San Jose, Calif., May 2, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The on-line auction site, eBay, under fire recently for its sale of Eucharistic hosts allegedly consecrated by the late John Paul II, has decided to broaden its policy on offensive items and disallow future sales of the Eucharist.
In a letter, sent to concerned Catholics, eBay said that, “We understand that the listing of the Eucharist was highly upsetting to Catholic members of the eBay community and Catholics globally.”
They added that after dialoging with members of the auction site, they “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.”
The announcement comes with a sigh of relief from Catholics worldwide, who had planned a boycott of the site and inundated the company with complaints.
Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, said in a letter to eBay executives last month that the sale of the Eucharist was “extraordinarily offensive” and pointed out: “the sale of a consecrated communion host by anyone, under any circumstance, is a very serious sacrilege for Catholics and therefore an equally serious insult to the Catholic community.”
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