UPDATED: Stephen Harper Puts Communion Wafer In His Pocket, Causes Uproar (VIDEO)

UPDATED: Speaker of the Senate of Canada Noel A. Kinsella, issued the following statement: "I would like to state that I personally witnessed Prime Minister Harper consume the host that was given to him by Archbishop Andre Richard. Sitting only a few seats behind him I had a full view of the proceedings and clearly saw the Prime Minister accept the host after Archbishop Richard offered it. The Prime Minister consumed it."

Earlier...

Prime Minister Stephen Harper angered Catholics by apparently pocketing a communion wafer at a funeral mass in Canada on Friday. Wafergate began with a news feed of the event that shows Harper accepting the host, as it is called by Catholics, and then moving his hand conspicuously away from his mouth, the wafer's intended target. An article in the Telegraph Journal reported on Harper's seeming befuddlement:

When Harper took the host, "everybody just paused and said, 'What did he do with it?'"‚" said one official who watched the pool feed with reporters who were not inside St. Thomas Church in Memramcook.

"You could see he was, 'Uh oh, I don't know what to do with this.'","

Monsignor Brian Henneberry, a vicar general and chancellor, was alerted to the incident by a concerned viewer.

Henneberry said he has received a call on Harper's actions from a concerned Catholic, and he doubts that she is the only one puzzled and perturbed.

"She said she was very upset," he said, adding he had not seen the footage.

"She said, 'All weekend long it has been bothering me and I know I can't do something about it, but someone should.'

"She can't be the only one in this country that is thinking that."

Watch the potentially incriminating video:

Comments

[paulalex]

He'll burn in the lakes of fire for this. Mark my words :-)

[FrazeC]

well as a Canadian and a Catholic..­.nothing this twit does surprises me

[GatoPreto]

He went to see the troops in Afghanistan couple years ago. All the men were drinking water from water bottles...
Stevie here had the only pepsi can in sight.

[TheIndependenceParty]

What was he doing? Planning on it as a snack later? Yeeesh!

[OhCanada]

Harper's days are numbered. Another election brewin' and the Liberals are taking back the country! Woot!

[Mannock]

OH YES!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!

[takeyourballandgohome]

And, this has what to do with what?

[OhCanada]

Do you want I should get my finger puppets out?

[Mscharizmaa]

I'm not Catholic so this is confusing to me. Are you allowed to take the waffer if you are not Catholic?

[MM216]

Technically, no Mscharizmaa.
However, you won't get struck by lightening if you inadvertantly would :)

[bleve1]

No... and definitely not with one hand to toss it in your pocket with your handkerchief.

This is akin to desacrating the koran for Muslims, its the believed embodiment of Christ.

The priest should never hand it off to someone approaching it like that.

[big666dog]

ACTUALLY..­. if you're not in the club, you don't have to follow its rules.

[DaveyDavey]

.1

[DaveyDavey]

It's just a cracker!

[bleve1]

Yes he is, but he shouldn't be disrespectful to other's beliefs.

[Feanor]

gee when I was a Catholic, the priest would place the wafer directly on your tongue.. you weren't supposed to touch it. Has this changed?

[drec1500Madrid]

like 30 years ago. but its an option. you can still have them put it in your mouth for you

[ZenBastard]

What? Oh....sorr­y. I thought you were talking about Republicans for a second....

[polson]

If he does not believe in the Real Presence during the Eucharist, the respectful and honest thing would be not to come forward to receive it. I'm Protestant and know that much.

[paulalex]

"real presence" what are you on?

[StacyJ]

I hope Victoria Jackson doesn't find out about that.