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 ...
I was raised Catholic. I’m now a Baptist.
When I was a kid a lot of old nuns were nick-named “Sister Mary Agony,” and not without reason!
Agree 100 percent with you! :)
This absolutely sounds like hate crime. Imagine what would happen if some Catholic students disrupted a muslim ceremony. The outcry would be deafening. They would screaming for justice.
It all depends on whether or not the nun is one of those yardstick wielding 1960s Dominican style nuns who used to teach my father in elementary school. (He still has flashbacks)
Unless they use academia's own "weapons" against them. What would happen if the Nun were a "protected minority" and this little punk started trouble with her?
My boot would be apologizing to his ass. He needs to be expelled pronto.
Just wondering -- how many of those 1,200 would you estimate are in a proper state of grace to receive Communion? Were there 1,200 people in line for the confessional yesterday? Perhaps the the single priest would be capable of distributing Communion to those who are eligible to receive it? Just wondering.
Just one comment and then I'm back to lurking. There was a somewhat similar incident four years ago: Tabernacle stolen from West Va. church
"This is an extreme violation of the basis of our entire Catholic faith," Larry Prunty, who serves as chairman of the parish council, said Monday. "Without the tabernacle, our church is empty. They have taken the body of Christ from our church."
This is a Christophobic hate crime and the perpetrator should be prosecuted on a hate crime charge. What’s good for the right is good for the left...
Whatever that policy is, it's not nearly harsh enough.
It absolutely is against the Law. This was an act of hate, and he should be prosecuted on a hate crime violation. Just imagine if he had gone into a mosque to disrupt daily prayers...
Yeah, but it has good catchy freeper buzzwords...
Denial, my friend.
Exactly. We should all write to Rome.
No, that’s not true. I live in Florida and there are many very devout people, Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant, here. We’re under attack by Satan for this.
Orlando is a very orthodox diocese under Bishop Wenski.
This one went way over your head. The will was not found among the government of your collection strong spiritual communities to overcome the corruption that infects every strata of the legal system in your great state, to save a disabled woman who was legally starved to death by that system before an entire watching world.
And you don't even have the sense to be ashamed.
I couldn't presume to say there are no devout people in Florida. When I lived there, I was devout.
Yes, and furthermore, those “student funds” are allocated among all of the religious groups on campus, so he actually has no legitimate reason to claim that any particular religion is being supported. Heck, they probably even allot money for the Unitarians (well, maybe not - they recently had a conference on how to attract members under the age of 70!), wiccans and Muslims, because these are campus activities. Most of the money simply covers facility fees.
Is he the reincarnation of the late, not lamented and mysteriously disappeared Madalyn Murray O’Hair?
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