Posted on 07/06/2008 9:43:53 AM PDT by Pyro7480
A University of Central Florida student, upset religious groups hold church services on public campuses, is holding hostage the Eucharist, an object so sacred to Catholics they call it the Body of Christ.
Church officials say UCF Student Senator Webster Cook was disruptive and disrespectful when he attended Mass held on campus Sunday June 29. It was during that Mass where Cook admits he obtained the Eucharist....
A church leader was watching, confronted Cook and tried to recover the sacred bread. Cook said she crossed the line and that's why he brought it home with him.
"She came up behind me, grabbed my wrist with her right hand, with her left hand grabbed my fingers and was trying to pry them open to get the Eucharist out of my hand," Cook said, adding she wouldn't immediately take her hands off him despite several requests....
"The church feels that I'm the problem here," Cook said. "The problem is actually that this is a publicly-funded religious institution. Through student government here, we fund them through an activity and service, so they're receiving student money."
Cook is upset more than $40,000 in student fees have been allocated to support religious organizations on campus for the 2008-2009 school year, according to student government records. He denied he is holding the Eucharist hostage to protest that support.
...Cook has been keeping the Eucharist stored in a plastic bag since last Sunday....
Cook said he'd consider returning the Eucharist if he gets an apology and a meeting with the Bishop's office to discuss the Diocese's policy on physical force....
(Excerpt) Read more at wftv.com ...
In our parish, if you take it by hand you must put in it your mouth before leaving the priest. But if you deliberatly dry your mouth before reception you could still spit it out and do whatever.
Evil exists, I’m sure more bad things have to the Eucharist than anyone knows, Christ knows and I’m sure that He can deal with it.
We need to make sure that people are educated and if it is caught then it should never be ignored.
Many were praying for a change in heart from the thief.
If your diocese does not have enough priests, then they should be actively recruiting for deacons and assign them to parishes to assist the priests. The use of Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers should be exactly as the title implies... extraordinary.
If the church does not have enough ordinary Eucharistic Ministers to distribute the communion, then it should be counted as a situation where it is not practical to have the congregation receive under both species. If they must use EOMs, they should be limited to a small number that can be closely observed and counseled by the priest. Sixteen is far too many people, I’ve seen communion flow quickly and smoothly to crowds like that with 3 or 4 priests & deacons.
My parish averages 5000 families a week (mostly big families too) and they manage to distribute communion very efficiently at the communion rail without any EOMs. I’ve never heard them quote individuals, but I would guess least 15K people during the course of 9 Masses between Saturday evening and Sunday.
The priest cannot be expected to know the condition of every soul coming to receive, but we should be introspective enough to consider our own failings before receiving. Too many of us walk up there mechanically because it is what what we think we are supposed to do at that time. The priest should take time in his homilies to point out the inconsistency between the line to the confessional and the line to communion.
As to your anecdote, I’m inclined to take the side of the young priest. He may not know what is in the heart of the homeless alcoholic, but if he smelled of alcohol then the outward sign is that the poor man is still engaged in his sin. Jesus would know exactly what was in that man’s heart and would act accordingly. The priest cannot do that, but what he can do is invite the man to meet with him after the Mass and and then talk to him to try and discern the condition of the man’s soul and then determine if giving him communion is a good course of action.
“florida is the spiritual sink-strainer of the US. “
and i supposed with a Christian attitude like that you live on heavens front step?
Florida is a great place. yeah we have our share of weirdo’s but then we have a large population, jobs, homes, and real nice weather.
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