The PM has kidnapped Jesus!!!

[9-10ths_Penguin]

From today's Telegraph-Journal:

Catholics demand explanation for PM pocketing communion wafer at LeBlanc funeral

A senior New Brunswick Roman Catholic priest is demanding the Prime Minister's Office explain what happened to the sacramental communion wafer Stephen Harper was given at Roméo LeBlanc's funeral mass.

During communion at the solemn and dignified service held last Friday in Memramcook for the former governor general, the prime minister slipped the thin wafer that Catholics call "the host" into his jacket pocket.

In Catholic understanding, the host - once consecrated by a priest for the Eucharist - becomes the body and blood of Jesus Christ. It is crucial that the small wafer be consumed when it is received.

Monsignor Brian Henneberry, vicar general and chancellor in the Diocese of Saint John, wants to know whether the prime minister consumed the host and, if not, what happened to it.

If Harper accepted the host but did not consume it, "it's worse than a faux pas, it's a scandal from the Catholic point of view," he said.

Henneberry said a statement from the Prime Minister's Office is in order.

"If I were the prime minister, I would at least offer an explanation to say no offence was meant, and then (clarifying) what happened to the consecrated host is in order," he said. "I would hope the Prime Minister's Office would have enough respect for the Catholic Church and for faith in general to make clear whatever happened."

On Friday, during the mass, Harper reached out with his right hand and accepted the wafer from a priest.

A television camera lingered long enough to show New Brunswick Lt.-Gov. Herménégilde Chiasson, the next person to receive the host, raise his to his mouth.

But the tape shows that Harper does not consume the wafer before the camera cuts away several seconds later.

What do you think about this? Should Harper, who's apparently a Protestant, known not to accept the communion wafer?

Comments on the article range from "who cares?" to stating that it's a major outrage. What do you think? Was this a minor faux-pas or a serious blunder? And was it the fault of the PM, the priest, or someone else?

Also, what do you make of what the priest who gave the homily at the mass said about the incident?

But Rev. Arthur Bourgeois, who delivered the homily, did not have a problem with the prime minister accepting the host.

"Usually, to partake in holy communion in the Catholic Church, you have to be a member of it, but if you're not, exceptionally sometimes at major occasions (it is different)," Bourgeois said.

"If you are up there and giving holy communion you are not going to stop and asked everyone if they are Catholic or if they are not Catholic.

"You say the Lord provides."

To me, a non-Catholic who has a passing familiarity with the Catholic Church, his statement seems exceedingly strange.

[Jayhawker Soule]

The PM was wrong. The Priest is correct.

I marvel at the stupidity ...

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Originally Posted by Jayhawker Soule

The PM was wrong. The Priest is correct.

I could understand his position if it was someone who just walked into Mass off the street, but it's well known that Harper isn't a Catholic.

BTW - a spokesperson for the PM has issued a statement saying that he did eat the wafer immediately after receiving it. Going by the video of the event, I don't think this is correct:

TheStar.com | Canada | PM ate the wafer, aide says

[Storm]

I'm not a Catholic, either, but I know you're supposed to eat it.

[sojourner]

If he knew that he wasn't invited to receive, he should have known to either a) not go up, or b) cross his arms over his chest, signifying to the priest that he did not want to receive.

Being a statesman, and a non-Catholic going to a Catholic mass, one would assume that he would have been briefed on the protocol. Either he's a) insensitive to the spiritual sensibilities of his constituents, or b) his staff fell down on the job.

[Father Heathen]

Such fuss over saltines. Is Jesus going to end up with a missing toe up in heaven?

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Originally Posted by sojourner

If he knew that he wasn't invited to receive, he should have known to either a) not go up, or b) cross his arms over his chest, signifying to the priest that he did not want to receive.

To be fair to the PM, I've gone to a Catholic church several times a year for the five years I've been married and I didn't learn about crossing one's arms over the chest until I found out about it here at RF. Before that, I always assumed that if you didn't want communion, you'd simply stay at your seat.

Also, if you watch the video, you see that he didn't go up. The priest went up to the first row of seats where a number of politicians and dignitaries were standing and handed the wafers out to each person there. To me, it looked like the priest held out the wafer and Harper, apparently not knowing what to do, took it as offered.

Originally Posted by sojourner

Being a statesman, and a non-Catholic going to a Catholic mass, one would assume that he would have been briefed on the protocol. Either he's a) insensitive to the spiritual sensibilities of his constituents, or b) his staff fell down on the job.

I'm thinking it may have been a combination of both. Like one of the comments on the story said, this wouldn't have been his first time in a Catholic mass.

The more disturbing thing for me in all this is the fact that the PMO has put out a statement saying that he ate the wafer immediately after receiving it, despite video already being out there showing that he didn't. I get the suspicion that they're lying to defuse the situation.

[slave2six]

Well, now, let's look at the full picture. The Christian doctrine also offers some severe maledictions if you partake of the "Lord's Supper" in an unworthy manner. So, if he had some sin on his mind about which he had not repented and he realized this just as the host was being offered, what then?

Personally, I think cannibalism in any form is disgusting so how wrong was he really?

[OmarKhayyam]

Its a frackin cracker!

It has meaning only in the minds of a certain group of believers. Which group does NOT include the PM.

So maybe he is just not into medieval superstition. Not a altogether bad thing for a modern politician with his finger on a nuclear trigger.

[Dunemeister]

Originally Posted by OmarKhayyam

Its a frackin cracker!

Only for those who are squeamish in their metaphysic.

Originally Posted by OmarKhayyam

It has meaning only the minds of believers which group does NOT include the PM.

Which does not give the PM the right to be rude to those who regard the host as something more than a "frackin cracker."

Originally Posted by OmarKhayyam

So maybe he is just not up on medieval superstition. Not a altogether bad thing for a modern politician with his finger on a nuclear trigger.

This is the Canadian Prime Minister. The only nuclear trigger he has is one that, if pressed, will reduce by half the world's supply of medical nuclear isotopes. It's bad, but not THAT bad.