Ateneo releases memo, suspends masses after student’s ‘sacrilegious’ act

The Ateneo de Manila University Senior High School Campus Ministry Office (ASHS-CMO) has released a statement condemning a high school student’s “sacrilegious” stunt of smuggling a consecrated communion wafer he had received in a Holy Mass and posting a review of the sacred Host online. The CMO has also suspended Holy Mass activities within the senior high school campus since Tuesday for “reparation and atonement” to heal from the “sacrilegious” act.

A senior high school student had pocketed a consecrated ostia (sacred Host) that he had received in a March 17 mass and posted a review of the sacred item on Twitter as if it were an ordinary food item. In his now-deleted post, the student rated the communion wafer in terms of Design, Taste, and Wow Factor, and gave the sacred item an overall rating of 7.1 out of 10.

“It has come to our attention that a student committed a sacrilegious act during our recent School-Wide Mass,” the ASHS-CMO wrote on a memo Tuesday. “We would like to express our deepest apologies to the entire Ateneo de Manila Senior High School community for this unfortunate incident.”

“Sacrilege is a grave sin committed against sacred persons or things, particularly those consecrated to God. In the Catholic Church, it is an offense against the holiness of God and His Church. The Eucharist, the source and summit of our Catholic faith, is the most sacred and central act of worship for us,” the memo also stated.

“Therefore, any act that shows disrespect, irreverence or contempt towards the Eucharist, or any other sacred object is considered sacrilegious,” it added.

The offending student had since changed his name and locked his profile.

Netizens condemned the stunt, while some asked God for forgiveness on behalf of the student. Some netizens regarded the act as a misdeed done for social media clout or “clicks.” A few admonished youngsters against committing a similar prank and advised those curious to buy unconsecrated wafers, which are basically scraps from wafer manufacturing, sold on the market instead. The Philippines is a predominantly Roman Catholic country, with around 80% practicing the faith.

However, a handful of netizens found the act as nothing more than a harmless prank and pointed out the Catholic Church’s hypocrisy.