According to a Religious News report, a UK-based Church is considering the possibility of giving Sacraments online. The little known sect’s immediate focus is claimed to be on the Sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist.
As a Protestant sect that accepts only a few Sacraments, the group’s concern seems to be on the two Sacraments essential for entry and sustenance of Church membership. However, the proposed move may have implications beyond religious sectors’ digital media outreach. It is not unlike another lingering proposal to avail Confession via social media.
True enough, though kinky, some of these moves may be basically well motivated. Nonetheless, they may be disparate efforts to capitalize on trendy craze for social media. They may not be more than liturgical charades that ultimately undermine Sacraments and reduce pastoral care to zany gimmicks.
Already, Church liturgy has been a playfield of excessive experimentation. Church groups have traced the erosion of faith and collapse of ecclesial discipline to the loss of public piety resulting from fanciful fads. The Eucharist is the center and sustenance of Christian faith, and weakening of worship style and faith witness has led to abuse and scandal.
In some churches, worshippers are offended by ad hoc delegation of altar servers to distribute Holy Communion. And in yet other churches, worshippers deplore designation of Eucharistic ministers as host ministers and wine ministers, as if they were mere dispensers of bread and wine, not of the Body and Blood of Jesus.
All such moves indicate a lack of respect for the Holy Eucharist. They contribute to a slow erosion of faith, especially among poorly catechized youths.
Before such catechesis is begun at parish level, it has to begin in clergy formation houses where the Eucharist is considered a mere fellowship meal and Confession no more than a therapeutic tool.
The Christian community’s faith tradition was eroded over recent decades by alleged attempts to desacralize and demythologize people’s faith style in the name of Church reform and renewal.
All of this calls for a restoration of faith: a return to the roots of Jesus’ Church – bottom upwards, and beyond fancy fads and trimmings!
Meanwhile, even kinky moves that seemingly distort the Eucharist reveal an ongoing yearning for agape. Let’s say, they are not altogether different from another sector’s readiness for pastoral outreach to planets wherever life may exist.
Just a few weeks ago we read of proposals to carry the Eucharist into outer space as spiritual sustenance to astronauts. It is not unlike the innovative challenges faced by early missioners to minister to spiritual needs of explorers and seafarers. It is a ministry of outreach like Stella Maris and various chaplaincies to professions like workers, nurses, doctors and tradespeople.
And what if some form of life is found on other planets of God’s fascinating creation! In such circumstances, theologians may well be willing to travel to outer space or beyond and discern their spiritual scenario.
But, SSSH! That eureka moment would be altogether different from, say, trying to set up chaplaincies here for pet cats or dogs or letting them swell less-patronized Corpus Christi processions! Lord, forgive today’s inanities!
May discernment and faith-based response to contextual challenges long remain a much-cherished discipline of humans! Alleluia!!
(Veteran Asian Church journalist Hector Welgampola from Sri Lanka retired as the Executive Editor of Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN) in 2000. Before he joined UCAN in 1989, Hector headed editorial teams of newspapers in Sri Lanka. Since retiring Hector has lived in Australia with his wife, Rita. He authored the resource book Asian Church Glossary and Stylebook. He can be contacted at welgampo@gmail.com)