Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Are People Drinking Out of the Baptismal Font?
Creative Minority Report ^ | September 17, 2013 | Matthew Archbold

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.

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.
They really think we're idiots, don't they? I mean stone cold idiots.


TOPICS: Catholic; Ministry/Outreach; Religion & Culture; Religion & Science
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-39 last
To: NYer
Nobody drinks holy water! I do know a few people who sign themselves in the Hispanic way (kissing their hand after making the sign of the Cross) so I suppose they might touch their hand to their lips after dipping their fingers in the font.

I notice there's no mention of levels or ppms . . . there's a certain amount of bacteria that occurs naturally in the air and on every surface, not to mention on people.

So long as the sexton does his job and cleans and refills the font regularly, this doesn't look much like Public Health Issue No. 1.

It's just Attack the Obvious Christians No. 1 for this week . . . . and those of you who are standing on the sidelines cheering against those nasty Papists: you're next. The only reason they're after us is that (1) we don't support their agenda; and (2) if they can destroy us, the smaller protestant sects will be easy to pick off, one by one.

"They came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up." - Martin Niemöller, Lutheran pastor

21 posted on 09/17/2013 3:29:24 PM PDT by AnAmericanMother (Ecce Crucem Domini, fugite partes adversae. Vicit Leo de Tribu Iuda, Radix David, Alleluia!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NYer

Fail!

Baptismal water comes in from the same pipe that all the rest of the water does. and it usually has a high Cl2 residual.

No danger if people take regular showers.


22 posted on 09/17/2013 3:33:15 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana; FatherofFive
In all my years of being Catholic I have never heard of anyone dying from drinking Holy Water.

Years ago it was common practice to keep a candle and Holy water in the house in case someone needed last rites. You would meet the priest at the door with these and he would perform the sacrament.

My wife who was about 5 at the time and her brother who was around 8 found the container and dared each other to taste it. I am certain you can guess the rest.

23 posted on 09/17/2013 5:22:21 PM PDT by verga (Lasciante ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: verga

Like I said, never heard of a death!


24 posted on 09/17/2013 5:24:01 PM PDT by Morgana (Always a bit of truth in dark humor.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: Morgana
simple blessed water no, the stuff you dip your fingers however in is something different all together...
25 posted on 09/17/2013 5:37:33 PM PDT by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -vvv- NO Pity for the LAZY)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: NYer

EEEWWWW


26 posted on 09/17/2013 6:25:11 PM PDT by SevenofNine (We are Freepers, all your media bases belong to us ,resistance is futile)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: NYer

Unclear on the concept. That is NOT what you are supposed to do with the water. Must be all of their 3rd world immigrants.


27 posted on 09/17/2013 6:41:04 PM PDT by La Lydia
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

With a bit of vodka, a dirty martini


28 posted on 09/17/2013 10:20:06 PM PDT by RBStealth (--raised by wolves, disciplined and educated by nuns.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Morgana
It just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

Brain-eating" amoeba found in St. Bernard Parish water supply following death

29 posted on 09/17/2013 10:29:47 PM PDT by Delta 21 (Oh Crap !! Did I say that out loud ??!??)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

Never mind me!! Its way past my bed time.

Nite all.


30 posted on 09/17/2013 10:32:36 PM PDT by Delta 21 (Oh Crap !! Did I say that out loud ??!??)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: BipolarBob; NYer
I've got to defend NYer on the "lol". The article didn't say anybody had gotten sick. Not one. Not anywhere. Not ever. They only said that of the billion people who bless themselves with holy water, somebody "could" theoretically get sick if they drank it.

Since it is not Catholic practice to drink holy water, they are issuing a pseudo-news-report expressing pseudo-concern over a pseudo-problem.

It's like "Public alert! Beware, hearing aid batteries! NOT to be taken internally!"

31 posted on 09/18/2013 8:39:22 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o ("Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." - Groucho Marx)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: elkfersupper

Thank God.


32 posted on 09/18/2013 10:02:49 AM PDT by onedoug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Mrs. Don-o
I've got to defend NYer on the "lol".

Of course you have to. You're friends. That's known as an ad-hominem response. First it's nobody drinks it or baptismal font. Then it's yeah some people do drink holy water and baptismal font. Then it's nobody gets sick or dies from it. Then it's some people got sick but it's probably not from that. Then it's some people died but they were going to die anyway so let's all have a BIG lol.

33 posted on 09/18/2013 11:53:01 AM PDT by BipolarBob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: BipolarBob; NYer
"Then it's some people died but they were going to die anyway so let's all have a BIG lol."

First: Tsk. You made that one up. Big BOOOOO---ooooo.

Second: defending someone's post by name is not ad hominem. Ad hominem means attacking, not the proposition being disputed, but the character or personal distinctives of some individual associated with the dispute. This I did not do.

Third, Catholics do not drink holy water at all; Orthodox do not drink holy water from a baptismal font, but fill their bottles from a covered canister or tank that has a faucet or stoup.

Next up:

Danger!

You may keel over from aflatoxins

from eating floral arrangements

at Mary shrines!!


34 posted on 09/18/2013 12:09:59 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o ("In Christ we form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." Romans 12:5)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: Mrs. Don-o
Just before a funeral, I would take the top off the big container of holy water, and take the top off the aspergillium, and dunk it in to fill it. My deacon told me not to do that, because lots of people drink Holy Water. It's the only time in my life I've ever heard of people drinking Holy Water. I still agree with you that it's NOT a Catholic practice--even if people do it.
35 posted on 09/20/2013 7:21:26 PM PDT by Arthur McGowan (If you're FOR sticking scissors in a female's neck and sucking out her brains, you are PRO-WOMAN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: NYer

If it’s a serif font it’s all right.


36 posted on 09/20/2013 7:23:32 PM PDT by rabidralph
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Arthur McGowan
Oh my goodness. They take the top off the tank and stick their faces in? Or they put their mouths on the spigot? Or... what DO they do? Surely not suck holy water out of the aspergillium?!

I'll tell you one thing. I'm older than you are, Arthur, and I have never seen any of this done. You sure these people aren't into the ol' vodou?

37 posted on 09/20/2013 7:36:01 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o ("Love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God." -- -1 John 4:7)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: Mrs. Don-o

Hwe said they put in a little bottle (from the spigot on the tank) and take it home and drink it.


38 posted on 09/20/2013 8:56:41 PM PDT by Arthur McGowan (If you're FOR sticking scissors in a female's neck and sucking out her brains, you are PRO-WOMAN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: NYer

we’ll what do you expect, many people don’t wash their hands after they sneeze in them, blow their noses and don’t wash and don’t wash when they go to the restroom...so hands are full of germs and when you have hundreds of people putting their hands in a small amount of water there are sure to be plenty of germs. It’s one of the reasons why I try to get a little drop on a finger to bless myself...


39 posted on 09/22/2013 5:37:18 PM PDT by Coleus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-39 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson