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Monday 15 June 2020

Diocese of Hamilton Priest accuses Ontario Provincial Government under Doug Ford of threatening to prevent Mass if Holy Communion not given by hand - "Could lead to suspension of the Latin Mass."

Updated: June 16, 2020 5:20 P.M.

The current situation with the beginning of Mass in Ontario is one of great distress due to the orders that Holy Communion only be by the hand. This is not how Archbishop Michael Miller, CSB of Vancouver has handled this question stating, "The faithful have the right to receive Communion in the hand or on the tongue." The Ontario's bishops are a different lot - they are much wiser and much more health conscious and no doubt, have been whipped by lawyers!

On June 15, 2020, this was made public by Father Brendan McGrath a priest in the Diocese of Hamilton and a chaplain for the "extraordinary form" of the Roman Rite.


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I want you to read that third paragraph again.


I have reached out to Father McGrath to explain this inflammatory and hyperbolic rhetoric and he has not responded. I have asked him to justify this quotation and provide evidence to its veracity. He has not.

If true, this statement represents an intervention unseen in the Church in Canada in her history. It is akin to the French Revolution and it is unconstitutional. As much of it pains me to state it, Father Brendan McGrath has committed a grievous act by this statement and he must either lay out proof for this or retract it.

Why do I say that?

Because last Sunday, the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter parish in Thorold, Ontario and the Society of St. Pius X in Toronto and elsewhere in Ontario all had Mass, and all followed the Province of Ontario's emergency regulations and all distributed Holy Communion on the tongue, the SSPX, after Mass.

Further, I have for you to read now, below, the actual documentation from the province made available to Catholic and Protestant Ministers across Ontario and nowhere is this threat made.  

The Government of Ontario under legitimate authority has reduced occupancy to 30%. That is it. They have mandated nothing else. Is Father McGrath suggesting that Douglas Ford, the Premier of Ontario made covert threats to the Cardinal and Bishops in Ontario? If so, this is global news. That is the potential of McGrath's statement. If anyone is responsible for this; if anyone has threatened the existence of the traditional Latin Mass in the Diocese of Hamilton and Ontario, it is Douglas Crosby, OMI, the Bishop of Hamilton, not the Premier of Ontario.

We have written to the Premier of Ontario, Douglas Ford and two of his communication staff and requested comment.

After reaching out today (June 16, 2020 to Mr. Neil MacCarthy, Director, Public Relations and Communications for the Archdiocese of Toronto, the following comment has been received:
     "Quite simply, the advice regarding the distribution of communion is coming from medical experts (both those consulted by the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario and those in various municipal and provincial health jurisdictions) with extensive experience in pandemic containment, management and prevention." 
     "For this reason, acting responsibly for the common good, and conscious of Our Lord’s command to love our neighbour, Cardinal Collins and the other Ontario bishops have decided that on the basis of the best current medical information, and to protect other people, it is necessary to temporarily suspend the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue at this time."
This is consistent with what I have been told from other Dioceses. Why is Father McGrath intimating the black hand of government when it is clear, the medical experts consulted, and no doubt the lawyers, made these recommendations - the government simply required thirty percent!

McGrath must reveal the truth and his source or he must retract this statement and be held to account for this and the blatant accusation of governmental overreach for which there is no evidence other than one man's unproven and inflammatory rhetoric of epic proportions in the history of Canada. 












9 comments:

Anonymous said...

The dioceses are making this much more complicated than it needs to be -- the rule is quite simple. Places of worship may open up to 30% capacity. That is it.

For "distancing," etc, people will naturally spread out the basic rule is 30% capacity. "Best practices" and guidelines are just that -- guidelines. No govt official (at least not from the province) is going to be watching liturgical practices.

You csn tell that some of the diocesan leadership in Ontario would really rather not open, as they arw making the rules far morr complicated than necessary and are treating the guidelines as law. In RC parlance, they are treating every utterance of an episcopal conference as if it were dogma. As I say the basic rule from the province is simple: 30% capacity. That's it.

Tom A. said...

As I have mentioned, it is impossible to practice the Catholic religion inside the structures of a non Catholic church. Why do so many try?

P. O'Brien said...

In my archdiocese various rules seem to apply. The FSSP parish offers several Masses each Sunday, with perhaps 150 people or so in a church that holds twice that many, all receiving Communion on the tongue, very few people wearing masks. On the other hand, when my granddaughter makes her First Communion next month, unless something changes, I will not attend because I refuse to wear the mask required in that church. And she will have to receive in the hand. Good grief! What a bunch of cowards run the Church in America! When did our governor become the archbishop?

Anonymous said...

I agree with you Vox; not sure why Fr. McGrath would write that.

Phineas said...

Good work Vox, this priest needs to feel the heat and retract his awful statement.

Anonymous is right - I was at St. Michael's Cathedral on Sunday (first day of church opening) for private prayer. Very complicated arrangements with pews roped off so only every third pew was available and only two to a pew. A thought went through my mind "who's going to go through all this trouble just for silent prayer, let alone to attend Mass?". The lukewarm Catholics will be put off by this and not return.

They exposed the Blessed Sacrament, probably only because it was Corpus Christi Sunday. They need to do this a LOT more with all the staff they have there.

M. Prodigal said...

All this for a flatlined flu. Only an excuse. Sorry to let you know because I know of the denial of the Eucharist, Mass, and other sacraments in so many places: nothing is the same everywhere. We have two daily Masses and confessions and do not need to wear the mask of subjugation. On Sundays we have 3 parking lot Masses to accommodate all the parish. Yes, I am more fortunate than 90% of Catholics under the thumb of the governments and the bishops that kowtow to them.

Oh, and by the way: NO ONE IS SICK

peasant said...

Concerning the reception of Holy Communion on the tongue on this there can be no exception. If one is physically capable of kneeling while receiving then one must do so, no exceptions. Every priest , and indeed every adult of sound mind knows that unjust laws and rules are not to be followed or obeyed. So it is with the cardinals instructions. The Nuremberg defense ( I was just following orderz ) will not be accepted at personal judgement . They should also take note that He the same that they would place in the hands of the laity is He who shall judge them.
There is a small place within the lake of fire and brimstone reserved for priests, bishops, cardinals, and popes. (It's a special services section for those who need to be segregated from the general population )It is packed tight, standing room only, no physical distancing. Yet every time when a new priest shows up fresh from their personal judgement, well-what-do-you-know, those in charge of the special services section they are so happy to have him with them they make an exception for just one more.

Phineas said...

This morning at a Toronto parish that shall remain nameless, the priest said that it was because of the Ontario health authorities that they are only to offer communion in the hand. They must think we're stupid.

Vox Cantoris said...

Yes, they do.

The Government of Ontario with "legitimate authority" prescribed and mandated an occupancy load.

That is it.