Dear Catholic Exchange,
I am at loss as to what to say or where to go with this. Please help. A week ago a priest at our parish here in Byron said, “That since Vatican II the teaching is that as we are gathered here as a community, Christ is more present in each of us than he is in the Eucharist” and he went on to say we probably should bow to each other. I went to another Mass by this same priest the next day and heard exactly the same words. Isn't this heresy? Also I asked our parish priest why he has so many small particles of host in the tabernacle, and he told me to dig a hole somewhere and bury them! Which of course I did not do. Should we just accept these abuses, or is there some one that we should inform about them? There are many more.
Thank you,
Ray H.
Dear Ray,
Your priest is wrong.
Pope Paul VI distinguishes a number of different modes of Christ's Presence in the world, the poor, the human person, the victimized, and the Church. But he does not confuse them with the uniqueness of his Real Presence in the Church. See Encyclical of Pope Paul VI on the Holy Eucharist. See, in particular paragraphs 35-39. As to how to deal with bogus theology and liturgical abuse, see Jimmy Akin's very useful Mass Confusion.
Mark Shea
Senior Content Editor
Catholic Exchange
Mark Shea is Senior Content Editor for Catholic Exchange. You may visit his website at www.mark-shea.com check out his blog, Catholic and Enjoying It!, or purchase his books and tapes here.
