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Gerard
Cumore wrote: |
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Hi, guys —
I'm sending the following paraphrased article
from the Associated Press.
In this specific case, do they have a good
reason to petition the Vatican for an exception?
Gerard
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| { Does this young girl have a good
reason to petition the Vatican for an exception due to Celiac
Disease? } |
Girl with
digestive disease denied Communion:
8-year-old cannot consume wheat
wafers
August 20, 2004 BRIELLE,
N.J. - An 8-year-old girl who suffers
from a serious digestive disorder
and cannot eat wheat has had her
first Holy Communion declared invalid
because the wafer contained no wheat,
violating Roman Catholic doctrine.
Now, Haley Waldman's mother
is pushing the Diocese of Trenton
and the Vatican to make an exception,
saying the girl's condition
should not exclude her from the sacrament,
which commemorates the Last Supper
of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion.
The mother believes a rice Communion wafer would suffice.
Church doctrine holds that Communion
wafers, like the bread served at
the Last Supper, must have unleavened
wheat. Church leaders are reluctant
to change anything about the sacrament.
“This is not an issue to be
determined at the diocesan or parish
level, but has already been decided
for the Roman Catholic Church throughout
the world by Vatican authority,”
Trenton Bishop John M. Smith said
in a statement last week.
Genetic intolerance:
Haley was diagnosed with celiac sprue
disease when she was 5. The disorder
occurs in people with a genetic intolerance
of gluten, a food protein contained
in wheat and other grains. When consumed
by celiac sufferers, gluten (pronounced GLOO'-ten) damages the lining
of the small intestine, blocking
nutrient absorption and leading to
vitamin deficiencies, bone-thinning
and sometimes gastrointestinal cancer.
The diocese has told Haley's
mother that the girl can receive
a low-gluten wafer, or just drink
wine at Communion, but that anything
without gluten does not qualify.
Waldman's mother rejected the offer,
saying her child could be harmed
by even a small amount of the substance. |
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Fr.
Nick replied:
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Dear Gerard:
This is an area of grave concern
for those individuals suffering from
this disease. We do have special
hosts available, and they are being
used. Thus far, each parishioner
afflicted has consulted their physician,
and they have given the "OK" to these
special hosts, which are approved
by the Church.
- Was there was no statement from
this child's physician addressing
this?
- Is her condition so severe that
even the most limited amount in
these hosts are prohibited?
Fr. Nick
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Eric
replied:
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Gerard —
I would say they do not have a good
reason to petition the Vatican for
an exception — this matter has already been settled, and no
one is going to change the Holy See's
judgment on the matter.
Let's examine the facts. Any celiac
is free to receive Holy Communion
under the form of wine alone. If
they are among the small minority
of celiacs who are hyper-sensitive,
they might need their own separately-consecrated
cup, but that's feasible.
So the Church offers her Communion
in a form she can consume and, hence,
is not preventing her from coming
to Jesus. The problem is, for personal
reasons, her mother doesn't want
her to drink alcohol.
What we have here is 2,000 years
of Sacred Tradition from the Apostles
versus one mother, who for reasons that are unclear,
stubbornly denies her daughter the
Cup.
One more comment: Celiac sprue disease
is a continuum. While a tiny number
will get violently ill with the least
gluten, many celiacs can tolerate
low-gluten hosts made especially
for them, perhaps with minor discomfort.
I don't know anything about this
little girl, but before I draw any conclusions about the situation,
I'd like to know whether it is clear
that she cannot tolerate even low-gluten
hosts.
If this is an issue with any individual
or family member, they may contact:
The
Catholic Celiac Society.
Information from their web site:
The Catholic Celiac Society is
being organized by a group of
dedicated Catholics with celiac
disease who are interested in,
working from within the Church:
- to educate other Catholics with
celiac disease about their options
for Holy Communion
- to inform
the Church about the special challenges
faced by people with celiac disease,
and
- to reconcile those people
with celiac disease who have left
the Church because of the issues
surrounding Communion.
The Mass for Catholics with celiac
disease is an opportunity for
them to gather as one community to witness to the Church that
we are here and that we love the
Church and need her understanding.
Holy Communion will be provided
under the forms of both bread
and wine.
The celebration of the
Mass requires the use of the sign
of bread, so we will be using
low-gluten altar bread which is
approved by the Church. Catholics
may receive Holy Communion from
the cup, or receive the low-gluten
host, or both. Our intent is to
offer the low-gluten hosts to
those who choose to receive them.
Please consider joining us. You
can contact:
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Eric
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Fr. Francis replied:
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Hi, Gerard —
I just wanted to make the point:
The Eucharist is not a
right in the sense of Civil rights.
Fr. Francis
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