During prohibition, were priests allowed to use wine during Mass?So yesterday, I emailed the question to the go to person of the libertarian movement on Catholic questions, Tom Woods (See: How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization)
He responded in seconds:
The Volstead Act exempted wine for sacramental use. Otherwise there would have been an enormous uproar, since without wine a valid Mass cannot be said.
Always thought it interesting that Christ's first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding, and at the Last Supper, wine was used ceremonially with his disciples.
ReplyDeleteBegs the question, just when did drinking become a sin...
Sometime after The Reformation. I don't know for sure, but it is likely attached to the Great Awakening.
DeleteThe San Antonio winery in downtown Los Angeles was able to survive through prohibition because they were able to produce wine for sacramental purposes. Obviously, they continue to provide this wine to this day.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful book on the subject. I think Prohibition is a great tool for teaching libertarianism. http://www.amazon.com/Last-Call-Rise-Fall-Prohibition/dp/074327704X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393102003&sr=8-1&keywords=Prohibition
ReplyDelete