Redemptionis Sacramentum, the 2004 Instruction from the Congregation for Divine Worship (in happier times)…
[92.] Although each of the faithful always has the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, at his choice, if any communicant should wish to receive the Sacrament in the hand, in areas where the Bishops’ Conference with the recognitio of the Apostolic See has given permission, the sacred host is to be administered to him or her. However, special care should be taken to ensure that the host is consumed by the communicant in the presence of the minister, so that no one goes away carrying the Eucharistic species in his hand. If there is a risk of profanation, then Holy Communion should not be given in the hand to the faithful.
[103.] The norms of the Roman Missal admit the principle that in cases where Communion is administered under both kinds, “the Blood of the Lord may be received either by drinking from the chalice directly, or by intinction, or by means of a tube or a spoon”. As regards the administering of Communion to lay members of Christ’s faithful, the Bishops may exclude Communion with the tube or the spoon where this is not the local custom, though the option of administering Communion by intinction always remains. If this modality is employed, however, hosts should be used which are neither too thin nor too small, and the communicant should receive the Sacrament from the Priest only on the tongue.
[104.] The communicant must not be permitted to intinct the host himself in the chalice, nor to receive the intincted host in the hand. As for the host to be used for the intinction, it should be made of valid matter, also consecrated; it is altogether forbidden to use non-consecrated bread or other matter.
At Holy Family Church in St. Louis Park, MN (where a friend of mine is pastor) an appalling profanation took place. The pastor clearly has implemented intinction, more than likely as a way of phasing out Communion in the hand.
However, it seems that there is nevertheless danger of profanation when some agitator screwball shows up. Note the falsity of the person, who first choose to go up near the end of Communion time for greater visibility and who at first knelt as others did.
About 1:05:10 a woman grabs the intinction cup from the ciborium. Shoots it. Holds it up, drops it on the floor, and saunters (with escort) out. Father quickly moves to clean up whatever of the Precious Blood was on the floor.
We first spot this nasty piece of work at 1:04:30 in the Communion line on the right side of the video. She, in black top, has a bag slung from left shoulder to right hip. She is twirling a … flower? daisy? in her right hand as she turns to the right. Then she reappears at 1:04:43 going to the center where the priest celebrant is about to finish distribution, so she is last. As the priest is about to give her communion, she abruptly stands, extends the flower to him which he, probably surprised, took with his hand (thus making that hand less “useful”).
Carefully planned.
Perhaps in your goodness, you will perform some act of reparation for this nasty, pre-meditated sacrilege.
If identified, can she be arrested?
[There is an argument to be made along this line. In Minnesota there is a law against disrupting a religious service. Also, if the vessel she dropped was dented, that could be destruction of property. However, this is an unlikely scenario.]
Anathema.
Regarding criminal charges: disruption of a religious service is a criminal offense in most jurisdictions, I would expect. In Minnesota, vandalism in a church is covered under Minnesota Statute 609.595.
And, I think we should prosecute those who do us harm. It’s not Christian to cower in the face of public threat and disorder. Personally and individually, “turn the other cheek” is enjoined on us. But publicly, we have an ordinary right to civic order, and we ought to vindicate that right in the civil courts. Saint Paul did several times in Acts of the Apostles (cf. Acts 16 and 22 to the end). Thomas More famously argued his case in the courts. We don’t get to use the same tactics as the demons when we fight against them, but we should at least use the defense of the law!
Actually, it’s my understanding the federal F.A.C.E. Act protects a reproductive health care facility or a place of worship from intentional damage or destruction, which includes vandalism. Depending on any damage that occurred, it might be applicable here.
Your friend has some top-notch altar boys.
No anger.
No confusion.
Reverence.
It brought tears to my eyes.
I’d turn the other check…to her right one after slapping her left one. Then check for the next confession times…
Father kneeling with a towel to gather up the Precious Blood took me straight to the scene in The Passion of the Christ where Pilate’s wife hands Blessed Mother the linens and she gets down on her knees to wipe up her Son’s blood after the scourging.