Round One

The Catholic Communications Office (CCO) made a formal complaint to RTE over a skit – broadcast on November 26 – which depicted a man spitting into a bucket before receiving Holy Communion. The CCO claimed it ridiculed "the reception of Holy Communion, the Eucharist, which is the Body of Christ".

The skit, in the Mario Rosenstock series, was having a go at the boxing fever sweeping the country in the wake of Katie Taylor's Olympic victory. The setting was the mass, everyone wore boxing gloves and the sign of peace was mimicking the way boxers touch gloves at the start of a bout.

Mario, in a style reminiscent of Fr. Trendy, is giving out communion, and the communicant first spits into a bucket before taking the host. And this is what the RCC is objecting to.

RTÉ have rejected the complaint and the next move is up to the RCC.

I really don't see how they can have their cake and eat it. If they really believe in the Real Presence, then surely it is a sign of respect and not the reverse to use the spitoon before receiving the body and blood of Christ.

Really.

I wonder do they do Fatwas these days as well as silencing and excommunicating the awkward squad. Only time will tell.

Meanwhile the Pope is due to start Tweeting on 12 December under the moniker @Pontifex and if you have any questions, like, for example, what is the Third Secret of Fatima, you can use the hashtag #askpontifex. And good luck to you.

If you can't wait until the 12th you can find out how to get the answer here.