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.

[johnb2004]

"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.

A foolish statement from a another Catholic who does not know her faith. So the child has wine? Is the mother now going to deny that the Precious Blood is not Christ's body?

When does it end?

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Another example of a Catholic painfully ignorant of Catholic teaching. No member of the Magisterium can "decree" a rice host valid. It is not valid matter for transubstantiation from the start. I hope Cardinal Ratzinger or whoever responds can educate this woman.

Validly ordained priest + right matter, form and intent = the Body and Blood of our Lord.

I see she was offered the Precious Blood (wine) but refused. There is more to this woman's story.

[johnb2004]

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

[johnb2004]

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

[Hegewisch Dupa]

Thank you SO MUCH for your most useful clarification in this matter!

[johnb2004]

You now speak for God. That is protestantism, or should I say moral relativism?

[xkaydet65]

"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.

[jojodamofo]

>>> What did Christ Himself use?

Factory produced wafers?

[Pyro7480]

What is the intent of 'communion', i.e. breaking break with our Saviour? To remember Him. For anyone to insist that one can only do that with a wheat product is rediculously missing Christs message. Is this church also insisting that only wine is drunk for communion? I would have to imagine.

Communion: comes from "con union," with means "union with." What you posted above is the Protestant conception of "the breaking of the bread." The Catholic conception comes from the fact that in John 6, some of Christ's disciples are scandalized by His words concerning His Flesh and Blood. We think the Last Supper is the fulfillment of Christ's words in this Scripture passage. For He 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."

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

[Pyro7480]

Straw-man argument. The Last Supper was a Jewish Passover meal, and the Jews used unleavened bread.

[nmh]

"Man-made you say? If your Protestant or any of the derived churches, your church didn't start until the 15th century. The Catholic church was founded by Christ."

The "church" is the body of believers. The "church" started when Christ came and opened it up to nonJews. Christ was here before the 15th century and Christ did not start the Catholic church. The Catholic church was founded by Catholics, not Christ. If you diagree argue it out with Christ. I can only paraphrase what the Bible says and that supercedes the words and claims of mere imperfect mortals.

[hobbes1]

form and intent = the Body and Blood of our Lord.

So then Since VII.......

[NYer]

NORMS FOR USE OF LOW-GLUTEN BREAD AND MUSTUM
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

---

August 22, 1994.

In recent years this dicastery has followed closely the development of the question of the use of low-gluten altar breads and <mustum> as matter for the celebration of the eucharist.

After careful study conducted in collaboration with a number of concerned episcopal conferences, this congregation in its ordinary session of June 22, 1994, has approved the following norms, which I am pleased to communicate:

I. Concerning permission to use low-gluten altar breads:

A. This may be granted by ordinaries to priests and laypersons affected by celiac disease, after presentation of a medical certificate.

B. Conditions for the validity of the matter:

1) Special hosts <quibus glutinum ablatum est> are invalid matter for the celebration of the eucharist.

2) Low-gluten hosts are valid matter, provided that they contain the amount of gluten sufficient to obtain the confection of bread, that there is no addition of foreign materials and that the procedure for making such hosts is not such as to alter the nature of the substance of the bread.

II. Concerning permission to use 'mustum':

A. The preferred solution continues to be <communion per intinctionem>, or in concelebration under the species of bread alone.

B. Nevertheless, the permission to use <mustum> can be granted by ordinaries to priests affected by alcoholism or other conditions which prevent the ingestion of even the smallest quantity of alcohol, after presentation of a medical certificate.

C. By <mustum> is understood fresh juice from grapes or juice preserved by suspending its fermentation (by means of freezing or other methods which do not alter its nature).

D. In general, those who have received permission to use <mustum> are prohibited from presiding at concelebrated Masses. There may be some exceptions however: in the case of a bishop or superior general; or, with prior approval of the ordinary, at the celebration of the anniversary of priestly ordination or other similar occasions. In these cases the one who presides is to communicate under both the species of bread and that of <mustum>, while for the other concelebrants a chalice shall be provided in which normal wine is to be consecrated.

E. In the very rare instances of laypersons requesting this permission, recourse must be made to the Holy See.


III. Common Norms

A. The ordinary must ascertain that the matter used conforms to the above requirements.

B. Permissions are to be given only for as long as the situation continues which motivated the request.

C. Scandal is to be avoided.

D. Given the centrality of the celebration of the eucharist in the life of the priest, candidates for the priesthood who are affected by celiac disease or suffer from alcoholism or similar conditions may not be admitted to holy orders.

E. Since the doctrinal questions in this area have now been decided, disciplinary competence is entrusted to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

F. Concerned episcopal conferences shall report to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments every two years regarding the application of these norms.

With warm regards and best wishes, I am

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect

---

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[good_fight]

This is not a new issue. Here's a 2001 article from the National Catholic Reporter on the same issue:

http://tinyurl.com/3z748

Since reception in both kinds is now the norm in the RCC, it does seem that there is a quiet way around this situation.

My own Anglican church will allow consecration of a non-wheat host in special circumstances. Communion can be received in one or both kinds. The host can be received in three ways:

* On the tongue
* In the hand
* By intinction and on the tongue.

Sometimes the relative flexibility of the Anglican way avoids large conflicts over small things. Other times, of course, some of us are so open-minded, our brains fall out.

[Dominick]

Men don't decide if I'm forgiven for my sins or not and Jesus has never absolved me by having me kiss some beads or say some 'hail Marys' either.

Sorry Catholics, my relationship is between me and my Lord, not thru some hiearchy of robed 'holy' men

Me neither, no wait, I am Catholic too. Perhaps some research is in order, before you think thats what we do.

I assure you, the smallest particle would satisfy her first Communion.

From the Article:
On 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.

But last month, the diocese told the priest that Waldman's sacrament would not be validated by the church because of the substitute wafer.

Something is rotten here, we get no validation of First Communion from the Diocese. The rules say they could have received by drinking the wine, which contains the same Body and Blood of Christ. Even at that, every single Priest knows this, and a non wheat host could have been dipped in the wine to ensure that it was licit (conformed with Canon Law).

Often cases like these pop up from someone seeking to bash Catholicism. I am not trying to engage you in a discussion of the theology, but, I am trying to point out there are holes that make this out to be a "shaggy dog" story. I looked up John Curran of AP and only found Catholic molestation stories. I don't know if he has an ax to grind.

[Kackikat]

It isn't the wine, its the wheat in wafer, she has reaction to it.

[Pyro7480]

Catholic church was founded by Catholics, not Christ.

Says you. Who gave you the Bible? Who said what books were in it and others are not included? The early Catholic church settled this.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

You trying to get me in trouble? :-D

[conservonator]

DeJa Vu

[american colleen]

Men don't decide if I'm forgiven for my sins or not..

Ok but how do we interpret "He [Jesus] said therefore to them [the disciples] again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained."

"and Jesus has never absolved me by having me kiss some beads or say some 'hail Marys' either. "

Catholicism doesn't teach that the priest forgives the sins instead of God. Rather God works through the priest (successor to the Apostles who were the only ones breathed on). Neither do we believe that we should go to confession instead of "praying straight to God," but rather, one should do both, not either/or. At every confession, the penitent must pray an Act of Contrition, which begs God for forgiveness: "O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, O my God, who art all-good and worthy of all my love. I firmly intend, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen."

I dunno where you get the idea that we kiss beads? And the "Hail Mary" is found in the Bible, ya know!