In a November article in the Irish Times, priests voiced their concern about likely upcoming reductions in the legal blood-alcohol limit for drivers in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Thanks to a clergy shortage, many priests must perform multiple masses in multiple locations, and since the use of nonalcoholic sacramental wine has been barred y the Vatican, they fear that even drinking a minimal amount of wine at each service would put them over the limit while driving to their next assignment.- Chuck Shepherd.
From the Irish Times itself:
"Perhaps it [celebrating a number of Masses] could be enough for you to fail a drink driving test, and while I don't like to use the word wine, as it is the precious blood in the Eucharist, it still has all the characteristics of wine when in the blood stream," said Fr D'Arcy.
But here's my question, under these new restrictions, will any Irish adults be able to drive?
Probably not but priests should not worry as the wine is mystically (and literally) transformed into the blood of Jesus during the Eucharist thus making them vampires, not drunk drivers.
ReplyDeletei really don't wanna step on any more toes than i need to, but my ignorance on some Catholic theology is pretty tremendous (although i do respect a lot of it for being so orthodox and ancient). i would assume that this aspect of the theology of the body and blood of Christ would have gone out with the middle ages - that the bread and wine turn into the body and blood (respectively) of Christ at the Eucharist, yet still maintain 'properties' of bread and wine.
ReplyDeletei mean, there's gotta be some other way of understanding and tackling that mystery - without sending drunk drivers through the countryside on Sunday mornings.