An assault at a San Francisco Catholic church on Sunday led to a police pursuit that reportedly included the possible use of a pipe bomb.
The San Francisco Police Officers Association, a local police union, said on X on Sunday evening that there had been an “assault at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in North Beach.”
“Responding officers encountered a suspect with an improvised device. A pursuit occurred.” The suspect was subsequently “apprehended by [the San Francisco Police Department] in another county.”
Archdiocesan spokesman Peter Marlow told Catholic News Agency on Monday that the incident began after an individual received Communion but did not consume the host.
“It was a person that went up to receive Communion at the 5 pm Mass and then didn’t consume the consecrated host,” Marlow said. “He left without consuming.”
“There was a visiting person [also in attendance] who stood up and confronted the person and told him, ‘You can’t leave the church without consuming the host,’” Marlow said. “And the guy went off and punched him and ran out of the church.”
“The gentleman who got punched, I was told, was not in serious condition,” Marlow added. “He just took a punch and was treated by the paramedics.”
City Supervisor Aaron Peskin told the San Francisco Standard that police said the man “set off a pipe bomb” during the pursuit incident before subsequently igniting a “Molotov cocktail.” There were no serious injuries, Peskin told the outlet.
The police included in their X post a photograph of an “improvised device” said to have ignited on a city sidewalk or street.
Extreme behavior.
What happened to the Host?
Which county was he apprehended in? Marin? Oakland? Sonoma?
Probably San Mateo. He’d have to drive across a bridge to get to Marin county or Oakland (Alameda county.) If he were on foot, he might have run to Daly City (San Mateo county), but that’s way across town, going south. (Saints Peter and Paul Church is in the north.)
No, I don’t believe he was caught the same day in another county. If he was, he might have had someone to drive him in a getaway car.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/california/articles/2023-11-01/man-pleads-not-guilty-to-tossing-pipe-bombs-at-san-francisco-police-during-chase-after-church-attack
I commend the man who confronted someone taking Holy Communion from the church. The Body and Blood of our Lord are to be guarded. They are precious and holy Gifts. I was taught years ago, if such happened, to step in front of the person and quietly say “You must consume That now or I can take It from you.” (Some non-Catholics innocently take a Host because they were invited up and don’t know what Holy Communion is and that they should not receive it. Not all do so with evil intention.) May God bless that faithful layman and thankfully it seems his injuries are not serious.
He needs supplies for either a Satanic ritual or other blasphemous action.
Stop Communion in the hand. It leads to profanation way more than people realize. I’m convinced it is directly connected to the increase demonic activity we see before us. Bishops…defend Our Lord’s Sacred Body.
Yet another sad example of why Communion in the hand is a BAD practice. Glad all parties appear that they will be ok and that nothing worse happened – but what ever happened to the consecrated host – the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ ? Good for the “visiting” man for confronting the criminal. But we shouldn’t be relying on a visitor to notice something wrong. All Catholic churches should have ushers or security men monitoring the doors and distribution of Holy Communion. Given the increasingly diabolical times in which we live and widespread “Communion in the hand” – one wonders just how many unconsumed consecrated hosts leave each Mass – and what wicked people are doing to/with them…
(And, yes, I fully realize that anyone could saunter into a church and set off a pipe-bomb with or without approaching the sanctuary for Holy Communion…but Communion in the hand leads to widespread sacrilege, in addition to any violence someone might want to pursue.)
Lord Jesus, have mercy on us.
Should we disallow driving because some people misuse their cars and cause accidents?
Getting a driver’s license– and keeping it– has lots of requirements. Driving is not an automatic “right,” it is a big responsibility. You have to have good vision, pass a vision test, pass a written exam, and pass a driving test, on your car. Then, you need proper papers, proper license plates, proper insurance, and the car must be kept in proper good condition. For example, if your headlights are not working, you cannot drive your car until they are properly fixed. You can have your license revoked if you do not follow proper requirements, or if you have severe vision loss, dementia, or other debilitating illnesses and conditions, or have caused accidents due to DUI or dope, or reckless driving, endangering others, etc. Nobody in our society has any automatic “rights” to anything. Our Church has the responsibility to protect the Sacred Host and prevent sacrilege. Reception of Holy Communion has specific requirements. Not all are eligible to receive Communion, unless you have followed Church teaching. We all need great respect for God. Placing the Sacred Host on a prayerfully kneeling communicant’s tongue is reverent and respectful to Our Lord. It also eliminates possible accidents and sacrileges. We do live in diabolical times, with lots of lawless, completely disrespectful people– and criminals. Good Catholic men of the parish should volunteer as ushers and security, and they should be present at each Mass.
Communion on the hand is another issue. Post hoc ergo propter hoc is a logical fallacy. Translated: “after this therefore because of this.” Just because something is followed by another thing does not mean that the first thing caused the second thing. And, almost any Catholic can and should intervene to prevent desecration of the Eucharist, if necessary. I don’t think we need to hire security. Yet, you’re right, training ushers would be helpful. Just as one may receive standing or kneeling, one may receive on the tongue or the hand. From the bishops:
Therefore, it is not licit to deny Holy Communion to any of Christ’s faithful solely on the grounds, for example, that the person wishes to receive the Eucharist kneeling or standing” (Redemptionis Sacramentum, no. 91).
Those who receive Communion may receive either in the hand or on the tongue, and the decision should be that of the individual receiving, not of the person distributing Communion. If Communion is received in the hand, the hands should first of all be clean. If one is right handed the left hand should rest upon the right. The host will then be laid in the palm of the left hand and then taken by the right hand to the mouth. If one is left-handed this is reversed. It is not appropriate to reach out with the fingers and take the host from the person distributing.
never a hate crime
when perpetrated against catholics
what gives? It’s always a hate crime when perpetrated against Jesus.
We desperately need respect for God, good religious training for all Catholics, and good discipline, good character, and good manners required for all, back in our holy Catholic Church. It shamefully disappeared after Vatican II. Many Catholic churches, since Vatican II, have reported cleaning crews finding unconsumed Sacred Hosts in the pews, on the floor, and scattered shamefully, all over churches, after Masses. It is a horrific sacrilege, and a horrific disgrace. This has been a persistent problem for decades, at our Cathedral, and at all churches in San Francisco. I have always firmly believed in ad orientem, solemn, respectful, prayerful, holy Masses, altar rails, kneeling for reception of Holy Communion, and Holy Communion given only on the tongue– and given only by priests and deacons (and Permanent Deacons, in the Novus Ordo Missae). No lay people handling the Sacred Vessels and Sacred Host, or Sacred Chalice, at all. That is for the ordained Priest, our “Alter Christus,” at the holy Altar of God.
I feel so sad to know this. I was in such an incident, also in San Francisco some 30 years ago; in St. Boniface Church downtown.
A man went up for communion, but instead of consuming the Host, he put Him in his breast pocket. Fortunately, the priest saw it, and called him back. The man stopped in his tracks, apparently confused why everybody had stood up and was looking at him and praying aloud. He continued to walk slowly toward the door, but the priest approached him and took back the Host.
The whole incident took less than five minutes, but I felt drained afterwards.
Drained of what and why?
A suspect is now in custody. Reportedly could face up to life in prison, but this happened in San Francisco, so… Apparently has a long history of drugs and explosives. Motive unknown.
Well, a history of drugs and guns and you don’t get prosecuted much. Maybe this guy could hire Hunter Biden as a consultant. Young Biden went to a Catholic high school and a Jesuit university. Maybe he could use some Jesuitical jiu-jitsu and get this guy a White House or Vatican appointment. Who am I to judge?
Stranger things are happening in the Church. Look at Rupnik, the serial sexual and spiritual abuser of Religious women, back as a priest!