Best Before Dates-Holy Communion wafer

[Marijn]

Are there best before dates on Holy Communion wafer packets? Catholics believe in transubstantiation i.e that really IS the flesh and blood of Christ (not just a representation of it). So is it 2000 year old Jesus's flesh they are eating, or current Jesus's flesh? Is it Jesus's flesh when it's being made in the factory? Or when the priest blesses it? How does the priest know he is really doing that properly? Can paedophile priest's have the power to change the wafers into real flesh (if so, how come? as they're sinners, not real priests) So the people who've been taking communion from sinners, haven't really recieved Communion afterall. Can you get drunk on a bottle of Communion wine, if so, how? As it's really blood isn't it?
I expect 95% of Catholics don't even know they're supposed to believe it ACTUALLY IS the body and blood of Christ.

[ummmm]

There ya go...

[Marijn]

But the majority of Catholics I spoke to still thought it was supposed to be a representation, when the priest said that.
Anyway, could somebody answer my questions, please.

[Ankou]

which question ?

[ummmm]

My OH just read this...his opinion..'What a load of sh!t'

[Marijn]

Ummmm, you are being quite personal. You're not actually answering any questions you're just concentrating on the last sentence.

[jomifl]

you don't need a best before date on communion wafers because as they are the flesh of christ (though a wheat based product) and christ did not die (or was resurrected) they must be living flesh so will not decay ( a bit like eating a live oyster but a bit more crunchy). As for communion wine, if the spanish can produce a wine called 'bulls blood' it isn't too much of a stretch of imagination to have one called 'christ's blood'. I would prefer a nice little chianti and some fava beans if I was having to eat the flesh of christ.

[Ankou]

you claim to know a lot of catholics. why not just go ask them all your questions ?

[Marijn]

I'll try Ankou. But don't think they'll know, as they didn't even know about transubstantiation. Anyway I'll give it a go.

[Marijn]

Thank you everyone for taking the trouble to reply.

[jno]

ask your friends to google eucharist for you. No, transubstantion occurs during the ceremony, not in the factory. Yes, priestly sinners can do it. Yes, you can get drunk on consecrated wine

http://www.cathnews.c...ticle.aspx?aeid=14769

[I.Don No]

'smart' and 'catholic'....two words you don't usually see in the same sentence.

[Marijn]

Thanks jno, and everyone. I'm going out for lunch now, so won't be here if any more answers come in. Thanks again.

[woofgang]

Is anyone else bored with the "I'm bored let's go and have a pop at religion" squad?

[jomifl]

not in the least

[Marijn]

PS it wasn't a "pop". I wanted answers. Never mind. I'm off.

[naomi24]

I think the same rules must apply to food sold to the church in this country as to anyone else, so yes, packs of communion wafers would carry a best before date. This from DEFRA.

//"Use by” dates indicate time during which food is safe to eat. “Best before” dates indicate a period in which food is of optimum quality and after which it is may still perfectly edible but may decline in quality. These are mandated by law.//

[jomifl]

incidentally where does communion wine come from? is it some cheap stuff from the euro wine lake, or is it from a lttle vinyard owned by the vatican possibly in the chianti region.

[naomi24]

The communion wine at our local Anglican church comes from Tesco - and I stongly suspect the wine used at the Catholic churches comes from a similar source.

[jomifl]

The vatican is missing a big trick here, imagine the money they could make if it had to come from vinyards that had been blessed by the pope.

[sandyRoe]

It becomes the body and blood of Christ at the moment of transubstantiation in the Mass.