"it is not the policy of the Anglican Church to give communion to animals."If it is a matter of policy, I wonder whether it might change tomorrow after a debate in Synod or Council or Moot or something. Theologically, the BBC gets it right, perhaps unintentionally, by captioning a photo with the words:
"The dog took the biscuit but no wine was offered to the animal"Episcopalian Church; woman priest; biscuit and wine. Correct.
The Toronto Star comes in with a bit of theological nuance, saying that the bread and wine are meant to represent the body and blood of Jesus Christ and are only to be given to those who have been baptized. Yes, probably a bit of representation going on there as far as some of the congregation are concerned, but not much if we are to believe the "deputy people’s warden"
“I think it was this natural reaction: here’s this dog, and he’s just looking up, and she’s giving the wafers to people and she just gave one to him,” ... “Anybody might have done that. It’s not like she’s trying to create a revolution.”(An incidental problem for trendies wanting to give "the wafer" to dogs is that they are not likely to follow the more modern practice of receiving in the hand.)
Now of course we have to hope sincerely that this would not happen in a Catholic Church in, say, Austria or Belgium (with viral YouTube video.) If it were to do so, we would be thrown back to the Terrible Middle Ages, the debate on the real presence, and the brilliance of Lanfranc who contested the heresy of Berengarius. The dog would actually receive the res et sacramentum, the body and blood of Christ, but this would be a sacrilege because he would (through no fault of his own, just the circumstance of not having a spiritual soul) not be a fit subject to receive the res tantum, the grace of the sacrament.
It is worth reflecting that if we receive Holy Communion unworthily, we eat and drink judgement unto ourselves. Sometimes it is right to wait until we have received sacramental absolution.
Ecce Panis Angelorum,
Factus cibus viatorum
Vere panis filiorum,
Non mittendus canibus
20 comments:
"the dog took the biscuit"
and
"An incidental problem for trendies wanting to give "the wafer" to dogs is that they are not likely to follow the more modern practice of receiving in the hand."
Thank you, Fr Tim... Even as a serious dog lover, I haven't laughed so much in ages! ROFL!
Just as I thought that dogs were moving into the ascendency in the Catholic blogosphere (Defende nos in Proelio and The Path Less Taken)you have relegated them to the sin bin.
And you a person who is ambivalent to cats, Father!
"(An incidental problem for trendies wanting to give "the wafer" to dogs is that they are not likely to follow the more modern practice of receiving in the hand.)"
Hahahahahaha!!!!
”(An incidental problem for trendies wanting to give ‘the wafer’ to dogs is that they are not likely to follow the more modern practice of receiving in the hand.)”
I suspect, Father, that unlike the mule in the story about St. Francis, the dog – appropriately in this case - didn’t kneel either!
Visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur,
Sed auditu solo tuto creditur.
Credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius;
Nil hoc verbo veritátis verius.
Nolite dare sanctum canibus (Mt 7:6)
Interesting...
I immediately thought of 'Dog Whipping Day' which was apparently a Yorkshire custom at one time. It took place on St Luke's Day (October 18th.) and involved stray dogs being driven out of various towns in the county. It was said to allude to a dog getting into York Minster on the said feast day at some time during the Middle Ages, and somehow managing to consume a consecrated Host.
I can think of two possible explanations for this story:
(a) a genuine accident involvint the Blessed Sacrament (which would raise all the theological points you mention in your post, and might well have resulted in precautions being taken to keep stary dogs away from churches)
or (b) it is one of those stories 'cooked up' during the protestant Reformation in order to ridicule Catholics (which would make the events in your post outstandingly ironic).
I don't know whether you or anyone else have heard of this custom or have any idea which (if any) of my possible explanations has any credibility. I'd be interested to know.
She should have baptized the dog first!
Dear Father Tim..this is a bit off topic, but , for anyone keeping the Epiphany tomorrow, should our celebrations be meat free? Prayers from Charlie
This horror shames every devout Anglican - but the report is from July 2010. Please don't give it more publicity than it needs.
I'm quite surprised there have been no comments so far. Unless everyone's been struck so speechless they couldn't even say, "Words fail me."
Or, perhaps this line of yours says everything that needs to be said: "'The dog took the biscuit but no wine was offered to the animal.' Episcopalian Church; woman priest; biscuit and wine. Correct." Yawn; what else can you expect from them? (Which isn't fair, I know, as a lot of Anglicans are much more reverent ... one big reason Anglicanorum coetibus will succeed in the long run.)
(An incidental problem for trendies wanting to give "the wafer" to dogs is that they are not likely to follow the more modern practice of receiving in the hand.)
I'm lovin' it!! She could also, of course, have flicked her wrist and sent it floating off frisbee-like, and the dog could have leaped up and caught it. Awwww, just too cute!
Mind you, in the manner of dogs, he then probably would have come back and dropped this soggy object covered in dog-drool at her feet, demanding that the game be continued.
Nah, on second thoughts, not a good idea.
Do we really care that a person who is not a priest gave a dog something that is not the Eucharist?
Your archive statistics point to a significant drop in the number of posts in 2011. I hope this trend will be reversed in 2012!
@Father Finigan
I am a man, not a dog in dark glasses, which is how Orbit South my RSL from Hell depicted me in last week's trial at Greenwich Magistrates Court.
Beating Mark Connolly's lies meant that the malevolent charge of common assault, that was brought against me after the Thames Gateway City Challenge 'Market Place' event, was kicked out of Court No 3, and OLD NICK's LIAR Connolly & Orbit South/East were humiliated. The IPCC investigation that I have initiated should soon begin looking into this 'conspiracy to pervert the course of justice' in Teresa Pearce MP's Erith & Thamesmead constituency.
The associated pack of lies coming from the management of St Anne's Pre-School must go to Crown Court on APPEAL as both I and my Solicitor know that Orbit, and the police are witholding MORE THAN GOLD evidence in every sense, and the interview tapes have been extensively censored on the transcripts by the CPS, Home Office, and Kenneth Clark the Secretary of State for Justice too. This case is situated in David Evennett MP's Bexleyheath & Crayford constituency.
BLESSED TITUS BRANDSMA GUILD PRAYER
God our Father, source of life and freedom, through Your Holy Spirit, you gave the Carmelite, Titus Brandsma the courage to affirm human dignity even in the midst of suffering and degrading persecution. Grant us that same spirit so that, in refusing all compromise with error we may always and everywhere give coherent witness to Your abiding presence among us. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen http://guildofblessedtitus.blogspot.com
God Save the Queen + !
Yours sincerely
Roy Hobson aka "Vesper"
ROY HOBSON CInstCES1990, Grad Dipl QS
Peter - thank you for your encouragement. I have, as you say, been remiss with the blog of late. Will try to remedy that.
Well I suppose it was only a biscuit or cookie. Anglican + female = Invalid Sacraments. This is however nothing new. About 10 years ago a certain curate at an Anglican church located at Tower Hill London told me his Rector gave a women and her dog communion at morning service! So Anglicans flee the C of E. It is diabolical!
@Seamus
I care that both the individual and the group have lost their way, and I believe that Our Lord Jesus Christ would want us to do everthing we can to correct that error.
@Father Finigan
I think your blog and the number of posts in 2011, was a lesson quality not quantity. Keep up the good work in 2012.
Our Lady of the Rosary pray for us!
PAPA VERO ORA PRO NOBIS!
Don't laugh too soon. We were at a certain grand and very traditional Catholic church, known for its meticulous celebration of Mass,not a million miles from London SW7 (and at the sung Latin Mass, no less) and at Holy Communion, a girl led her dog up to the rail. (And no, it wasn't a guide or disability pooch.)No one batted an eyelid. We were somewhat perplexed, especially as we'd brought some American friends we wanted to impress with the reverence and dignity of the place - not like across the pond, where anything goes. I asked the girl afterwards if she thought it quite appropriate and she retorted, "This is a dog-friendly church." Ah well, I suppose we have to get with it.
In the 17th century Archbishop Laud directed that communion tables be railed off to keep the dogs out. In the Civil War the puritan soldiery ripped out communion rails as being popish but most Anglican churches now have them. Perhaps if we trained our pooches to bound onto the sanctuary we might get our rails back.
Might I suggest that the "unfathomable reason" is that the word "priestess" implies a difference between male and female priests, which female priests and their supporters do not believe there is. To attempt a (poor) analogy, perhaps if some person or persons were to adopt consistently the phrase "secular priest," while refering to the regular clergy simply as "priests," it would be difficult not to read in a suggestion of inferiority, even if none were intended.
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