--
http://www.spiritdaily.com/ebayreaction.htm
FLOOD OF OUTRAGE CAUSES EBAY TO ALTER POLICY, STOPPING SALES OF THE
EUCHARIST
We have trouble keeping up with it. First there will be the report
of
another Host for sale on eBay, and nearly as quickly -- especially
if
it is posted -- the Host will be removed by either the person
selling
it or by eBay (which, thanks to all of you, is coming under intense
pressure).
After the initial report that a Host consecrated by John Paul II was
for sale on eBay, and with other websites subsequently posting
articles, the online auctioneer received what it at first
characterized as "a few complaints" and then at least 9,000 (by
their
reckoning).
Since that time there have been instances of saintly relics for sale
on eBay, other Hosts (we're really not sure how many), a ciborium,
blessed oil, and now even an automobile that was once owned by
Benedict XVI.
Let them sell the car, but the Eucharist -- an essence of the
Catholic
faith -- is another matter, and the response has been explosive. In
fact, as you will see below, the most recent e-mails from eBay state
that it has changed its policy and will now prohibit the sale
of "sacred" objects. We'll see.
It started around 8:40 p.m. on April 11 when in the evening update
we
were alerted by a viewer of the item on eBay and placed a link
directly to it ("Horror," said the headline, "Eucharist
allegedly 'given' by Pope is now on sale on eBay"). Nearly
immediately, a man from Cupertino, California, saw the link and
bought
the Host for $2,000 to keep it out of the wrong hands.
In the end, he had to pay nothing; so tremendous was the outpouring
of
outrage that the seller decided to simply hand it over to the bishop
of Sioux City, Iowa, without charging a dime. It was disposed of in
accordance with Church strictures. That had been eBay number
6169851381.
But soon another Host came to public notice.
"EBay auction #6169759077 began April 9, 2005, as an auction for a
Pope John Paul II Communion Wafer, plus a bottle of blessed oil and
a
Vatican post card," notes the report of another
instance. "Complaints
to eBay received the standard form letter response stating that 'the
Eucharist is not illegal to sell, and is generally allowed on eBay
as
long as the seller does not otherwise include hateful text or images
in the listing.' After a day of receiving as many as 12 outraged
emails per minute, the seller removed the Host from the auction,
leaving the auction running for the oil and the post card."
That Host was nearly purchased by a woman who was reportedly listed
in
chat rooms as having an interest in paganism and witchcraft.
The identity of the seller, apparently a resident of Bakersfield,
California, was obtained and the Diocese of Fresno and St. Francis
Catholic Church in Bakersfield were notified. The non-Catholic
seller
had gone to Rome in October of 1999 as a tourist -- or so we are
told
(it is hard to confirm such details). She contacted the Vatican
prior
to the trip stating it was the couples 25th anniversary and they
wanted to meet the Pope. The couple reportedly split one Host and
shared it and kept the second as a souvenir. The seller was asked
several times in e-mails to turn the Host over to the Church. This
was
now eBay number 6171703649 -- if we can keep up with it.
"A woman, who wishes to be known only as a Charlotte, North
Carolina,
grandmother of three, was searching for an addition to a small
Rosary
collection when she spotted the auction," notes the report. "Only
four
persons had viewed the auction at that point. She did the research
and
attempted to contact the Church in California. When there was no
response she prayed to the Blessed Mother to assist her in rescuing
the Host. Arrangements were made to place a high bid on the auction
still running to guarantee the auction would not sell to the bidder
with ties to witchcraft. Winning the auction might have given the
cult
member an advantage in securing the Host. A dialogue was established
with the seller which lasted several days. Since the seller referred
to the people emailing her as 'screamers,' a calm, dispassionate
tone
was required for negotiations. After the auction ended on April 16,
2005, the seller finally agreed to a transaction off eBay."
Arrangements were made for the Host to be received by Father James
Geiger and Father Edward Grey of St. James the Greater Catholic
Church
in Concord, North Carolina, where, once more, the Host was handled
in
accordance with laws of the Church.
Other Hosts were offered. In at least one case, eBay scrambled to
remove it. In another case, a man from England wrote us to say that
he
was bidding $20 million to try to stop the auction of a Host (even
though, of course, he had no access to $20 million).
Well... desperate situations cause desperate reactions. The
Washington
Times said the actual bid was $2 million. Whatever, the intense
response went to show how many do believe in the Real Presence and
how
much can be done and in a hurry when Catholics are set to defend
their
faith.
"EBay finally cancelled the auction and sent me an e-mail and said
it
was against their policy," the man who made the bid told us. "I've
asked them for clarification as to what policy this violates since
they've previously said that sales of Eucharist are not prohibited.
I'll let you know if I hear of anything from them. EBay apparently
cancelled the auction only because bidding had gotten so high and
the
auction was drawing tremendous attention, giving eBay a bit of a
public relations scare. As a bidder, I received a 'form letter' e-
mail from eBay informing me that they cancelled the auction because
it
violated their listing guidelines. When I replied and asked for
clarification if they've changed their policy, I only received 'form
letter' e-mails referring me to their policies and further
statements
that they are not prohibited."
The same thing happened with another sale that was reported by a
member of a "boycott-eBay" group at "yahoogroups.com." "By the time
I
went to the site," notes another correspondent, "the item was gone."
A woman from Atlanta named Cheri monitors eBay by placing it in
a "favorites" link and finding an alert each time a Host comes up.
Previously, eBay sold a facial image on a grilled-cheese sandwich
that
some tried to say was the Madonna, and there were also relics for
sale
from saints like Padre Pio. And a pyx. "Due to the fact that eBay's
focus is to have a free and diverse community, we are reluctant to
interfere with listings that are not illegal," an eBay spokesman
tried
to say.
But when it came to the Eucharist, you folks would have none of it --
and kept eBay on the run. Some canceled eBay accounts. Others,
including priests, called directly. And now eBay has sent this in a
letter to protesters: "We understand that the listing of the
Eucharist
was highly upsetting to Catholic members of the eBay community and
Catholics globally. Once this completed sale was brought to our
attention, we consulted with a number of our users, including
members
of the Catholic Church, concerning what course we should take in the
future should a similar listing appear on our site. We also
consulted
with members of other religions about items that might also be
highly
sacred and inappropriate for sale. As a result of this dialogue, we
have concluded that sales of the Eucharist, and similar highly
sacred
items, are not appropriate on eBay. We have, therefore, broadened
our
policies and will remove those types of listings should they appear
on
the site in the future."
There were petitions (one with now 34,000 signatures). There was a
boycott. There were reports on Fox News. There were reports on a
local
CBS affiliate. And on MSNBC. There was a report in The Washington
Times. There was a report over the Associated Press, and in Catholic
newspapers such as The National Catholic Register. A novena was
posted on eBay -- a novena against the selling of Hosts!
"Prayers were answered," says Cheri. "Novenas are working. The
listing was removed by eBay!"
Oh, what times: Some protesters pointed out that eBay has a policy
against selling body parts and that the Host is the Body and Blood
of
Our Lord Jesus. An Orthodox Archbishop warned that if eBay did not
remove these kinds of sales, "I will ask everyone in my Archdiocese,
every parish, every priest, every religious, every layperson to stop
using eBay."
"I am a Marine serving in Iraq," wrote another man named Christopher
Warner. "We have a priest who visits about once a month to give us
the
sacraments of Confession and Holy Eucharist. We are men hungering
for
the Eucharist. To hear about such an abuse is very upsetting and is
a
mockery to all faithful believers who reverence the Lord's holy
Body,
Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist. Those who participate in
such an act are like Judas. To deny the gravity of this offence is
to 'Betray with a kiss as did Judas.' Not everything, or anyone, can
be sold. When was the last time someone bought a slave on eBay? And
you want to buy and sell God as a souvenir? Some things are not
forgivable."
Meanwhile, back to that case of the Bakersfield Host, purchased by
the
grandmother in North Carolina.
"She makes one request of everyone who has been watching, wondering,
and praying about these Hosts on eBay," said one of our
informants. "Please pray The Angel's Prayer of Fatima. It has never
been more appropriate. Oh Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious
Body,
Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the
tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages,
sacrileges,
and indifferences by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg
the
conversion of poor sinners. Amen."
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"[M]y ministry is that of servus servorum Dei."
--Pope John Paul II (Ut Unum Sint, no. 88)
"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock
I will build my church, and the powers of death
shall not prevail against it."
--Matthew 16:18
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