8-year-old's first Holy Communion invalidated by Church

Newsday ^ | August 12, 2004 | John Curran

[sidewalk]

BRIELLE, N.J. -- 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. Now, 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.

[Blzbba]

"Not to get personal, but I bet you're not really one of two twins suckling at a wolf's teats. "


Sorry to interrupt, but that's the most-hilarious line I've read today. Well done!

[Buggman]

Rituals have the purpose of teaching us lessons and making those lessons a part of us, not of having saving power in and of themselves. Consider all of the Torah sacrificial and feastday rituals--every single one of them pointed to Jesus Christ. None of them saved the person performing them from sin; even in the OT, it was faith which was counted as righteousness. (Gen. 15:6 or 7, IIRC)

The point of instituting the ritual of the Communion was not to create a magical rite that would have any power in and of itself, but to illustrate that we must accept the sacrifice of Christ's body and blood, and make Him a part of us as much as food becomes a part of us when it is eaten.

It was precisely this sort of legalistic approach that Jesus condemned in such fiery terms in Matt. 23. Salvation is by grace (a gift) received by faith, not by works that we could boast about, as Paul pointed out in Romans, Ephesians, and Galatians.

[Repairman Jack]

Good luck being your own god.

Good luck finding God by committee.

[conservonator]

I haven't met God personally and am thus unaware of 'his' sexual orientation. In short, I have no proof that God has a penis. Do you? Just wondering...

FatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFather
FatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFather
FatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFather
FatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFather
FatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFather
FatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFather
FatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFather
FatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFather
FatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFather
FatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFather
FatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFather
FatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFather
FatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFather
FatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFatherFather...

Hummmmm all references, with any gender seem to be to "Father" not mother or "it". What Bible are you reading?

[Lilllabettt]

Oh, if "Father" is good enough for Jesus, its good enough for me.

See, you might find it hard to believe, but God can be very,very strict. Or "small minded" as you say. The Church can't go around deciding what God is going to be really strict about, because she really doesn't know. So she always advises extreme caution, because she doesnt want to risk any souls.

[Buggman]

If Christ said, "Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you," then to say that He merely evaluates your heart means you're not looking at the entire picture. It seems very clear that Christ was a stickler on this point.

And the thief on the cross next to Jesus' received the Eucharist when exactly?

[Pyro7480]

Again, I refer you to baptism of desire.

[AgThorn]

So you take wheat literally? .... did you just look for the word 'wheat' in your bible to support this silly enforcement on communion? Put John 12:24 back in context, my friend, and read it again.

[AgThorn]

The Church is the mystical body of Christ. There are His "rules".

Yes, and there are pharasees then and now ... step out and look at this situation and seriously convince me that you aren't being one.

[AgThorn]

Where does the bible say Christ founded a book and not a Church?

Where does the bible say that Christ founded a church that he had no problem with their adding to his Word? Sorry friend, but adding 'must be wheat' makes your church not one of Christ but one of the pharasees or as we call them today: "legalists"

[AgThorn]

You're welcome!!

[Lilllabettt]

What came first, the Bible or the Church?

[johnb2004]

Christ said of the pharasees to do exactly as they tell you to do, but do not be hypocrits as they are. They were the authority.

What is your point? I am being hypocritical, or the Vicar of Christ does not have the authority, but you do?

[nmh]

I KNOW what Communion is HOWEVER it is NOT a requirement to be saved. Christ clarified that on the cross. He told the thief next to him, he would be with Him in paradise. Thief was NOT baptized, nor did he have communion. So unless Christ is a liar(unlikely) this should clarify that Communion is NOT a requirement for eternal life.

[AgThorn]

"I feel for this family but I don't understand why the child doesn't just take a sip of wine."

Exactly. It is THE article of Faith that the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ is present in BOTH the host and the wine.So by taking a sip of wine, as all communicants are encouraged to do, she would be receiving body and blood.

So, forget the fact that the wheat may kill the girl, as long as she takes the elements as the 'church' dictates. Shame on you ... putting your legalism ahead of a childs life.

[nmh]

YOu can only hope and pray that people understand this. The Catholic church is so tied to rituals that it no longer represents the teachings of the Bible or what Christ has said.

[johnb2004]

Christ founded a Church, one Church. He did not say you guys are on your own and make it up as you go along and revolt against me in the 1500s and rewrite the bible and pretend you each can interpret your own way and still claim to obey Me?

He left a living authority. The Pope. He speaks for Christ in matters of faith.

[nmh]

Rituals do NOT save anyone! They never have and they never will.

I KNOW what Communion is HOWEVER it is NOT a requirement to be saved. Christ clarified that on the cross. He told the thief next to him, he would be with Him in paradise. Thief was NOT baptized, nor did he have communion. So unless Christ is a liar(unlikely) this should clarify that Communion is NOT a requirement for eternal life.

[AgThorn]

Oh, by the way, your painting of us as "Pharisees" is libelous.

Ha! I think that the pharisees said the same thing to our Savior ... thank you for the elevation!

[Lilllabettt]

I've heard this arguement before. The Church was good, but it went bad around the 3rd century A.D. Except for that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" thingy.