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| {{neutrality}} | |||
| ⚫ | ] German woodcut showing an alleged host desecration. In the first panel the hosts are stolen, in the second the hosts bleed when pierced by a Jew, in the third the Jews are arrested, and in the fourth they are burned alive.]] | ||
| {{factual}} | |||
| '''Host desecration''' is a ] act committed against a consecrated ]. | '''Host desecration''' is a ] act committed against a consecrated ]. | ||
| ⚫ | ==Background== | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | ==Background of the concept== | ||
| ⚫ | Other Christian churches, especially those of |
||
| ⚫ | Both ] and ] ] believe that during the Celebration of the ] the offerings of bread and wine are changed: their substance is ] into the body and blood of ], while the appearance of bread and wine remain. Since Christians believe Jesus Christ to be "true God and true man", his body and blood in the form of the consecrated host are ] in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Theft, sale, or use of the host for any purpose other than that specified by the laws and traditions of the Churches is considered a grave sin and sacrilege. In the ] the act incurs the penalty of automatic ]; except in the case of danger of death, this excommunication can only be lifted by the Apostolic See. (See ], Canon 1367.) | ||
| ⚫ | Other Christian churches, especially those of Protestant denominations, have similar beliefs regarding ] related to the Eucharist and the ] (or Lord's Supper); however, they differ with Catholics and Orthodox Christians in their beliefs about the meaning of the ], and the ] of Jesus Christ. | ||
| Host desecration has been associated with groups identified as inimicable to Christianity. Notably, it plays an important part in rituals of ], particularly the ]. | Host desecration has been associated with groups identified as inimicable to Christianity. Notably, it plays an important part in rituals of ], particularly the ]. | ||
| ==Accusations against Jews== | ==Accusations against Jews== | ||
| ⚫ | ] tapestry.]] | ||
| Accusations of host desecration leveled against the ] were a common pretext for massacres and expulsions throughout the ] in ]. At the time, the concept of ] — that the Jewish people were responsible for the death of Jesus — was a generally accepted Christian dogma. It was claimed that Jews stole consecrated hosts and desecrated them to reenact the ] by stabbing or burning the host or otherwise misusing it. These accusations may have been based on the paradoxical belief that Jews considered the host the literal body of Jesus; by crucifying it they imagined they were crucifying Jesus anew. They were believed to use blood that flowed from the host to get rid of the "fœtor Judaicus," or to color their cheeks to give them a fresh and rosy appearance. | |||
| Accusations of host desecration leveled against the ] were a common pretext for massacres and expulsions throughout the ] in ].{{citation needed}} At the time, some considered the Jewish people to be responsible for the death of Christ. It was claimed that Jews stole consecrated hosts and desecrated them to reenact Christ's ].{{citation needed}} | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| These accusations may have been based on the belief that Jews also considered the host the literal body of Jesus; by crucifying it they imagined they were crucifying Jesus anew.{{citation needed}} They were believed to use blood that flowed from the host to get rid of the "fœtor Judaicus," or to color their cheeks to give them a fresh and rosy appearance. | |||
| ⚫ | Variations in the claims aside, Jews in the Middle Ages were frequently victims of similar accusations, considered more serious desecration of other revered items, such as relics or images of Jesus and the saints. |
||
| ⚫ | ] German woodcut showing an alleged host desecration. In the first panel the hosts are stolen, in the second the hosts bleed when pierced by a Jew, in the third the Jews are arrested, and in the fourth they are burned alive.]] | ||
| In some variants of this claim, the stabbed Host would bleed, inducing ] in the Jew.{{citation needed}} Later variants appear to further vilify Jews, depicting them as burying the Host in an attempt to hide it, rather than converting. Where the wafer was buried, a new spring burst forth from the ground.{{citation needed}} | |||
| ⚫ | The penalities for Jews accused of defiling Hosts were severe. False confessions were coerced by torture, and accused Jews were condemned and burned, sometimes with all the other Jews in the community, as happened in ] in 1243, in ] in 1389, and in many German cities, according to Ocker's writings in the ''Harvard Theological Review''. According to William Nichol in ''Christian Antisemitism'', "over 100 instances of the charge have been recorded, in many cases leading to massacres." Many Jews were killed for host desecration until it started to wane with the advent of ]. | ||
| ⚫ | In one instance, Jews were said to be burying pieces of a pierced host in a meadow, which then transformed into butterflies that healed cripples and blind persons.{{citation needed}} In another example, angels and doves flew out of a stove in which Jews were burning the desecrated host.{{citation needed}} Again, the pieces fluttered out of a swamp, and a herd of grazing ], on seeing them, bowed down before them. The blood from the host was said to have splashed the foreheads of the Jews, leaving an indelible mark that betrayed them.{{citation needed}} | ||
| ⚫ | Variations in the claims aside, Jews in the Middle Ages were frequently victims of similar accusations, considered more serious desecration of other revered items, such as relics or images of Jesus and the saints.{{citation needed}} It has been suggested that accusations were often supported only by the testimony of the accuser, who may potentially bear a prejudice against the accused Jew, or the Jewish people. Despite this, some alleged perpetrators were tried and found guilty, on little evidence or under coercive confession.{{citation needed}} | ||
| ===Violence against Jews=== | |||
| ⚫ | The penalities for Jews accused of defiling Hosts were severe. False confessions were coerced by torture,{{citation needed}} and accused Jews were condemned and burned, sometimes with all the other Jews in the community, as happened in ] in 1243, in ] in 1389, and in many German cities, according to Ocker's writings in the ''Harvard Theological Review''. According to William Nichol in ''Christian Antisemitism'', "over 100 instances of the charge have been recorded, in many cases leading to massacres." Many Jews were killed for host desecration until it started to wane with the advent of ]. | ||
| ===Occurrences of the accusations against the Jews=== | |||
| ⚫ | ] tapestry.]] | ||
| Accusations of host desecration first arose in the middle of the thirteenth century, after the ] definition of the doctrine of ] (]) led to an increased ] of the consecrated host. The origin of ] is complex and other events of the thirteen century such as | |||
| the loss of the ] and the expansion of ] and the ] into ] played roles in the trend of ] Jews. Accusations of host desecration served as a validation for existing antisemitism rather than a primary cause. | |||
| ], 1477.]] | ], 1477.]] | ||
| The first recorded accusation was made in ] at Berlitz, near Berlin, and in consequence of it all the Jews of Belitz were burned on the spot, subsequently called ''Judenberg''. Similar accusations, resulting in extensive persecution of Jews, were brought forward in ], at Paris; ], at Laa, in ]; ], at ], near ], and at Korneuburg, near ]; ], at ]; ], at ]; ], at ]; ], at ]; ], at ]; ], at ]; ], at Enghien (see ]); ], at ]; ], at ]; ], at ]; ], at Segovia; ], at Ems; ], at ]; ], at ]; ], at Sternberg, in Mecklenburg-Schwerin; ], at Berlin; ], at Mittelberg, in ]; ], at Sochaczew, in Poland. The last Jew burned for stealing a host died in ], according to ], quoting from Manasseh b. Israel. Casimir IV. of Poland (]), ] (]), and Sigismund August of Poland (]) were among those who repudiated the accusation, the repetition of which gradually ceased after the Reformation. (source: ''Jewish Encyclopedia'') | The first recorded accusation was made in ] at Berlitz, near Berlin, and in consequence of it all the Jews of Belitz were burned on the spot, subsequently called ''Judenberg''. Similar accusations, resulting in extensive persecution of Jews, were brought forward in ], at Paris; ], at Laa, in ]; ], at ], near ], and at Korneuburg, near ]; ], at ]; ], at ]; ], at ]; ], at ]; ], at ]; ], at ]; ], at Enghien (see ]); ], at ]; ], at ]; ], at ]; ], at Segovia; ], at Ems; ], at ]; ], at ]; ], at Sternberg, in Mecklenburg-Schwerin; ], at Berlin; ], at Mittelberg, in ]; ], at Sochaczew, in Poland. The last Jew burned for stealing a host died in ], according to ], quoting from Manasseh b. Israel. Casimir IV. of Poland (]), ] (]), and Sigismund August of Poland (]) were among those who repudiated the accusation, the repetition of which gradually ceased after the Reformation. (source: ''Jewish Encyclopedia'') | ||
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| ==Accusations against hunters== | ==Accusations against hunters== | ||
| In late ] and ]s, hunters who used the newly invented ] were occasionally accused of striking a pact with the devil. The hunter would hire a |
In late ] and ]s, hunters who used the newly invented ] were occasionally accused of striking a pact with the devil. The hunter would hire a jew to steal a consecrated eucharistic host, which was then suspended from trees using strings. The hunter would load his ], turn his back to the wafer and fire over his shoulder right through the host. Blood which dripped from the wafer was then allegedly collected and poured into the molten lead used to cast ]s. The hunter was supposed to cast ten bullets this way, nine of which would never miss a game, regardless of the distance or difficult conditions. One of the ten bullets, however, belonged to ] and no person could tell in advance what (or whom) would be hit by it. | ||
| == |
== References == | ||
| *] | *] | ||
| *] | *] | ||
| == References == | |||
| * ] (1997). "Host, desecration of". '']'' (CD-ROM Edition Version 1.0). Ed. Cecil Roth. Keter Publishing House. ISBN 965-07-0665-8 | |||
| ⚫ | * |
||
| ⚫ | * |
||
| ⚫ | * |
||
| ⚫ | * |
||
| ==External links== | |||
| * | * | ||
| ⚫ | *] | ||
| ⚫ | *] ''Antisemitism; The Longest Hatred'', Methuen London | ||
| ⚫ | *] ''Ideology of Death'', Ivan R. Dee, ISBN 1-56663-088-6 | ||
| ⚫ | *Christopher Ocker, Ritual Murder and the Subjectivity of Christ: A Choice in Medieval Christianity, The Harvard Theological Review, Vol. 91, No. 2 (Apr., 1998), pp. 153-192 | ||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 16:59, 5 November 2006
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Host desecration is a sacrilegious act committed against a consecrated host.
Background of the concept
Both Catholic and Orthodox Christians believe that during the Celebration of the Eucharist the offerings of bread and wine are changed: their substance is transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, while the appearance of bread and wine remain. Since Christians believe Jesus Christ to be "true God and true man", his body and blood in the form of the consecrated host are adored in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Theft, sale, or use of the host for any purpose other than that specified by the laws and traditions of the Churches is considered a grave sin and sacrilege. In the Catholic Church the act incurs the penalty of automatic excommunication; except in the case of danger of death, this excommunication can only be lifted by the Apostolic See. (See Code of Canon Law, Canon 1367.)
Other Christian churches, especially those of Protestant denominations, have similar beliefs regarding rituals related to the Eucharist and the Last Supper (or Lord's Supper); however, they differ with Catholics and Orthodox Christians in their beliefs about the meaning of the Last Supper, and the Real Presence of Jesus Christ.
Host desecration has been associated with groups identified as inimicable to Christianity. Notably, it plays an important part in rituals of Satanism, particularly the Black Mass.
Accusations against Jews
Accusations of host desecration leveled against the Jews were a common pretext for massacres and expulsions throughout the Middle Ages in Europe. At the time, some considered the Jewish people to be responsible for the death of Christ. It was claimed that Jews stole consecrated hosts and desecrated them to reenact Christ's crucifixion.
These accusations may have been based on the belief that Jews also considered the host the literal body of Jesus; by crucifying it they imagined they were crucifying Jesus anew. They were believed to use blood that flowed from the host to get rid of the "fœtor Judaicus," or to color their cheeks to give them a fresh and rosy appearance.
In some variants of this claim, the stabbed Host would bleed, inducing religious conversion in the Jew. Later variants appear to further vilify Jews, depicting them as burying the Host in an attempt to hide it, rather than converting. Where the wafer was buried, a new spring burst forth from the ground.
In one instance, Jews were said to be burying pieces of a pierced host in a meadow, which then transformed into butterflies that healed cripples and blind persons. In another example, angels and doves flew out of a stove in which Jews were burning the desecrated host. Again, the pieces fluttered out of a swamp, and a herd of grazing oxen, on seeing them, bowed down before them. The blood from the host was said to have splashed the foreheads of the Jews, leaving an indelible mark that betrayed them.
Variations in the claims aside, Jews in the Middle Ages were frequently victims of similar accusations, considered more serious desecration of other revered items, such as relics or images of Jesus and the saints. It has been suggested that accusations were often supported only by the testimony of the accuser, who may potentially bear a prejudice against the accused Jew, or the Jewish people. Despite this, some alleged perpetrators were tried and found guilty, on little evidence or under coercive confession.
Violence against Jews
The penalities for Jews accused of defiling Hosts were severe. False confessions were coerced by torture, and accused Jews were condemned and burned, sometimes with all the other Jews in the community, as happened in Berlitz in 1243, in Prague in 1389, and in many German cities, according to Ocker's writings in the Harvard Theological Review. According to William Nichol in Christian Antisemitism, "over 100 instances of the charge have been recorded, in many cases leading to massacres." Many Jews were killed for host desecration until it started to wane with the advent of Protestantism.
Occurrences of the accusations against the Jews
Accusations of host desecration first arose in the middle of the thirteenth century, after the Fourth Lateran Council's definition of the doctrine of transubstantiation (1215) led to an increased adoration of the consecrated host. The origin of antisemitism is complex and other events of the thirteen century such as the loss of the Crusader states and the expansion of Islam and the Mongol Empire into Christendom played roles in the trend of scapegoating Jews. Accusations of host desecration served as a validation for existing antisemitism rather than a primary cause.
The first recorded accusation was made in 1243 at Berlitz, near Berlin, and in consequence of it all the Jews of Belitz were burned on the spot, subsequently called Judenberg. Similar accusations, resulting in extensive persecution of Jews, were brought forward in 1290, at Paris; 1294, at Laa, in Austria; 1298, at Röttingen, near Würzburg, and at Korneuburg, near Vienna; 1299, at Ratisbon; 1306, at Saint-Pälten; 1325, at Cracow; 1330, at Güstrow; 1337, at Deggendorf; 1338, at Pulka; 1370, at Enghien (see Brussels); 1388, at Prague; 1399, at Posen; 1401, at Glogau; 1410, at Segovia; 1420, at Ems; 1453, at Breslau; 1478, at Passau; 1492, at Sternberg, in Mecklenburg-Schwerin; 1510, at Berlin; 1514, at Mittelberg, in Alsace; 1558, at Sochaczew, in Poland. The last Jew burned for stealing a host died in 1631, according to Jacques Basnage, quoting from Manasseh b. Israel. Casimir IV. of Poland (1447), Martin Luther (1523), and Sigismund August of Poland (1558) were among those who repudiated the accusation, the repetition of which gradually ceased after the Reformation. (source: Jewish Encyclopedia)
Accusations against hunters
In late medieval and early modern ages, hunters who used the newly invented firearms were occasionally accused of striking a pact with the devil. The hunter would hire a jew to steal a consecrated eucharistic host, which was then suspended from trees using strings. The hunter would load his rifle, turn his back to the wafer and fire over his shoulder right through the host. Blood which dripped from the wafer was then allegedly collected and poured into the molten lead used to cast bullets. The hunter was supposed to cast ten bullets this way, nine of which would never miss a game, regardless of the distance or difficult conditions. One of the ten bullets, however, belonged to Satan and no person could tell in advance what (or whom) would be hit by it.
References
- Eucharist
- Transsubstantiation
- Article Sacrilege in the Catholic Encyclopedia
- Jewish Encyclopedia
- Robert S. Wistrich Antisemitism; The Longest Hatred, Methuen London
- John Weiss Ideology of Death, Ivan R. Dee, ISBN 1-56663-088-6
- Christopher Ocker, Ritual Murder and the Subjectivity of Christ: A Choice in Medieval Christianity, The Harvard Theological Review, Vol. 91, No. 2 (Apr., 1998), pp. 153-192