A student at a private school took home an “ostiya” or host, a sacred white wafer used during the Holy Mass, to conduct a food review about it.
This incident was talked about on Facebook and Twitter this week. It also reached the Ateneo de Manila University Senior High School Campus Ministry Office (ASHS-CMO).
Reports said that the student stole or smuggled the host during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
The student then proceeded to “review” it and post the review on Twitter.
It was uncertain how the student managed to steal the host during the Holy Mass.
The student’s tweet later gained buzz on Twitter and Facebook. It has since been deleted on the short messaging social media platform as of writing.
One PH managed to screenshot and report the controversial post on social media prior to deletion.
The white wafer, also known as the communion bread, is offered as the Body of Christ during the Holy Communion to Mass attendees.
The priest consecrates the bread and the wine for “transubstantiation” into Christ’s Body and Blood, respectively.
“According to the Eucharistic doctrine of Roman Catholicism, the elements of the consecrated bread and wine are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ: their substance is converted into the substance of the body and blood, although the outward appearances of the elements, their “accidents,” remain,” reads an explanation from the Britannica Encyclopedia.
Student to undergo ‘reparation, atonement’
In response to the viral review, the ASHS-CMO announced a suspension of Holy Mass activities within the senior high school campus for “reparation and atonement.”
This announcement was first uploaded on the school ministry’s Facebook account. It has since been deleted there.
News5 managed to post a copy of the memorandum on social media.
In the memo to the ASHS community, the school ministry described the student’s act as “sacrilegious.”
“Sacrilege is a grave sin committed against sacred persons or things, particularly those consecrated to God. In the Catholic Church, it is an offense against the holiness of God and His Church. The Eucharist, the source and summit of our Catholic faith, is the most sacred and central act of worship for us,” the ministry said.
“Therefore, any act that shows disrespect, irreverence or contempt towards the Eucharist, or any other sacred object is considered sacrilegious,” it added.
In the same statement, the ASHS-CMO also said that the student will be offered support and guidance about the gravity of the offense.
“We must approach this situation with compassion and understanding while holding him accountable for his actions,” the school ministry said.
The ASHS-CMO further noted that the Holy Mass activities will only resume after the “Rite of Reparation for the Profanation of the Holy Eucharist” was accomplished.
Several social media users also slammed the student for being disrespectful toward a sacred object.
Some Redditors, meanwhile, pointed out that the student could have used a non-consecrated host that is available in the market.
“Kung gusto niyo lang naman mag food review ng ostia, you can buy non-consecrated ones and even review the wine too. Both are available from Lazada for those who are interested. There’s no need to pocket consecrated host,” one Redditor said.
