{"id":6600,"date":"2004-08-13T12:14:34","date_gmt":"2004-08-13T19:14:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/2004\/08\/13\/canon-law.html"},"modified":"2004-08-13T12:14:34","modified_gmt":"2004-08-13T19:14:34","slug":"canon_law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2004\/08\/13\/canon_law.html","title":{"rendered":"Canon Law"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite sufficient disagreement with the Catholic Church on various matters both trivial and profound, I have a lot of respect for its centuries-old traditions and ritual (which is one reason I became Episcopalian, the next best thing but with a cute English accent). Such things are important, and bind worshippers today with those of the years and centuries past in a way that less traditional churches cannot do.<\/p>\n

That said, this is ridiculous<\/a>.<\/p>\n

An 8-year-old girl who suffers from a rare digestive disorder and cannot consume wheat has had her first Holy Communion declared invalid because the wafer contained none, violating Catholic doctrine.
\nNow, Haley Waldman’s mother is pushing the Diocese of Trenton and the Vatican to make an exception, saying the girl’s condition — celiac sprue disease — should not exclude her from participating in the sacrament, in which Roman Catholics eat consecrated wheat-based wafers to commemorate the last supper of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion.
\n“In my mind, I think they must not understand celiac,” said Elizabeth Pelly-Waldman, 30. “It’s just not a viable option. How does it corrupt the tradition of the Last Supper? It’s just rice versus wheat.”
\nIt’s more than that, according to church doctrine, which holds that communion wafers must have at least some unleavened wheat, as did the bread served at the Last Supper.<\/p>\n

Um … excuse me? It seems to me (obviously not a Catholic Theologian, nor Keeper of Doctrine) that the Catholic holy mystery of Transubstantiation means that the consecrated host becomes the true Body of Christ. While someone might argue that means that little Haley doesn’t need to worry about an allergic reaction (“Don’t worry, honey, it’s just Christ’s body”), I’ll be a bit more practical and assert that it means the source bread doesn’t make any difference<\/em>. It’s not magic <\/em>we’re talking here. The bread isn’t a “material component” to a “spell.” It’s all a miracle. To say that Christ’s Body is only there if there’s a bit of wheat is an affront to that Mystery. And denying Communion to a member of the Church because of the recipe<\/em> takes legalism to the point of absurdity, if not actual evil.<\/p>\n

This isn’t a trivial food preference, either.<\/p>\n

Celiac sprue disease, an autoimmune disorder, occurs in people with a genetic intolerance of gluten. When consumed by celiac sufferers, gluten damages the lining of the small intestine, blocking nutrient absorption and leading to vitamin deficiencies, bone-thinning and sometimes gastrointestinal cancer.<\/p>\n

The locals, though, are busy passing the buck upstairs. <\/p>\n

“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,” said Bishop John M. Smith. “Hosts that are completely gluten-free are invalid matter for the celebration of the Eucharist,” Smith said in a prepared statement released Thursday by the diocese.<\/p>\n

It gets even better.<\/p>\n

Last year, in anticipation of the Brielle Elementary School third grader reaching Holy Communion age, her mother told officials at St. Denis Catholic Church in Manasquan that the girl could not have the standard host. The church’s pastor, the Rev. Stanley P. Lukaszewski, told her that a gluten-free substitute was unacceptable.
\nBut a priest at a nearby parish contacted Pelly-Waldman after learning about the dilemma, volunteering to administer the sacrament using a gluten-free host. She said she won’t identify the priest or his parish for fear of repercussions from diocese.
\nOn May 2, Waldman — wearing a white communion dress — made her first Holy Communion in a ceremony at the priest’s church. Her mother, who also suffers from celiac and had not received communion since her diagnosis four years ago, also received.
\nBut last month, the diocese told the priest that Waldman’s sacrament would not be validated by the church because of the substitute wafer.<\/p>\n

That’s just lovely, people. I’m sure Jesus would approve.<\/p>\n

Now, the mother is seeking papal intervention. She has written to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome, challenging the church’s policy. “This is a church rule, not God’s will, and it can easily be adjusted to meet the needs of the people, while staying true to the traditions of our faith,” Pelly-Waldman said in the letter.<\/p>\n

Given Cardinal Ratzinger’s apparent unwillingness to consider any ideas more recent than, oh, the Sixteenth Century, as being possibly true to God’s will, I wouldn’t hold my breath.<\/p>\n

My heart goes out to Haley. I suspect so does Jesus’.<\/p>\n

(via J-Walk<\/a>)<\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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