Viral video of 'irreverent' distribution of Eucharist during papal mass in Manila, Philippines

[Mark121359]

I just can’t believe that there are Catholics who casually brush this aside. Every particle of the Eucharist is the WHOLE Christ! There is NO denying that. The way in which He was passed around there makes me believe that many fragments of Jesus fell to the ground in the many exchanges from hand to hand, and then simply trampled under foot. That video should make any Catholic absolutely sick.

How do you know it was “shameful” abuse? Are you a liturgy expert?

Maybe some of us posting on here need to hear what Bishop Athanasius Schneider, who knows a thing or two about sacrilege has to say…listen from the 8:34 mark. But the whole video is worth a listen.
youtube.com/watch?v=QbAZezVk5Gk

Peace, Mark

 

[justsomeguy085]

Say what you want about B16 but he ensured that his masses were reverent and that people knew that the Eucharist is the body and blood of our Lord. But hey when Ecumenism and political correctness are top priority in the Church what do you expect?

 

[justsomeguy085]

And how do you distribute communion to 7 million people? You can’t hardly que up in lined 10,000 deep. I’m sure Jesus can take care of himself. I’m sure he was overjoyed that he had 7 million people who could receive him validly and lovingly.

Linus2nd

I doubt 7 million people received validly

 

[CatholicWhovian]

I just can’t believe that there are Catholics who casually brush this aside.

To be frank, I would want to brush this aside because I don’t want to fret and be stingy over an incident that occurred in a Mass that would probably be once in a blue moon. I’m not supposed to be stressed by this. :hypno:

There is such a thing as being too legalistic that we inappropriately judge people. What, you’re going to say that when they passed the Communion by hand they were committing a sin even though they weren’t AWARE that it was inappropriate? Yes we must honor the Holy Body of Christ during Communion, but I think the appropriate response to this kind of controversy is not panicking like a headless chicken and being so superficial about it. What’s done is done and what is needed is to make sure it does not happen again. No need to subtly accuse the organizers of blasphemy.

Your concern is a good concern I have to acknowledge that. We all have to be concerned in some way about any possible liturgical abuse. But it’s HOW you reacted to the situation that can be passed off as, shall I say it again, Pharisaic. My Theology professor, a canon law lawyer, was also concerned about whatever was happening during the Mass at Luneta, and he did it in a calm, analytical tone. Not in the condescending, outraged tone some of the posts here are showing who are also concerned about this, as if people are supposed to be scrupulous about the whole “fiasco”.

If those who defend this practice call this a pastoral response and about “feelings”, then let us just throw away the Bible, the Catechism, the Code of Canon Law (which the Church wrote as a pastoral response to the pastoral needs of the Church). We’ll just all see fit what is proper and necessary based on our feelings, based on what the Spirit tells us, based on whatever tricks or creativities a bishop or priest can ever think of.

Just want to comment in this block quote: it seems whoever wrote that is using his feelings as well.

 

[adawgj]

I’ll take Pope Francis’s quote out of context.

Who am I to judge?

There are at least 400,000 Catholic priests worldwide, with 7 million lay people attending the Papal Mass, how would you distribute communion in a holy way?

 

[gracepoole]

This morning I was willing to say that all the hullabaloo over this event is overblown and overly legalistic. Then I saw the video of it, in which people were handed the Body of Christ and then handed it back to the person behind them, who handed it back to the person behind them, and so on. No words were exchanged either, so no “The Body of Christ” or “Amen.” Honestly, it might just as well been a crowd at a game handing hot dogs around. I’m not against communion in the hand or doing things a bit differently to accommodate large crowds. And I’m definitely not one to be easily offended. But nothing about the video I saw seemed reverent. And I don’t think even the slightest nod to reverence is too much to ask when receiving. I don’t think anyone there had bad intentions but that doesn’t mean that what took place was wise.

 

[pnewton]

One short-coming of the information age is the degree to which we rely on snippets out of context. Of course we should not be passing the Body of Christ from person to person. It simply is not licit. However, I have no idea where the failing was. Was this one priest out of thousands, or the norm? Was there something in particular that made this one area break down? Surely it is possible to organize better distribution and hopeful a lesson will be garnered by this. Still, what is this story compared to the larger context of **seven million at Mass! ** I think we are losing perspective, straining the gnat instead rejoicing in this figure.