The Morality Quiz

[Kerry]

A relative of mine fits all that RC criteria.  When I brought up the issue of transubstantiation and how kinda gross that sounded, she merely replied, "But I poop Him out again." 

Sorta puts it all in perspective, doesn't it? 

I remember in pre-Vatican II days, what a lot of fuss there was if the priest dropped the host whilst giving communion. In those days, the host was placed directly onto the outstretched tongue of the communicant by the priest. If the priest dropped the host en route (I guess that should be "Host"), a special little ornate silver dustpan and broom was brought out and the priest (only a priest could do it) would pick up the host and then ceremoniously brush the area where the host had fallen, just incase particles of the Sacred Personage had fallen off, when it (He?!) hit the floor. The priest then had to consume (yes, consume!) the contents of the dustpan! Fortunately, the good ladies of the parish always kept the church squeaky clean, so there was no dust in the dustpan - only bodyparts!     

[delalluvia]

Sorta puts it all in perspective, doesn't it?

I remember in pre-Vatican II days, what a lot of fuss there was if the priest dropped the host whilst giving communion. In those days, the host was placed directly onto the outstretched tongue of the communicant by the priest. If the priest dropped the host en route (I guess that should be "Host"), a special little ornate silver dustpan and broom was brought out and the priest (only a priest could do it) would pick up the host and then ceremoniously brush the area where the host had fallen, just incase particles of the Sacred Personage had fallen off, when it (He?!) hit the floor. The priest then had to consume (yes, consume!) the contents of the dustpan! Fortunately, the good ladies of the parish always kept the church squeaky clean, so there was no dust in the dustpan - only bodyparts!     

Well, if they're going to believe that bread/wafer magically turns into meat inside their bodies, they have to accept what happens to meat in our digestive system.  There's kinda no escaping it.

[Kerry]

Sorta puts it all in perspective, doesn't it? 

I remember in pre-Vatican II days, what a lot of fuss there was if the priest dropped the host whilst giving communion. In those days, the host was placed directly onto the outstretched tongue of the communicant by the priest. If the priest dropped the host en route (I guess that should be "Host"), a special little ornate silver dustpan and broom was brought out and the priest (only a priest could do it) would pick up the host and then ceremoniously brush the area where the host had fallen, just incase particles of the Sacred Personage had fallen off, when it (He?!) hit the floor. The priest then had to consume (yes, consume!) the contents of the dustpan! Fortunately, the good ladies of the parish always kept the church squeaky clean, so there was no dust in the dustpan - only bodyparts!     

Oops, that should be Bodyparts! 

(God'll get me for that!) 

[David In Indy]

Sorta puts it all in perspective, doesn't it? 

I remember in pre-Vatican II days, what a lot of fuss there was if the priest dropped the host whilst giving communion. In those days, the host was placed directly onto the outstretched tongue of the communicant by the priest. If the priest dropped the host en route (I guess that should be "Host"), a special little ornate silver dustpan and broom was brought out and the priest (only a priest could do it) would pick up the host and then ceremoniously brush the area where the host had fallen, just incase particles of the Sacred Personage had fallen off, when it (He?!) hit the floor. The priest then had to consume (yes, consume!) the contents of the dustpan! Fortunately, the good ladies of the parish always kept the church squeaky clean, so there was no dust in the dustpan - only bodyparts!    

I remember discussing this in Catholic grade school during my altar boy classes (yes, we had to take classes before we became altar boys). The question came up on what the priest should do if for some reason the communion recipient vomited up the host when giving Communion outside the church building. The answer to this question was that a good and pious priest would consume the host and vomit, since the vomit still contained the Body and Blood of Christ. I think I remember them telling us the transubstantiation lasted around 20 to 30 minutes after the host was consumed. Once digested it changed back to regular bread. Isn't that disgusting? But at our church we had a vessel in the sacristy (called a sacrarium. It looked like a sink. I THINK that was the name. Help me with this Kerry, if you know the answer) where any remnants of the host and wine could be deposited in a respectful and dignified manner.

[serious crayons]

The answer to this question was that a good and pious priest would consume the host and vomit, since the vomit still contained the Body and Blood of Christ. I think I remember them telling us the transubstantiation lasted around 20 to 30 minutes after the host was consumed.

Wow. A friend once told me she was on an airplane when passenger vomited all over the place. When the flight attendant showed up, she said, "I can't handle this!" flung up her hands and walked away.

That would be me, as the priest in this scenario. That would be the point at which I'd rip off my collar, say "I can't handle this!" and walk away, giving up my vows forever.

[Kerry]

I remember discussing this in Catholic grade school during my altar boy classes (yes, we had to take classes before we became altar boys). The question came up on what the priest should do if for some reason the communion recipient vomited up the host when giving Communion outside the church building. The answer to this question was that a good and pious priest would consume the host and vomit, since the vomit still contained the Body and Blood of Christ. I think I remember them telling us the transubstantiation lasted around 20 to 30 minutes after the host was consumed. Once digested it changed back to regular bread. Isn't that disgusting? But at our church we had a vessel in the sacristy (called a sacrarium. It looked like a sink. I THINK that was the name. Help me with this Kerry, if you know the answer) where any remnants of the host and wine could be deposited in a respectful and dignified manner.

I do remember there being a sink in the sacristy, David, but I do not remember a specifically designated, separate sink, exclusively for the purpose you describe. But that could just be my memory failing me haha. I seem to remember that (in Australia, anyway) the cleaning-up was done by the priest immediately after he returned to the altar, after the communion was distributed. At that time, he would empty into the chalice any rogue crumbs left over from the little tray that was placed under the chins of the communicants. This wine dregs and wafer crumbs mix was then consumed by the priest. He would then swill water around in the chalice and drink this water/wine mix, after which he would dry the chalice with a little linen cloth. Theoretically, because there was still an outside possibility that there could still be some remaining Divine Blood adhering to this little cloth, all such altar linen was carefully packaged and sent off to the local convent, to be laundered by the good nuns. From what I remember, that's how it was done in Oz. 

[delalluvia]

Wow. A friend once told me she was on an airplane when a passenger vomited all over the place. When the flight attendant showed up, she said, "I can't handle this!" flung up her hands and walked away.

That would be me, as the priest in this scenario. That would be the point at which I'd rip off my collar, say "I can't handle this!" and walk away, giving up my vows forever.

I can't handle it either.  I always see parents handling their kids' yak, so I thought when I got older I would be able to handle it.  Once, my little niece was bouncing up and down in the living room and then suddenly hurled all over herself.  Her mother was in the kitchen, hands full and she asked me to go 'clean her up'.

As soon as I got close enough to smell it, my own gorge rose and I turned right around and went to the kitchen and took over for my sister so she could do it.  Even as a parent I wouldn't be able to handle it.  Ick!   

[David In Indy]

I do remember there being a sink in the sacristy, David, but I do not remember a specifically designated, separate sink, exclusively for the purpose you describe. But that could just be my memory failing me haha. I seem to remember that (in Australia, anyway) the cleaning-up was done by the priest immediately after he returned to the altar, after the communion was distributed. At that time, he would empty into the chalice any rogue crumbs left over from the little tray that was placed under the chins of the communicants. This wine dregs and wafer crumbs mix was then consumed by the priest. He would then swill water around in the chalice and drink this water/wine mix, after which he would dry the chalice with a little linen cloth. Theoretically, because there was still an outside possibility that there could still be some remaining Divine Blood adhering to this little cloth, all such altar linen was carefully packaged and sent off to the local convent, to be laundered by the good nuns. From what I remember, that's how it was done in Oz. 

Yes, here in the US the priest will do this too Kerry. It's exactly as you described. I was talking about other situations such as if someone vomited the host up during Mass. The mess would be cleaned (I think with the Purificator) and then carefully rinsed in the sacrarium. And if the person receiving Holy Communion outside of the church building happened to vomit the host, such as when the priest was performing the Sacrament of the Sick, I remember being told the priest should consume the sickness, since this would be the only way to dispose of it in a respectable manner.  Yuck!!

The sacrarium would also be used for any hosts or crumbs that fell to the floor or spilled consecrated wine.

[serious crayons]

As soon as I got close enough to smell it, my own gorge rose and I turned right around and went to the kitchen and took over for my sister so she could do it.  Even as a parent I wouldn't be able to handle it.  Ick!   

Even as a parent, I found my kids' puke gross. What I did get perfectly used to, though, was poop. Changing one's own child's diapers is not necessarily fun, but it's not repugnant. I guess maybe that explains dog owners, whose ability to pick up dog poop I've had a hard time understanding. Apparently if you love somebody enough ...

What unexpected twists and turns this thread has taken!  It's like one of those gross-out quizzes. Would you rather:

1) Kill a baby
2) Eat human flesh
3) Deal with (or consume!) someone else's puke
4) Change a poopy diaper

Hmmm ...

[David In Indy]

Even as a parent, I found my kids' puke gross. What I did get perfectly used to, though, was poop. Changing one's own child's diapers is not necessarily fun, but it's not repugnant. I guess maybe that explains dog owners, whose ability to pick up dog poop I've had a hard time understanding. Apparently if you love somebody enough ...

What unexpected twists and turns this thread has taken!  It's like one of those gross-out quizzes. Would you rather:

1) Kill a baby
2) Eat human flesh
3) Deal with (or consume!) someone else's puke
4) Change a poopy diaper

Hmmm ...

I wonder what we will discuss next in here Katherine.

It's all Kerry's fault. He started this thread!