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Irishmom2
Guest
Yes, exactly!
"Swiss churches put consecrated hosts in match boxes for faithful to take"
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frarmandofm
Guest
Never let the facts get in the way of a good narrative.
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Usige
Guest
I certainly have concerns that we are entering a time of experimentation and some of the innovations will be hard to put back in the box.
I was reading an article on how various Christian communities around the US are handling things and it talked about the great opportunities to try new things to engage younger convgregants. One pastor said they were hiring “digital ministers” so they could tailor 25 different experiences each week instead of just having 1 or 2 sermons each week.
Admittedly this was a site dedicated to nondenominational/independant churches, but one core thing was true. Namely that this will change the way people think about worship. Even Pope Francis said last week that he was concerned that the advent of live streaming mass and spiritual communion will cause people to forget that the mass and Eucharist is not a personal act, but has always been a communal celebration.
I fear that my pastor was inadvertently prophetic a few years back. He mentioned how every one was so focused on getting what they want now and never wanting to wait, that he expected some would demand him to put in a pair of drive-through windows: “confession at window 1, Eucharist at window 2”. It seemed an absurd joke even a month ago and yet we now have drive-through confession and take out Eucharist just as he quipped.
Thats not to say these temporary solutions won’t wither on the vine, but it’s been 5 weeks since public masses have been closed in my state and based on the governor’s update yesterday, I expect it will be June or July at the earliest before they resume (he said we are in a marathon and banning groups larger than 10 would be the norm until a vaccine was available or substantial testing could increase). The longer the temporary solutions are in place the more you will have people saying “we did X for 4 months and nothing bad happened so why not just keep it up?”
I was reading an article on how various Christian communities around the US are handling things and it talked about the great opportunities to try new things to engage younger convgregants. One pastor said they were hiring “digital ministers” so they could tailor 25 different experiences each week instead of just having 1 or 2 sermons each week.
Admittedly this was a site dedicated to nondenominational/independant churches, but one core thing was true. Namely that this will change the way people think about worship. Even Pope Francis said last week that he was concerned that the advent of live streaming mass and spiritual communion will cause people to forget that the mass and Eucharist is not a personal act, but has always been a communal celebration.
I fear that my pastor was inadvertently prophetic a few years back. He mentioned how every one was so focused on getting what they want now and never wanting to wait, that he expected some would demand him to put in a pair of drive-through windows: “confession at window 1, Eucharist at window 2”. It seemed an absurd joke even a month ago and yet we now have drive-through confession and take out Eucharist just as he quipped.
Thats not to say these temporary solutions won’t wither on the vine, but it’s been 5 weeks since public masses have been closed in my state and based on the governor’s update yesterday, I expect it will be June or July at the earliest before they resume (he said we are in a marathon and banning groups larger than 10 would be the norm until a vaccine was available or substantial testing could increase). The longer the temporary solutions are in place the more you will have people saying “we did X for 4 months and nothing bad happened so why not just keep it up?”
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Jessie
Guest
This is done in Munich too. Very casually with no reverence.
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gotDoug
Guest
Perhaps the people are celebrating a Liturgy of the Word with Distribution of Holy Communion in their home. This site gives rubrics on how to celebrate one:
Just a thought. The article does not give a lot of information. I feel like there is definitely more to this story.
Just a thought. The article does not give a lot of information. I feel like there is definitely more to this story.
That document does seem to allow for a lay person to lead such a service outside of the church.
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adamhovey1988
Guest
I’ve stated multiple times they are not a trustworthy site, I’m not sure why people still share them
Tis_Bearself
Patron
You can read the original article translated from the original language, which I did.
I think this is a questionable practice, but it is an issue for the Swiss bishops and their superiors to deal with, not for me to get all worked up about from the other side of the world. It does not sound like people are being disrespectful.
I further know that in Switzerland, people are very, VERY oriented towards “following rules” (One of my friends lived in Switzerland for years and had to be cognizant of this at all times) and it is far less likely that abuses will occur with this practice than in many other countries and cultures.
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I actually have a hard time seeing anything wrong with this. We are living in unusual times, and in the early Church, the faithful did take Holy Communion home with them. The hermit saints also self-communed — being hermits, what else could they do? Self-communing is not intrinsically evil.
I would question “what to do with the box after I’ve received communion?”. It seems the most reverent thing to do, would be to save it in a zip-lock bag and return it to the priest later. You really couldn’t “purify” these boxes — might it be best just to burn them, and return the ashes to the elements, perhaps in one’s garden?
If I should be so blessed as to be able to assist at Holy Mass between now and Trinity Sunday, and the only option for making my Easter duty is by reception of communion in the hand, I am already planning to get a purificator and place it in my palm, then cup the purificator up to my mouth to receive the Host. If the priest has an issue with this, I will be happy to answer any questions he might have after Mass. (I may actually have a purificator put away somewhere — I used to serve Mass for a priest. I’ll have to check in one of my storage bins.)
I would question “what to do with the box after I’ve received communion?”. It seems the most reverent thing to do, would be to save it in a zip-lock bag and return it to the priest later. You really couldn’t “purify” these boxes — might it be best just to burn them, and return the ashes to the elements, perhaps in one’s garden?
If I should be so blessed as to be able to assist at Holy Mass between now and Trinity Sunday, and the only option for making my Easter duty is by reception of communion in the hand, I am already planning to get a purificator and place it in my palm, then cup the purificator up to my mouth to receive the Host. If the priest has an issue with this, I will be happy to answer any questions he might have after Mass. (I may actually have a purificator put away somewhere — I used to serve Mass for a priest. I’ll have to check in one of my storage bins.)
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phil19034
Guest
Well, they do look like match box boxes. 
I honestly don’t see what is so horrific about the description?
I honestly don’t see what is so horrific about the description?
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phil19034
Guest
As much as people want to receive Holy Communion (and believe me, I understand), I don’t think this is a wise solution. It is possible that this might have some negative - long term, unintended side effects.
I would much rather see a lot more confession times & online devotions instead of communion. Our Cathedral has been processing the Blessed Sacrament around the neighborhood, asking that no one joins the procession, but simply kneel as the Monstrance goes by. I would rather see things like this & a focus on Spiritual Communion.
People seem to forget that while Holy Communion is the source and summit of our faith, we are only required to receive once a year (during Eastertide, which I’m sure might be dispensed if we don’t return to mass before Pentecost).
Nuns used to have get permission from their spiritual directors to receive more than once a month, and then later to receive more than once a week.
Receiving weekly, let allow daily communion is a VERY new practice in the Church. Personally, I think waiting until we can go back to mass will make our hearts grow for Jesus. So while I understand the desire to provide Communion, I think it would be better to wait until one can receive at Mass again.
God Bless
I would much rather see a lot more confession times & online devotions instead of communion. Our Cathedral has been processing the Blessed Sacrament around the neighborhood, asking that no one joins the procession, but simply kneel as the Monstrance goes by. I would rather see things like this & a focus on Spiritual Communion.
People seem to forget that while Holy Communion is the source and summit of our faith, we are only required to receive once a year (during Eastertide, which I’m sure might be dispensed if we don’t return to mass before Pentecost).
Nuns used to have get permission from their spiritual directors to receive more than once a month, and then later to receive more than once a week.
Receiving weekly, let allow daily communion is a VERY new practice in the Church. Personally, I think waiting until we can go back to mass will make our hearts grow for Jesus. So while I understand the desire to provide Communion, I think it would be better to wait until one can receive at Mass again.
God Bless
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phil19034
Guest
The difference is that people consume the Host in the Communion line. If someone walks off with the Host, the Priest/Deacon/EMHC/Usher/or any one else in the Pew will stop them and tell them to consume the host right there, if they see it.
I remember that happening once at the Church where I was baptized and confirmed. Someone walked away from the altar and didn’t consume the Host right away. Someone in the pew stopped them and told the person to consume the host right now. They consumed the host and then the person was allowed to walk back to the pew.
My fear with this “take home solution” is that there is less security to make sure the Host is not collected for evil purposes. Now that this has made international news, I’m sure people who want to have a satanic Black Mass will be hunting for this parish.
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Tis_Bearself
Patron
I’m equally sure that the priests in charge are not going to be letting people off the street whom they don’t know just walk in and take a consecrated host.My fear with this “take home solution” is that there is less security to make sure the Host is not collected for evil purposes. Now that this has made international news, I’m sure people who want to have a satanic Black Mass will be hunting for this parish.
The number of Catholics doing this are likely small and my guess is the priest knows the vast majority of them.
Having said that, I think there is still some potential for misuse of the Eucharist such as by putting it in a drawer for a long period of time and maybe forgetting it’s there, misplacing it inadvertently, or keeping it around your house to venerate rather than consuming it. All of these are fairly major issues and are a big reason why the Church doesn’t allow even the known faithful to be taking Eucharist home wiht them.
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OurLadyofSorrows
Guest
Thank you for this post.
Quite true. Although, seen from francophone Switzerland, germanophone Swiss Catholicism does have a reputation for being rather liberal. But I have no first-hand experience of whether this is true or not.
I didn’t see it addressed either.
In my (Swiss) diocese, however, if such a thing were to be implemented, I guess there would be a dispensation. Our bishop is very strict about following not only the rubrics, but also the sanitary guidelines, which make distribution by a priest impossible as priest and communicant have to be closer than a two-meter distance. As @Tis_Bearself said, that would go against the current Covid-19 regulations and that would be seen as Very Bad, for people who are big about Following Rules.
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Titivillus
Guest
new-kirishitan:
Intinction must be done by the Priest. It is at the discretion of each Bishop to allow or disallow in his Diocese.
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paperwight
Guest
‘Horrific’ is overstating the case perhaps but I object to the term because where would new clean matchboxes be bought? They are not sold empty. The impression given is that they are ones bought with matches in and then emptied, or even worse, retrieved from trash cans. Untrue I know, but that is not what the headline from LSN is implying at first glance.Well, they do look like match box boxes.
I honestly don’t see what is so horrific about the description?
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phil19034
Guest
I’m sure empty, blank matchboxes (with or without the “strike strip”) can be purchased from which whatever suppliers provide them to the matchbox printers.
I have to be honest, I would have NEVER thought that and I doubt many would think that.
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TK421
Guest
The article deliberately makes up the word ‘match box’ to make it sound scandalous. This type of reporting is unethical.
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Tis_Bearself
Patron
Having just come here from the other Lifesite News article on Scott Hahn praising Burke/Vigano/Schneider, it’s abundantly clear that LifeSiteNews is the National Enquirer of Catholic news outlets.
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