Once Again… “Jeeze People, Get A Grip Already”
What’s up with the whole Harper / wafer incident (if it can even be dignified with that descriptor) anyway…. come on folks, give yer heads a shake already.
The question, IMO, is not whether Harper ate the wafer, pocketed the wafer, or palmed the wafer to the hungry one eyed drunken macaw of a personal aid – the question is wft was the priest doing offering it to him in the first place?
Harpers religious affiliation is not exactly a state secret, he is a Protestant, and if the priest didn’t know that one would think that he would have the common sense to check with the PMO Protocol Officer to see if Harper could accept it.
Yes, there is protocol for indicating to the priest that you cannot, or are unwilling to, accept communion but my guess is that that little bit of Catholic lore is lesser known outside the Catholic community than the PM’s religion is known inside of it.
Rarely do I find myself feeling a bit of sympathy for a sitting PM, but this is one of those times…. quite frankly, IMO, the priest should be offering a public apology for his actions.
There are plenty of things about Harper that are worth complaining about folks – this isn’t one of them.
Of course, you are right. Too much has been made of this story. Besides, what could we possibly expect Harpo/Satan to do when offered the “body of Christ”? Eat it? No, for Harpo it is always his inclination to cover items up (to pocket the evidence, so to speak) … just like Chalk River, the truth about our economy, and his pledge to run a transparent government!
Is the priest really supposed to know the religious affiliation of every person who presents themself for communion? And even if they’re catholic, if you haven’t been to confession recently, you’re not supposed to accept communion. But there’s no way the priest can know that or not, so of course they’re going to give the benefit of the doubt.
Really, say its all a dumb story if you want, but to blame the priest is silly.
Sounds to me like the PM got the Devil’s wafer. If he ate it, somebody had better keep an eye on all those kittens. If he put it in his pocket, well, I guess a few PMO staffers can look forward to an eternity in the fiery pits of Hell.
Oooooooooh! Oooooooooh! Ooooooooooooooh! A new scandal today! He was LATE for his photo op at the G8.
he ate the damn thing. enough already.
http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Priest+clears+Harper+controversy+over+holy+wafer/1775834/story.html
The only person who should be chastised (apart from the bloggers who are trying to make an issue of this) is whoever briefs the PM on protocol prior to state events. Don’t know how they messed up.
They’re hillbillies.
Omigod, the fact that anyone is making any deal of any of this, is all that is noteworthy, and in a disparagin sense only.
He put a thin, stale piece of bread in his mouth, he didn’t put a think, stale piece of bread in his mouth.
WHO GIVES A RAT’S ARSE?!?!?!?! As the man who’s name graces this blog said, “There are plenty of things about Harper that are worth complaining about.” If anything, those who make this news are as guilty as anyone of lowering the bar in the political debate.
It looks like this story may set a record for blog posts and comments on how absurd it is for anyone to pay any attention to it.
It is, as they say in journalism, the silly season. Parliament’s not sitting, people are on holidays, the world is generally a slower place until September. This is traditionally when the stupidest stories get the most attention.
I personally believe that the PM was stealing a consecrated host for the Black Mass he and the Conservative Caucus traditionally celebrate on Midsummer Night’s Eve, but of course the goddamned right wing MSM will never report THAT.
I suppose you are right. Still, it’s frustrating to see such drivel get so much play when pressing issues that touch us are ignored.
I couldn’t agree more. The world is confronted with solid evidence that that Al Qaeda recruitment has moved interspecies, and we’re worried about a pocketed host?
@balbulican – “The only person who should be chastised (apart from the bloggers who are trying to make an issue of this) is whoever briefs the PM on protocol prior to state events. Don’t know how they messed up.”
That is the point I wanted to make too Balb. On the video it appears that Harper made a half assed effort to extend his hand for a hand shake with the priest which I read somewhere is what you are supposed to do if you are not going to take communion. Personally, and as a Catholic, I had never heard that one before.
The best way to avoid this was to not leave the pew and get in line in the first place. Someone messed up communicating that to Harper. Geesh, in the old days, if a host so much as fell to the floor there was an alter boy and priest three alarm alert with holy water and blessings to fix the situation. Now, it can be slyly inserted into a pocket.
Loved the turtle story, balb. Let’s hope it gets a little traction. These lazy, hazy days of summer might soon be livened up by JimBobby & Co. weighing in on how the capitalist addiction to profit, speed and technology spells the demise of Spaceship Earth and the BT’s screaming that freedom ain’t easy and if the turtles can’t hack it, screw them.
Well obviously the priest was confused by the swirling clouds of brimstone-smelling smoke that surrounded Harper as he forced his way into the church.
What I wonder is how he got past the holy water font.
@Jeff: Nope, that would be impossible, but (as I said) you would think that if the priest was going to offer communion he would have the common sense to check to see if Harper could accept it — don’t ‘cha think that might make even the tiniest little bit of sense?
A comment over at Kate’s was good (she’s into it a bit with Shaidle at the moment):
“I’m guessing the driving idea behind this story is the MSM is really surprised Harper didn’t vomit the host and turn his head 360 degrees.” LOL!
Shaidle has a good point, technically. It’s not a “cracker”, it’s a wafer.
So…”Wafergate”?
Who cares what nonsensical Cristian superstition Harper chose to ignore? He’s a Christian fundamentalist which means that he willfully ignores scientific evidence, and the Catholic Church is naive and dogmatic enough to actually think that a cracker turns into flesh and blood. These sorts of beliefs belong in the Middle Ages.
Maybe this is one of those times when the only way to be sure protocol hasn’t been irrevocably breached is to hire an exorcist.
@balbulican: and the difference between a wafer and a cracker is………
“and the difference between a wafer and a cracker is….”
wafers are eaten with the pinky finger extended.
KEvron