Desecration of the sacred host

The video Host Hostage on YouTube shows a man taking a sacred host "hostage", it then shows the Blessed Sacrament next to a condom. The host was sent to Dr. P.Z. Myers at the University of Minnesota at Morris. Dr. Myers has since desecrated the host. An account of its treatment can be found at Myers' post: The Great Desecration (he pierced the sacred host with a rusty nail and threw it into the rubbish bin.)

If you have a subscription to YouTube, please flag this video under the heading "hateful or abusive content".

Myers' justification of his action is fatuous: "it's just a cracker". Even if Catholics regarded the sacred host as a mere symbol, this would be an inadequate justification for showing it disrespect. Remember the episode of Sharp when he realised that he could not describe a flag simply as a "dirty rag"? You simply do not take the sacred symbols of other people and vilify them if you have an ounce of civilised blood in you.

Of course, we believe the "cracker" to be the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. He will judge Myers mercifully for his sacrilege.

Such an incident should prompt us to consider the wisdom of continuing the practice of giving Communion in the hand.

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