special” laypersons pretty much ignored him! Finally I just told him nicely that I had a stamped envelope addressed to the bishop in the glove compartment of my truck. Knowing there was more than one key I told him I would lock the tabernacle, remove the key and mail it to the chancery on the way home.

Their final excuse? The laywomen ( ) who accessed the tabernacle complained about not having anywhere to keep the key during Mass. The pastor attached a wristband to the key. The issue finally got resolved but it took gentle and not so gentle perseverance.

SHAME on him and I mean that. That sort of callous and cavalier attitude has taken a real toll on the faithful over the years. But worst of all it leaves the Blessed Sacrament unsecured and that’s just wrong. No way to put a positive spin on their actions.

Bravo to your pastor. As Catholic Christians we can’t go looking for fights but this situation demands action. If you write a letter to your bishop keep it charitable and short. Forget the reference to the GIRM. He knows what’s going on. It’s wrong and it needs to stop. Beware about just how tenaciously some will fight the bishop and possibly the priest on this one. Like it or not there is something truly wrong with any parish that allows the key to be left in the tabernacle. It got to the point at my parish that I truly began wondering about demonic possession (hold your laughs and rolling eyes) about those who were so resolved to ignore my pastor’s directions. It’s not a matter of convenience in my opinion. It’s a small but important display of “I couldn’t care less, I am going to do things my way” or even worse. There is no benefit to the practice.

For those that actually defend the practice, shame on you too. You’re putting misguided temporal power and authority ahead of the security of the Blessed Sacrament. Leaving the key in the tabernacle is precisely the sort of thing that facilitates a drop in the faithfuls’ belief in the Real Presence. “It’s no big deal.” Wrong! “It’s none of your business.” Wrong again!

spoken like a truly reverent catholic:thumbsup:

 

[Cathryn]

The pastor has the duty to teach, to sanctify, and to govern his parish. If he wants the key in the tabernacle before Mass it is his call.

 

[benjohnson]

The pastor has the duty to teach, to sanctify, and to govern his parish. If he wants the key in the tabernacle before Mass it is his call.

I my humble Lutheran Church, this would be incorrect. We aren’t as physically protective of the true body and true blood of christ. But we do have rules about it and they are not optional.

 

[pnewton]

You said you found a priest and a deacon at the entrance to the Church. I would dare say that the danger of profaning the Sacrament was minimal, as per the GIRM, and very likely the need to key the Tabernacle accessable at that time was more important, as you saw a someone who needed access to it. I would say that this is a situation where the priest knew what was going on. You did your duty in mentioning it. Why are you still sweating it? Furthermore, why did you mention it three times after the priest said that he was aware of the situation? No wonder he rolled his eyes. I would have asked what part of “I know” was hard to understand, the “I” or the “know”. In this, the priest did show some tolerance. It is not nice to badger priests.

 

[Phemie]

I was thinking the same thing.

So was I.

 

[bmadamsberry]

So do you believe that leaving the tabernacle with the key inserted, alone, in a room with no windows, with a door that goes directly to the parking lot, is in line with the GIRM, and that is taking the most care possible to avoid the profination of the hosts?

Interpreting the GIRM can be difficult, and this is a prime example. The way you might interpret “taking the most care possible” is different than my own. There might even be someone who would interpret that even more strictly and thinks that the tabernacle should be made out of cement with a passcode instead of a key.

At my own parish, the key is left in the tabernacle. At night, the doors to the church are locked and a security system turned on. In my area, there is no danger of profanation. Church vandalism and church break-ins is near nonexistent. Is it possible? Sure! But so is someone setting fire to our church building. Does that mean we place the tabernacle in the basement in a fire-proof safe? Nope.

My point: We must be careful when saying that someone has broken a liturgical or ecclesiastical law, as our interpretation can easily be subjective.

 

[Irishgal49]

“Threw some hosts”

OP I believe you don’t like this particular Church and are looking for something to gripe about.

The laity don’t have the right to just go up to the tabernacle and remove the key!

I love the OP’s idea, just because you think of something sarcastic doesn’t mean you’re out of line. I would have thought the same thing–quit being so rude.