Video shows archbishop of Londrina handing host to Arab sheikh; It is not known what he did with the Eucharist
The archdiocese avoided giving answers, claiming that they would leave a note of clarification – not published until now
Video shows the archbishop of Londrina (PR), Dom Geremias Steinmetz, at the funeral mass of the late Cardinal Dom Geraldo Majella Agnelo, the second archbishop of the city, delivering the consecrated host [Body of Christ] into the hands of Sheik Ahmad Saleh Mahairi, founder of the Rei Faisal Mosque, in Londrina, and the greatest authority on Islamic matters in the country. In the images, Dom Geremias sees the Arab in robes, who skips the communion line, and even so delivers the Eucharist to him. Mahairi, in turn, pretends that he is going to take communion, but then lowers his hand and does not take the Eucharist to his mouth — this moment is filmed, but then the sheikh leaves the camera's range and it is no longer possible to know whether he is he actually ate the host or took it somewhere.
The video showing this moment went viral. Several Catholic faithful used social media to criticize Dom Geremias and the Eucharistic ministers who participated in that mass and did not prevent what happened. They remember that, in addition to the communion of the Body of Christ being expressly restricted to those baptized in the Holy Church, there are instructions for ministers, and even bishops, to refuse the consecrated host to non-Catholics, as well as non-ministers and the non-ordained cannot distribute it. The mass at the Cathedral brought together dozens of priests, archbishops, bishops and cardinals from the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB).
The BSM team tried to contact the archbishop and the archdiocese of Londrina, seeking to contextualize the situation: did the Sheikh partake of the bread after leaving the scene? Did any Eucharistic minister or altar boy move to demand communion before the altar – in accordance with the Church’s own legislation? Was the archbishop aware of who the Sheikh was, and that he, as an unbaptized person, could not partake of the Body of Christ? The archdiocese avoided giving answers, claiming that they would leave a note of clarification – not published until now.
Another reason for reception of Holy Communion on the tongue. The celebrant would then see clearly to whom he is communicating rather than to be focused on the hand. This is not the primary reason, but a contributive one.
