The Catholic Origins Of 5 Alcoholic Beverages

Among all of the world’s religions, and among all Christian traditions, we Catholics have traditionally had the healthiest relationship with alcohol. We are never overly Puritanical in shunning drink, and neither are we a mystery cult looking for transcendence in drunkenness. We are to give thanks to God for his gifts and treat them as such.

In the nascent Church, when St. Peter refutes claims that he is drunk (Acts 2:13-15) by declaring that it is only 9:00 in the morning (because the Apostles clearly had the good sense to wait until at least after lunch), you can begin to get a glimpse of the Catholic relationship with the liquid spirits. St. Paul tells St. Timothy to “stop drinking only water, but take a little wine” (1 Tim. 5:23) to help him with his frequent stomach troubles. Even Our Blessed Lord Himself states declares that even “The Son of Man came eating and drinking”. (Luke 7:34)

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Jägermeister not included...

The church has ties to Oktoberfest, and beer

Welcome to October. The celebration of Oktoberfest is in full swing. Ever wondered where the party started?

On Oct. 12, 1810, Bavaria’s crown prince Ludwig (late King Ludwig I) married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Everyone in Munich was invited to attend festivities held in the fields outside the city. They liked it so well that they did it again the next year — and every year since. It soon became “Oktoberfest.”

Beer is a large part of Oktoberfest, but the frothy brew has church ties going back centuries before Ludwig and Therese ever met. (The royal Bavarian couple was Catholic, but Ludwig was not the best at following his marriage vows.)

Beer first appeared thousands of years ago, probably concocted by the Sumerians in the Middle East region of Mesopotamia. Ancient Egyptians also brewed beer, as did imperial Romans. But most of this early beer was not any sort of beer we would recognize today. Instead, it may have been made from barley while others could have been more like a Slavic drink known as kvass — low in alcohol content and brewed from stale bread. (This is probably part of the reason beer has often been called “liquid bread.”)

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So a group of crazed Fundies stopped the Oktoberfest parade in La Crosse with a megaphone and some signs.  I just grabbed some popcorn and observed.  Some of the people thought they were racists, literally.  Not all proselytizing techniques are created equal.  Considering they were shouting down (and never once denounced any particular sin, or what anyone was supposed to do because they were all sinners and destined for hell) primarily a bunch of German Lutherans and Catholics, the reception was not well received.  Starting one's own church is perhaps a difficult task for mere mortals to accomplish.

Fantastic video on The Monks of Norcia

HT LC

Their new album is on Amazon here: Benedicta: Marian Chant From Norcia

Update: Father Z notes they are looking for a Communications Director.  I think they have a Development Director working out of Iowa now.

Brew Evangelization: The Ongoing Renaissance of Monastic Beer

What is it about monks and beer? The two just go together. And as craft beer continues to rise in popularity in the United States, the ones responsible for creating western brewing practices are reclaiming their own.

This renewal is important for monastic life in providing another opportunity for monks to produce their own goods and to sustain their monasteries (in an age when many of their traditional farming practices are in decline; see an odd example in Mepkin Abbey’s controversy with PETA). St. Benedict affirms the necessity of the monk’s work: “When they live by the labor of their hands, as our fathers and the apostles did, then they are really monks” (Rule, ch. 48). Benedict also states that “the monastery should, if possible, be so constructed that within it all necessities, such as water, mill and garden are contained, and the various crafts are practiced” (ch. 66).

Although this self-sufficiency is meant, in part, to insulate the monks from the world, the crafts Benedict mentions are important to provide an opportunity for the monks to witness to society. St. Benedict foresees the contribution of the monk on society: “Whenever products of these artisans are sold, those responsible for the sale must not dare to practice any fraud. . . . The evil of avarice must have not part in establishing prices, which should, therefore, always be a little lower than people outside the monastery are able to set, so that in all things God may be glorified (ch. 57, quoting 1 Pt 4:11). Though speaking of prices in particular (although aren’t Trappist beers the most expensive?), Benedict wants the monks to glorify God when they enter into contact with the outside world through their products.

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HT Angie