US has Watergate - Canada has WAFERgate

[silverpig]

PM messes up Communion - offends the French

Relevant info/cliff's: A former governor-general died recently. His funeral was last week. Prime Minister Harper is Protestant. The funeral was a Catholic service. The funeral was on video. Harper took the wafer in his hand and from there it got "lost". One 'witness' claims to have seen Harper pocket the wafer. English Canadian Christians are primarily non-Catholic. French Canadian Christians are primarily Catholic. An English PM just pissed off the French.

Awesome quote: We believe we are holding Jesus in our hands so to put Jesus in your pocket or to put Jesus on the ground [is serious]. If it falls on the ground it has to be consumed. We never throw Jesus out.

Video evidence:
Youtube Video

Full Story:

The conduct of Stephen Harper at a funeral mass has ignited a religious controversy over the intricacies of proper decorum during a Catholic Communion service -- a ?scandal? that features Zapruder-like video footage, personal testimonials of witnesses and even an official statement from the Prime Minister?s Office.

The controversy revolves around whether Mr. Harper, a Protestant, ate the Communion wafer or pocketed it while attending the funeral of former governor-general Romeo LeBlanc at a Catholic church in Memramcook, N.B., last week.

In a 40-second video clip, which is being played and replayed online, Mr. Harper seems to hesitate when a priest approaches him with the Communion wafer, but he then takes it in his hand, and it is unclear what happens next.

At least one person at the service thought they saw the Prime Minister put the host in his pocket, although that cannot be verified by the video footage and is in fact refuted by the Prime Minister?s Office and by a testimonial from another political dignitary at the funeral.

In the amateur video, Mr. Harper?s hand is highlighted by a yellow circle, obviously added to point out what Catholics would see as a serious faux pas by the Prime Minister.

?It?s worse than a faux pas, it?s a scandal from the Catholic point of view,? Monsignor Brian Henneberry, vicar general and chancellor in the Diocese of Saint John, told the Telegraph-Journal earlier this week. And he went on to demand an explanation from Mr. Harper.

?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.?

Wednesday, a spokesman for the Mr. Harper said that ?it?s totally absurd? to think Prime Minister pocketed the wafer. ?The priest offered the host to the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister accepted the host and he consumed it,? said press secretary Dimitri Soudas.

The Speaker of the Senate of Canada, the Noël A. Kinsella, even issued a statement refuting the claims the Prime Minister pocketed the holy wafer: ?I would like to state that I personally witnessed Prime Minister Harper consume the host that was given to him by Archbishop André Richard. Sitting only a few seats behind him I had a full view of the proceedings and clearly saw the Prime Minister accept the host after Archbishop Richard offered it. The Prime Minister consumed it.?

While most Protestants see Communion as a symbol of the Last Supper, Catholics have a more literal interpretation.

?It?s not a symbol of the body and blood of Christ but is in fact the body and blood of Christ,? said Neil MacCarthy, director of communications for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. ?The Communion wafer starts as a host and becomes the body of Christ. And that happens in the course of the sacrament we celebrate.

?We believe we are holding Jesus in our hands so to put Jesus in your pocket or to put Jesus on the ground [is serious]. If it falls on the ground it has to be consumed. We never throw Jesus out,? Mr. MacCarthy said.

?I?ve been at services where the priest has gone to someone who has walked away with host and said I want to see you consume it. In my own parish the priest stood up one day and said he found a host in the parking lot. He was really angry.?

Indeed, earlier generations of Catholics were told not to chew the host because it would hurt the body of Christ. Some orthodox Catholics believe the priest should put the wafer on the person?s tongue rather than in their hand.

silverpig's comments: ROFLMAO

 

[waggy]

hahah idiot.

he should have just refused instead of doing what he did.

 

[SirStev0]

Originally posted by: waggy
hahah idiot.

he should have just refused instead of doing what he did.

agreed.
The pomp and circumstance of every church is so radically different across the board it is just better to nod out imho. As far as I have seen Catholic rules are some of the strictest and most confusing to outsiders.

Seriously, can some explain to me why/when some take the wafer to the mouth and other to the hand?

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: SirStev0

Originally posted by: waggy
hahah idiot.

he should have just refused instead of doing what he did.

agreed.
The pomp and circumstance of every church is so radically different across the board it is just better to nod out imho. As far as I have seen Catholic rules are some of the strictest and most confusing to outsiders.

Seriously, can some explain to me why/when some take the wafer to the mouth and other to the hand?

Jesus likes variety. Sometimes Oral, sometimes just a Handjob.

 

[dennilfloss]

In the mouth is the old-fashioned way. In the hand has been acceptable since the Vatican II Council in the early 60s.

Anyway, he was seen consuming the host.

The Speaker of the Senate of Canada, the Noël A. Kinsella, (a Catholic) even issued a statement refuting the claims the Prime Minister pocketed the holy wafer: ?I would like to state that I personally witnessed Prime Minister Harper consume the host that was given to him by Archbishop André Richard. Sitting only a few seats behind him I had a full view of the proceedings and clearly saw the Prime Minister accept the host after Archbishop Richard offered it. The Prime Minister consumed it.?

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: dennilfloss
In the mouth is the old-fashioned way. In the hand has been acceptable since the Vatican II Council in the early 60s.

Anyway, he was seen consuming the host.

The Speaker of the Senate of Canada, the Noël A. Kinsella, (a Catholic) even issued a statement refuting the claims the Prime Minister pocketed the holy wafer: ?I would like to state that I personally witnessed Prime Minister Harper consume the host that was given to him by Archbishop André Richard. Sitting only a few seats behind him I had a full view of the proceedings and clearly saw the Prime Minister accept the host after Archbishop Richard offered it. The Prime Minister consumed it.?

It'd be nice if there was more to that video. He sure didn't eat it in that clip.

 

[dali71]

Originally posted by: waggy
hahah idiot.

he should have just refused instead of doing what he did.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't non-Catholics usually denied communion at a Catholic church? If so, then they should just let it go.

 

[SirStev0]

Originally posted by: dali71

Originally posted by: waggy
hahah idiot.

he should have just refused instead of doing what he did.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't non-Catholics usually denied communion at a Catholic church? If so, then they should just let it go.

To be honest, the couple masses I went to I remember them "inviting" anyone who has been taught the way of the communion to share in it. I think you have to be baptized too. Don't know though. Like I said the riggamoro changes from denomination to denomination and even, from church to church, and priest to priest.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: SirStev0

Originally posted by: dali71

Originally posted by: waggy
hahah idiot.

he should have just refused instead of doing what he did.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't non-Catholics usually denied communion at a Catholic church? If so, then they should just let it go.

To be honest, the couple masses I went to I remember them "inviting" anyone who has been taught the way of the communion to share in it. I think you have to be baptized too. Don't know though. Like I said the riggamoro changes from denomination to denomination and even, from church to church, and priest to priest.

Yeah this is my experience too. I went to a Catholic funeral and we were invited up. I didn't go, it wasn't a big deal.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: dali71

Originally posted by: waggy
hahah idiot.

he should have just refused instead of doing what he did.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't non-Catholics usually denied communion at a Catholic church? If so, then they should just let it go.

usually thats correct. though i have seen more churches make an "offer" to anyone if baptised.

I am not Catholic but a life long friend of mine's wife is. sh edrags me to church every now and then (wich is funny since he is quaker and im Mormon (well ex mormon)).

 

[WhipperSnapper]

If that's Canada's biggest political scandal, then it sounds like their government is in good shape or at least that their politics are boring. Don't they have juicy scandals like Senators looking for butt banging action in airports' mens rooms and provincial governors running off to Argentina to bang hot foreign broads? Catholic wafers!?! Is that really as juicy as it gets?

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper
If that's Canada's biggest political scandal, then it sounds like their government is in good shape or at least that their politics are boring. Don't they have juicy scandals like Senators looking for butt banging action in airports' mens rooms and provincial governors running off to Argentina to bang hot foreign broads? Catholic wafers!?! Is that really as juicy as it gets?

Former PM Chretien headlocked a Protester years back. Then there was the big Funding scandal where friends of his Party were given some sweet Government paid deals that they then turned around and donated to the Party.

Then there was MP Peter McKay who began Dating MP Belinda Stronach(daughter of an Automotive Parts Billionaire), she switched from the Conservatives to the Liberals, then they broke up and took a couple verbal shots at each other in Parliament. Then Peters Dog died and we were all broke up about it. After all that, there was some speculation that he and Condaleeza Rice were an Item and from how they acted while doing some Press Conferences together, it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

 

[yllus]

Offends the French? Prime Minister Harper's poll numbers automatically inched up in 90% of the country.

 

[imported_Champ]

Originally posted by: silverpig
An English PM just pissed off the French.

like that has never happened before...

Although I have to say Canadian scandles rock