- Feb 5, 2002
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The action was clearly a political stunt. Ironically, it took place in the Archdiocese of Chicago, which in recent years has strongly objected to such public displays of Eucharistic faith.
Two days ago, on Saturday, October 12th:
There has now been much debate and criticism on social media about this “Eucharistic procession”.
Here are some observations, many or all overlooked by secular outlets:
• Access to detention and restricted government facilities is not “on-demand.” Priests know this. Chaplains know that they need to make prior arrangements to enter such places.
• If, as they allege, priests were denied access to illegal immigrants detained in that Illinois facility through normal processes, what did they expect this act to do? There are procedures to address that denial, including litigation. They cannot have imagined they would be admitted in this fashion, which makes this a case of using the Eucharist as a protest stunt.
• Further evidence why this is a protest stunt and not a serious liturgical action is that, even in Catholic countries where displays of faith in the public square were commonplace, priests brought the Eucharist to those in need (e.g., the sick) in a concealed pyx, often preceded by an altar boy with a candle, not an open monstrance processing through the streets.
Continued below.
www.catholicworldreport.com
Two days ago, on Saturday, October 12th:
The Chicago Sun-Times further reports that “after approaching Illinois State Police officers standing outside the facility, the group’s communion request was rebuffed.”
There has now been much debate and criticism on social media about this “Eucharistic procession”.
Here are some observations, many or all overlooked by secular outlets:
• Access to detention and restricted government facilities is not “on-demand.” Priests know this. Chaplains know that they need to make prior arrangements to enter such places.
• If, as they allege, priests were denied access to illegal immigrants detained in that Illinois facility through normal processes, what did they expect this act to do? There are procedures to address that denial, including litigation. They cannot have imagined they would be admitted in this fashion, which makes this a case of using the Eucharist as a protest stunt.
• Further evidence why this is a protest stunt and not a serious liturgical action is that, even in Catholic countries where displays of faith in the public square were commonplace, priests brought the Eucharist to those in need (e.g., the sick) in a concealed pyx, often preceded by an altar boy with a candle, not an open monstrance processing through the streets.
Continued below.
Ten observations about the Eucharist-at-ICE incident in Illinois
www.catholicworldreport.com
