Posted on 07/08/2008 7:02:41 AM PDT by NYer
Orange County, FL -- One week after a University of Central Florida student snatched something sacred from church, armed UCF police officers stood guard during Sunday Mass to protect what Catholics call "The Body of Christ."
Minutes before the Mass began, Student Senator Webster Cook returned the Holy Eucharist he was holding hostage in a Ziploc bag ever since smuggling the blessed wafer of bread out of the Catholic Mass service Sunday June 29.
Carol Brinati with the Diocese of Orlando said the Catholic community was "concerned about the possible desecration of the Eucharist," and pleaded for its safe return.
Cook, who was raised Catholic, said he decided to bring the Eucharist home after a church leader tried to physically pry it from his hand. Cook broke Church rules by failing to consume it immediately during communion and then removing it from his mouth once seated.
Cook said he just wanted to show the Eucharist to a friend he brought with questions about Catholicism before consuming it. But outraged Catholics across the globe didn’t believe him and suspected he intended all along to steal the Eucharist and bloggers sent out e-mail messages damning him to Hell.
"I am returning the Eucharist to you in response to the e-mails I have received from Catholics in the UCF community," Cook wrote in a letter to the church. "I still want the community to understand that the use physical force is wrong, especially when based on assumptions. However, I feel it is unnecessary to cause pain for those who are not at fault in this situation."
Cook said some threatened to break into his dorm room to rescue the Eucharist. Brinati said the Diocese of Orlando didn't condone those threats, but was happy Cook had a change of heart and returned it.
"We've been praying about that," she said.
It's still not clear if the controversy is over. There is no word yet if either the Catholic students or Cook will drop their separate complaints filed against each other with UCF's student court. The violations each side accused the other of could result in suspension or expulsion. Cook still disagrees with the more than $40,000 in student funds distributed annually to support Catholic and other religious groups on campus, but seemed conciliatory in his letter.
"I want to thank the individuals who explained the emotional and spiritual pain my possession of the Eucharist caused them to experience," he wrote. "They have demonstrated that the use [of] reason is more effective than the use of force."
Cook said he still hopes to meet with the local Bishop to discuss prohibiting the use of force to recover the Eucharist. He also wants an apology.
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“Catholism is ALL about man’s politics and very little about Christ. Truths are ignored, flesh is blurred together with things of the spirit, scripture is twisted, and men are enriched with worldly gains.
Shame on catholics for believing this rubbish...but more shame on their leaders for leading the masses away from Christ and becoming stumbling blocks for the people.”
Nonsense. What utter hogwash.
It is the church founded by Christ himself.
I was going to go through this line by line, but time doesn't really afford me that luxury. I encourage you to actually take the time to READ some Catholic theological works so that you can UNDERSTAND what Catholics ACTUALLY BELIEVE regarding the Mass, instead of parroting the same old and tired anti-Catholic spew
Some things to look at:
* The Mass is the re-presentation of the single and unique Sacrifice on Calvary.
* The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist in the context of the Mass is attested to by passages in Scripture such as John 6 (note that Christ never tried to 'explain away' the fears of cannibalism by the doubters, but let them leave) and Malachi (a perfect offering offered by the Gentiles) among others.
If you want something lighter and that references Scripture, I suggest the book "The Lamb's Supper" by Scott Hahn. That is a starting point.
Your (sic) right. It is idolatry.
It is only idolatry if it is false. Scripture, history, and numerous miracles attest that it is not false.
No...in order for some men to capitalize on the political power that religion represents to people of weak faith a priesthood was re-established some where hundreds of years after Christ's death. All of a sudden priests were needed again to ‘perform’ this miracle of bread ‘conversion’ so people could make sacrifices again. Pretty convenient for someone wanting an elevated political post in the name of religion and control of the peasants.
If only history bore that assertion out. You need to bring some proof to the table before making those sorts of arguments. Take note: the Real Presence and the Mass/Divine Liturgy as Catholics and Orthodox understand it was already expounded upon before the legalization of Christianity. Likewise, the "elevated political posts" fell to those in the Church once the city of Rome fell because there was nobody else to do it
Catholism is ALL about man's politics and very little about Christ. Truths are ignored, flesh is blurred together with things of the spirit, scripture is twisted, and men are enriched with worldly gains.
Shame on catholics for believing this rubbish...but more shame on their leaders for leading the masses away from Christ and becoming stumbling blocks for the people.
Conjecture based on the presupposition that you are correct. Catholics could replace "catholics" with "Protestants" and it would be a condemnation of equal value.
Paging Irving... clean-up in aisle 58...
If we ended the permitted abuse of Communion in the Hand, we would hear these sorts of stories far less.
“It is the church founded by Christ himself.”
You guys love to say that. Provide tracibility through the ages. Peter was a Christian. Somewhere along the line Christianity was hijack by a bunch who at some point decided to call themselves ‘catholic’. Then they declared that they were the only Christians.
How you get this cult is what the HOLY SPIRIT established is amazing. Your task is to provide tracability for that silly statement....all the way back to the 4th decade AD.
Why was the Veil torn?
Spoken like a muslim. Well done Christian.
Well now - “knocking sense into” a head and cutting one off is a little different last time I checked....
Don’t EVER talk like that on the Religion forum.
Your claim is absolutely ridiculous. There is no denial. It's only in your imagination.
You can say it as many times as you like, but without some proof (contemporaries of the Early Church Fathers would be most appropriate), that doesn't make it true.
You speak like a liberal.
Apparently you don’t believe that the Son aspect of the eternal God doesn’t understand the use of “metaphors”.
No, I speak like someone who's amazed that people here want to crucify a guy for stealing a cracker.
Yes, but not in the Flesh and Blood.
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