Catholic blogs are abuzz with these images from Rio, showing “Eucharistic Ministers” distributing Holy Communion from disposable plastic cups. PLASTIC CUPS! Truly stunning, and bordering on the surreal. Who on earth was in charge of these kinds of decisions at WYD? Who said, “We’ve got all those bulk plastic cups from last year’s torneio de futebol, let’s use those!”
Where is our faith? Our reverence? Our devotion?
The incredible thing is that these well-intentioned volunteers genuinely believed they were doing a great service in getting involved. And therein lies the problem that few will recognize. Many Catholics in positions of authority have themselves been so poorly formed, when it comes to basic catechesis and liturgical awareness, that conventional Catholic wisdom now encourages this kind of “active participation” as something noble. While shocking, examples like this should spur us to take up initiatives that better inform the faithful on the theology of the Real Presence.