From Fr Z's Blog
From a reader…
QUAERITUR:
I have something in mind that has been troubling me. In my past, there has been an incidence where I dropped a host while receiving communion (I used to receive by hand,I no longer do), I may have dropped a crumb or crumbs(I went to a Jesuit college where they used a crumbly bread for the host. The incident was a long time ago and I don’t remember exactly what happened. I vaguely remember seeing the crumb, lowering my hand and then raising it back up once it dawned on me. I don’t remember if I got it or not.), and I vaguely remember once or twice accidentally letting a piece of “chewed” host come out of my mouth (I vaguely remember thinking I had something in my teeth and went to remove it. I don’t think I had malice in my heart to defame the Eucharist, but again, a long time ago and I don’t remember exactly). Did I incur latae sententiae? Help, I feel confused and concerned. I did talk to my priest (a good and holy priest) and he said that my circumstances seemed to not fit canon 1367 CIC. He said he would offer me absolution. Am I being paranoid or is there something I should worry about here.
First, be at ease. From what you described, you DID NOT incur a censure. In order to incur a censure you have to have committed a mortal sin and, from what it seems, you didn’t. I can’t see how you knowingly and willingly violated can. 1367 so as to incur a censure.
I think you might be able to find a little fault in, at the time, a bit of carelessness in consumption of the Host. Then again, we are human beings and a, say, cough can come suddenly, or a transient pain, etc. Things happen even when we are being really careful. But if they are unintentional you didn’t commit a sin and if you didn’t commit a sin, you didn’t incur an automatic censure.
Your story, however, is a great example of why we should, why we must …
- eliminate Communion in the hand.
- eliminate “substantial’ bread or hosts that are not well made.
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