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1. That's low. Come on Father, didn't you share the cup, or did you just gobble the whole bottle whilst no one was watching? Funny bloke, I like him. He might need AA though.

   Posted By: TJ Lawson

2. The sources for this "news report" say it all.
   What on earth is CathNews' objective in repeating such garbage.
   Can't you find, in this, The Year of The Priest a good news story about one out of the million or so good priests in the world, which would eclipse this bit of "The Bad Priests-Let's poke Fun At All Priests" nonsense.
   Come on CathNews, give us priests a break.

   Posted By: Fr Mick Mac Andrew Bombala-Delegate NSW

3. I would like to express my disappointement in cathnews using their space to report news such as the above. Isn't it enough that others are already doing it? We look to your service for edifying and good news stories.
   
   
   
   

   Posted By: Mary La Bruna

4. Fr Mick I have a different view on this story and I think CathNews did the right thing publishing it.
   
   In the year of the Priests I think this a sad story. This priest has done 4 Masses on this day and is so obviously over worked.
   
   This is particularly sad as down the road at the Vatican there are heaps of Cardinals and Priests doing Admin and dreaming up new things like the ever changing GIRM
   
   It is an absolute tragedy that lone, hard working Priests in remote parts of Australia have parishes the size of Victoria.
   
   Let us make sure we don't work them to death!
   
   
   

   Posted By: Chris

5. Working in a parish on my own like so many others, I find it necessary not to drink at all. You never know when you are going to be called out, and to consume the smallest amount of the Precious Blood as is prudent and reverent.

   Posted By: david anthony davies

6. We have been taught that once wine has been consecrated it is the BLOOD OF CHRIST

   Posted By: alfred mayhew s.f.o.

7. Do we know that Father is a "bad priest?" The first time I consumed the precious blood after liturgy as a deacon (on an empty stomach) I had to sit in my car for 10 minutes to let the effects wear off before the next liturgy. Perhaps Father had not eaten and had no one to help him consume the sacred gifts at these four Masses.
   The popular press make fun; Christians have the obligation to give people the benefit of the doubt until all the facts are known.
   

   Posted By: Fr. Frank

8. There is a strange "I've heard this story before" feeling in the back of my mind, and, yet I just can't place it. Is this the latest Catholic urban myth? There is a certain unreality about a priest in Italy having to celebrate four Masses in the one day....apart from canonical acrobatics required to get away with it.
   
   CHRIS, the priests I have known who worked "down the road at the Vatican" did not spend their Sundays "doing Admin and dreaming up new things" but were often involved in any number of pastoral activities in and around the City. The lone Australian priest in difficult geographic circumstances is not helped by cheap shots...especially when they are largely without substance.
   
   I have a suspicion that Father was using the ecclesiastical version of the old stat. dec. "It was someone else driving my car" excuse now presumably regretted by a certain member of the judiciary.
   
   Then again, may be just one or two or three too many at luncheon.
   

   Posted By: Marco Elliott

9. Whilst this is not a suitable news item, this serves only as a reminder that priests are human and imperfect. Nonetheless, that should not be an excuse for them to forget that they are still a part of society and are still subject to civil law. It is rather inappropriate that this priest had to use Christ's Holy Blood as an excuse to get drunk.

   Posted By: Collin Michael Nunis

10. Chris, bureaucrats will remain as bureaucrats, they don't really care; they're plotting how to continue domination and 'control' over the people of God... in their patronizing view, the priestly people of God are not that important, and the ordained ministry is simply for their use and abuse.

    Posted By: TJ Lawson

11. This is what happens when one views it as wine versus the Precious Blood of Christ - all is possible in Christ - leave Him out of it and this is what happens! (probably wouldn't have happened if he had viewed it as the Precious Blood) Please pray for an increase of faith for this priest!

    Posted By: Paul Gray

12. He could have had other priests or extraordinary ministers consume some of the "wine" as he calls it.

    Posted By: Terik Ororke

13. PAUL GRAY, were you never taught that the "accidents" of the Eucharistic Species remain unchanged after the consecration? Likewise particular qualities of the Species remain constant. Thus, regardless of how one "views" the Precious Blood, the alcoholic content remains that of the unconsecrated wine. All the faith in the world will not change the perceptible qualities of the bread and wine. Both species, for example, remain susceptible to the processes of corruption.
    
    Likewise, additives not essential to the constitution of the eucharistic bread or wine remain unchanged and co-existent with the matter of the Sacrament.
    
    Thus, the Roman Missal used to contain directions for the priest if he discovered AFTER the consecration that the elements had been poisoned -a not unknown method of clerical assassination in some periods of history.
    

    Posted By: Marco Elliott

14. TERIK ORORKE, it is perhaps not completely fair to criticize the priest for calling the Precious Blood "wine". If you read the article carefully you will note that this is a journalist's account, no direct quotes, in other words "hearsay".
    
    The alleged sacerdotal dipsomaniac has misbehaved enough - let's not hang him for a journalist's terminology.
    
    T.J.LAWSON: regards your weak attempt at humour - one might guzzle wine, consecrated or otherwise, one certainly would not gobble it.
    

    Posted By: Marco Elliott

15. Thank you Marco for your comments about the Pastoral work by Vatican Clergy.
    
    According to a Vatican report dated May 17th 2007 the Vatican had 557 citizens.
    
    There were 58 Cardinals, 293 Clergy plus another 62 clergy.
    
    I would think that any reasonable person would believe if most of these men went out to the country side (on Sundays) it would take great pressure off the hard working local Priests.
    
    They may even get an understanding of real issues that concern Catholics.

    Posted By: Chris

16. Since when has it been approved for a Priest to say 4 Masses in one day? Perhaps another Vatican II change. Or perhaps it was made necessary because of a lack of Priests since VII. In any event, a reading of .08 is possible due to 4 Masses, I suppose.

    Posted By: Jim Schemenauer

17. CHRIS, concerning your interesting statistics re Vatican citizenship....
    
    Not every citizen lives within the Vatican. A certain now very famous cardinal-citizen lived outside the actual territory of the city-state and walked to work each morning.
    Likewise, not all those working within the Vatican have citizenship.
    
    Whilst in theory an admirable suggestion, it is not all that easy for a cleric, be he bishop, priest or deacon, "to go out" and help.There are several constraints, not the least of which is that certain parish clergy may not want to be helped! This alone, believe me, is a very limiting situation.

    Posted By: Marco Elliott

18. let us not make a mountain out of a molehill. let us respect the CATHOLIC HOLY PRIESTS and pray for their sanctity. The LORD JESUS said to Mutter Vogel, "one should Never attack a priest, even when he's in error. rather one should pray and do penance that I'll grant him my grace again. Every priest is my Vicar and My Heart will be sickened and insulted because of it. If you hear a judgement against a priest say a Hail Mary.".

    Posted By: Maria Josefa

19. This story, while sounding far-fetched and possibly sacreligious to the to the modern Catholic
    who often models themselves on the Jansenistic "purity" of Protestants, is highly believable and I believe it is true.
    Six years ago, a friend of mine whose mother had just died asked me to serve as an acolyte at his mother's requiem mass. He knew of my continued practice of Catholicism and that this would not be a problem. Of-course I was honoured and accepted to do this. I didn't know however, that his mother had been an alcoholic nor that most of her Catholic friends were also. When the priest consecrated the elements, he allowed for a substantial chalice for the congregation. Obviously very few of the substantial mourners received Holy Communion under the two species, so in accordance with tradition, he asked me to consume
    The Precious Blood. On the way to the cemetery at Waverley after the requiem mass, I was stopped by a RBT and was breath-tested. By some miracle, I was not over the limit, but at the time I was very worried that I could have been. The police, of course, dismissed my explanation after they asked me the routine question of had I been drinking this afternoon sir. So far are we removed from our Catholic culture that they didn't even understand my answer to their question. I knew this because they searched my car for drugs after my alchohol reading was negative, and I'm sure they thought something must be wrong.
    After this encounter I was a little worried but realised the humour that fortunately still accompanies most Catholics of Celtic origin was still in evidence and that Our Lord was probably having a good chuckle to himself. It certainly restored my faith in our rejection of the heresy of Jansenism.

    Posted By: eulalia

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