South Carolina jail policy reversed; Mass will be allowed

CWN - May 25, 2012

A South Carolina sheriff has announced that he will allow a prison chaplain to bring sacramental wine into the jail, reversing a policy that had prohibited the celebration of Mass.

Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon said that Msgr. Ed Lofton would be allowed to bring an ounce of altar wine on visits to the prison, provided that he consumed it entirely himself—as he has done for 15 years. Cannon said that he thought the Catholic chaplain had been “overly sensitive” in complaining about his earlier decision to bar the wine.

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Show 4 Comments? (Hidden)Hide Comments
  • Posted by: n.gunther79030 - May. 27, 2012 4:17 PM ET USA

    Once again, thanks to news organizations like CWN, we see the power of shining the light of publicity in places that have become too cozy with the dark. When bad things go on 'ultra pallam', make the old pallam bigger and brighter.

  • Posted by: John J Plick - May. 26, 2012 1:21 PM ET USA

    May Jesus be praised...!

  • Posted by: mateskub8508 - May. 25, 2012 11:35 PM ET USA

    Great. The other option would have been to ask the ordinary's permission to celebrate with mustum, as someone commented on the previous article to which this one is a follow up. But that is not a happy solution, for it is not needed. The matter of the sacrament is wine, and any prison can allow it in, as long as it is not consumed by inmates. If they needed denatured alcohol for a maintenance job in the prison, wouldn't they allow that in the facility? Again, as long as it is not consumed...

  • Posted by: lauriem5377 - May. 25, 2012 9:53 PM ET USA

    God bless the Sherrif for opening his heart to the spiritual needs of the prisoners.

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