Posted on 09/17/2013 11:55:41 AM PDT by NYer
ABC News has this breaking story. Holy water in baptismal fonts may not be safe to drink. I know, right? Who knew?
Researchers at the Institute of Hygiene and Applied Immunology at the Medical University of Vienna tested water from 21 springs in Austria and 18 fonts in Vienna and found samples contained up to 62 million bacteria per milliliter of water, none of it safe to drink.They really think we're idiots, don't they? I mean stone cold idiots.
Tests indicated 86 percent of the holy water, commonly used in baptism ceremonies and to wet congregants' lips, was infected with common bacteria found in fecal matter such as E. coli, enterococci and Campylobacter, which can lead to diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and fever.
Nitrates, commonly found in fertilizer from farms, were also identified in the water. If ingested, water containing nitrates over the maximum contaminant level could cause serious illness, especially in infants younger than 6 months, which could lead to death if untreated, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
"We need to warn people against drinking from these sources," said Dr Alexander Kirschner, study researcher and microbiologist at the Medical University of Vienna.
Lol, ping!
In all my years of being Catholic I have never heard of anyone dying from drinking Holy Water.
Holy water is perfectly safe because they boil the hell out of it!
Whaa?
Our parish found it necessary to put a sign on the font reminding people to put their money in the collection basket. The baptismal font is not a wishing well. But if anyone baptised there wound up in the hospital because of water-borne disease I haven’t heard about it.
OH? So I can continue washing my feet, right? As long as I don’t ingest. /s
They don’t bother to use any cultural sensitivity do they.
Only if they're Muslims.
Rodney Dangerfield did in Easy Money.
Bizarre ancient customs die hard.
LOL -
Only heathens would think that people drink holy water (maybe an athiest or two).
Why don’t they report what is IN holy water? What do they think makes it holy? That dirty nasty Holy Spirit of course.
By the way, lots of peoples fingers (including young peoples) get “dipped” in the holy water routinely. I am not familiar with Jesus’ teachings on how to keep the holy water purified. Therefore I am not surprised that it is not healthy to drink.
Finally, when I see algae or fish in the holy water, I don’t touch it.
People getting sick is now an “lol” matter, huh?
LMAO! What church do you go to that this sign is needed? Tell me it was right after Christmas or Easter when the part-timers show up for their annual dose of God.
Bob, let me help here. No Christian faith that I am aware of supports drinking holy water. That is the premise of the post. ABC news... a study... must take action.... investigation.... Do you see where this might be going?
Of all the things going on in the world today, somebody at ABC thought this was newsworthy and important for Americans to be concerned about.
That is what is LOL. And I do think it is ROFLMAO funny.
I don’t think there’s any claim that even a single person has gotten sick doing this, so, yes, it is a “lol” matter.
I also never heard of anyone dying from sharing a common chalice. (other than the grail in Indiana Jones)
If you boil it first, it should reduce none of its holiness....
Remember not too long ago there was a hue and cry over the use of incense at Mass because it would cause breathing problems and indoor air pollution.
That was quickly followed by the use of burning beeswax candles creating havoc with particles in the air and so forth.
~Now Holy Water.
It is simply more distraction from the true issues of the day; i.e., the wholesale abridgment of the rights of religious conscience, the declaration through juridical fiat that religious practice may only be in the private sphere and damned in the public one and so forth.
My very orthodox foot is going to meet some solipsistic butt in the future. I can see this coming.
A large amount of water is blessed every year on January 6 at Theophany (Ephiphany) - the Baptism of Our Lord. Individual bottles are distributed to the Faithful. Small amounts of that Holy Water can then be added to other water, making it Holy Water as well. We do drink that. Care needs to be taken that it is not drunk or used in a casual way. I have never heard of any health issues with drinking that water.
Tests indicated 86 percent of the holy water, commonly used in baptism ceremonies and to wet congregants' lips, was infected with common bacteria found in fecal matter such as E. coli, enterococci and Campylobacter, which can lead to diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and fever.
Nitrates, commonly found in fertilizer from farms, were also identified in the water. If ingested, water containing nitrates over the maximum contaminant level could cause serious illness, especially in infants younger than 6 months, which could lead to death if untreated, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Interesting.
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