> The Diocese is dispatching a nun to UCF's campus to oversee the next mass, protect the Eucharist and in hopes Cook will return it.
I'm studying to be a Catholic, so this might sound like a dumb couple of questions:
Wouldn't a couple of burly Priests be a more effective deterrent to a repeat offense?
And isn't it actually a Federal crime to disrupt a religious service in this matter in America? (I believe it is, and quite a serious one at that.)
Those aren't dumb questions at all. The fact that they're sending a nun does make it seem like they're not treating this matter seriously enough.
And you're right, it is a federal crime to disrupt a religious service. I don't know how often they prosecute though.
If they send Sister Elizabeth Worley, the CFO of the Diocese, the poor Eucharist-stealing SOB doesn't stand a chance.
She is an “Old School” nun.
I live in Orlando, I'm not even Catholic and I know about Sister Elizabeth!
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)
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...
Anyhow, it's not clear that this involves damaging or destroying property, or preventing access. He took an "object" by means of fraud, i.e. pretending to be a believing Catholic and a worshipper of Jesus; and thus it may be theft, which is a legally actionable category. Vile Sacrilege it certainly is, but whether that is legally actionable or not remains to be seen.
“Wouldn’t a couple of burly Priests be a more effective deterrent to a repeat offense?”
A couple of ushers or several old ladies could handle it. We have two present at every hour of Perpetual Adoration. We would protect The Presence with our lives if necessary.
Physically restraining someone to get it back is fine with me.
Our Masses have been disrupted by homosexuals, war protestors, people having sex in the pews just for fun, and now this misguided soul.
Have any of them ever been charged? The war protestors got some minor jail time mainly because they threw paint on the parishioners and that is assault, and the sexually idiotic got a fine, but the homosexuals were allowed to skate.
Remember Animal Farm? Some are more equal than others.
Welcome Brother or Sister.
Anyone who has been to Catholic school knows that the nuns can be tough as nails. I’m sure that whoever they send will be able to handle the situation.
“Cha ghéill mi do dhuine.”
Tag, Ni thuigim “ghéill”?
go raibh maith agat.