Edit: it shouldn't be hard, even for a space cadet, but the primacy of personal conscience has its way with objective. The article from Catholic Family News is worthwhile.
First of all, Saint Thomas Aquinas taught that “out of reverence for this Sacrament, nothing touches it but what is consecrated.” Thus, he said the sacred vessels of the altar are consecrated for this holy purpose, but also, the priest’s hands are consecrated for touching this Sacrament. And St. Thomas said that it is therefore not lawful for anyone else to touch it, except to save it from desecration. (Summa, III, Q. 82. Art. 3)
This reverence for the Blessed Sacrament, and even for the smallest particles, was incorporated into the traditional Mass — the Old Latin Mass — which contained strict rubrics on this point:
http://www.cfnews.org/page10/page79/day_the_host_dropped.html
[Christian Daily] Astronaut Mike Hopkins, a devout [sic] Catholic, sometimes finds himself praying and also taking Communion inside the Cupola, a small module on the International Space Station (ISS) with seven large bay windows that give a panoramic view of the Earth.
Under a special arrangement with the Church, the astronaut takes six consecrated hosts with him aboard the space module. When broken into pieces, the hosts are enough for a once-a-week Communion for Hopkins on-board the ISS.
http://christiandaily.com/article/catholic-astronauts-still-keep-their-faith-strong-while-in-space/51153.htm
5 comments:
98% of the time whenever the media refers to a "devout" Catholic, it should be translated as "non-devout" Catholic. But I think it's hard to blame him. Someone within the Church has apparently sanctioned it, and he obviously doesn't know any better. Sorry to say it but there isn't much of a leap from communion in the hand to that.
As you probably know, the first thing ever eaten on the moon was an unconsecrated host. It was taken there, along with some communion wine, by the Christian but non-Catholic Buzz Aldrin. I say "unconsecrated" even though Aldrin himself might disagree, because it was given to him by a Presbyterian minister.
I agree,he most likely doesn't know any better and is doing what he thinks is Catholic.
I was once a novus ordo type and learned by myself 85% of my knowledge of the Catholic Faith. (Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for blessing me)
Until he discovers or is told what is and isn't Catholic,pray for his moral and spiritual well being.
This is definitely the thin edge of the wedge. I agree, it'll be communion in the hand next. How can Jesus stand it?
It's still grave matter and such acts have their origin in the kinds of off the cuff self-adulation which is at the heart of modern worship. Beneath such gestures is the often mistaken idea that God will love me regardless of how I've lived my life.
It reminds me of the time my grandfather took our parish priest to task for refusing him sacrilegious hand Communion. I remember my own feelings toward my grandfather weren't very favorable. It was one of the first times as q child that I saw the self-indulgence of modern man with respect to the things of God and His Church.
As Father Hesse stated in a talk, "I touch Our Lord with those two consecrated fingers. I've been a priest for 15 years and I've never had Our Lord in my hand. God forbid that would ever happen".
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