The Catholic Church holds that the Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life" in which Jesus Christ is substantially present. It appears, however, that for Antifa-championing retired priest Larry Dowling and a handful of other clergymen, the Eucharist might double also as a political prop.

Dowling, who appears to spend much of his retirement pushing leftist propaganda on social media, led a Eucharistic procession on Saturday from St. Eulalia Church, where pro-abortion activist Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) spouted off about immigration, toward the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility near Chicago in Broadview, Illinois.

The processing facility in Broadview has been heavily targeted in recent weeks by radicals critical of the Trump administration's faithful enforcement of federal immigration law. As as result, additional security supports have been implemented, including extra fencing.

'A procession through the public streets is to be held as a public witness of veneration toward the Most Holy Eucharist.'

In footage of the political procession, Dowling can be seen leading a gaggle of photographers and holding a monstrance, the container meant to hold the Eucharist, in the faces of state police while asking for access to the facility. It is unclear whether the monstrance contained a consecrated host at the time.

Footage also shows a supposed nun and others giving political speeches in front of an altar temporarily erected near the facility.

An expert on canon law who spoke to Blaze News on the condition of anonymity indicated that "this seems completely inappropriate."

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The 1983 Code of Canon Law provides that "when it can be done in the judgment of the diocesan bishop, a procession through the public streets is to be held as a public witness of veneration toward the Most Holy Eucharist."

The expert noted further that while canon law holds that "it is for the diocesan bishop to establish regulations [ordinationes] which provide for the participation in and the dignity of processions," "it remains completely inappropriate" to use the Eucharist as a prop.

'The Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership exploited this holy event for political purposes, thus trivializing, if not defaming, its raison d’être.'

David Inczauskis, a Jesuit priest who served as the master of ceremonies, acknowledged that the procession was organized by the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership, a grant-reliant anti-ICE outfit that provides training on how foreign nationals can evade federal immigration and authorities and is committed to transforming "racial, economic, social and environmental structures."

Blaze News has reached out to Dowling, Inczauskis, and Cardinal Blase Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago for comment.

Dr. Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, said in a statement to Blaze News:

The Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership is a left-wing advocacy organization whose mission statement says nothing about Christianity or Catholicism. More revealing is what it flags on its website — a strong commitment to merging "Liberation Theology & Community Organizing." Liberation theology is a curious admixture of Marxism and Christianity, and in practice it has done more to oppress than liberate the masses in developing countries. As such it is bizarre to learn that this radical entity held a Eucharistic procession to a migrant detention center in Illinois, a facility run by ICE.

It appears that the participants in this political procession were keen on shaming federal agents and securing a photo opportunity — and judging from the event's recent coverage in publications such as the leftist blog Common Dreams, WBBM-TV, and the propaganda outfit MeidasTouch, the radicals got at least half of what they wanted.

"Eucharistic processions are a decidedly solemn event whereby the Blessed Sacrament is carried out of a church and into the streets; many Catholic parishes conduct such a procession on the feast of Corpus Christ, the body of Christ," continued Donohue. "What Catholics do not do is exploit Eucharistic processions to advance a partisan agenda."

"Quite frankly, the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership exploited this holy event for political purposes, thus trivializing, if not defaming, its raison d’être," added Donohue.

In addition to potentially using Holy Communion as a prop, the protesters subsequently did their best to push a false narrative.

Dowling said in a statement on Facebook, "We went to pray and have a few of us clergy and religious women bring Holy Communion and the love of the Christian community to the men and women detained there under inhumane conditions."

The retired priest claimed that when the processionists allegedly asked to administer Holy Communion to the detainees inside the facility, "the answer came back very clearly: NO, YOU CANNOT BRING A HINT OF COMPASSION AND PRAYER INTO THIS PLACE! NO, YOU CANNOT OFFER ANY SOLACE TO THE MEN AND WOMEN FEARFUL AND SUFFERING INSIDE! NO, YOU CANNOT BRING JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, THE LOVE OF GOD INTO THIS PLACE!"

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"Yesterday, we witnessed another level of evil," claimed Inczauskis. "Not only are migrants being torn away from their families and friends. They are also being torn away from their religious communities. ICE is severing the Body of Christ."

Contrary to the narrative advanced by Dowling and Inczauskis, the Department of Homeland Security indicated to Blaze News that compassion was precisely why ICE couldn't immediately oblige the processionists' last-minute request for entry.

"Over the past month, rioters have swarmed the Broadview ICE facility and Chicago streets. They have assaulted law enforcement, attacked law enforcement with vehicles, thrown tear gas cans, slashed tires of cars, been arrested with firearms in their possession, blocked the entrance of the building, and trespassed on private property," said a DHS official. "Our ICE staff informed the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership that the Broadview processing center was not able to accommodate visitors on such short notice, for their safety as well as that of detainees and staff, and due to the ensuing riots."

The official noted further that "as ICE law enforcement has seen a surge in assaults, disruptions, and obstructions to enforcement, including by politicians themselves, any requests to tour processing centers and field offices must be approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security."

Such requests should be filed a week in advance to "prevent interference with the President’s Article II authority to oversee executive department functions," added the official.

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