Salt Lake City, Utah, Dec 17, 2015 / 15:25 pm
Red bread mold, and not a miracle, caused the changed appearance of a Eucharistic host that some said was bleeding, an inquiry by the Diocese of Salt Lake City has confirmed.
The diocese reaffirmed the miraculous nature of every Mass and stressed the need for Catholics to avoid "rash speculation" about miraculous claims.
"In the history of the Church, by Divine Providence, miracles have taken place. The sole purpose of a miracle is to bring about good," Monsignor M. Francis Mannion said in the diocese's statement Dec. 16.
"False claims of miracles, on the other hand, cause harm to the faithful and damage the Church's credibility. While not dismissing the possibility of miracles, understanding the potential harm of hastily jumping to conclusions should cause all the faithful, lay and clergy alike, to act with great prudence."