The Sin of Pride

As I was collecting Mass books etc at the back of St Wilfrid's Church in York after the Latin Mass last Sunday, an elderly man approached me and asked why it was that he had been refused Communion.  He went on to express his outrage that Communion could only be given on the tongue.  I responded that it was the law of the Church that at Older Form Masses for Communion is given on the tongue.  At this point, he became fairly aggressive and spoke in such a loud voice that he attracted the attention of people nearby, some of whom decided to join in the debate.  He then said that he was a priest, and had been for 62 years, and claimed that he had been ordained long before all those around him were even born.  This could not be true in my case, but he probably did not realise how old I am, so I will forgive him for that error.

Although I would have liked to debate with him, he was so aggressive that no reasonable discussion was possible.  I was anxious to calm the man down, as such a public row in a church seemed improper.  I asked him where he came from, and he replied: Australia.  Eventually he moved on to do battle with Br Henry, who was outside the church. 

I had noticed this elderly man when he entered the church before Mass, perhaps because he was particularly tall.  He went to sit in the front row.  At Communion time, he stood up and remained standing at his place in a conspicuous way.  He did not go to the altar rails to receive Communion, so his allegation that he was refused Communion was not true.  What was true was that, as is normal in St Wilfrid's, there was an announcement that the "law of the Church required that Communion is received on the tongue and kneeling....".  This is presumably what annoyed him, as it was clear from the way he stood at the front of the church whilst others were receiving Communion time that he was trying to make some point.

Why am I relating this story?  It is only to illustrate how how irrational some people (including priests) are when they encounter traditional practices.  This priest claimed that he was not able to receive Communion because it was being distributed on the tongue.  As Br Henry pointed out this is an example of the sin of Pride.  What is more serious is that he was prepared to have a major row inside a church on the issue.  Everything is compounded by his being a priest.