[James C. Bennett]

Thanks, Mrs. Don-o. Isn’t the work-around still contingent upon the realisation that the person receiving the host suffers from the condition? Was the wheat association known for a long time? (Late 1800s, I recall reading somewhere, though.)

About the earlier discussion, I still owe you a reply. The Newman quote deserves a lot of thinking about. I’ll get to both, one of these days.

[sayuncledave]

Hi,
you are correct in your assumption. Celiac disease is often referred to as the Great Masquerader, because the symptoms mimic those of other conditions. If the hypothetical person knows, then a few words with their pastor should cover it. The first realization I’ve read of (about celiac disease, as opposed to what used to be called non-tropical sprue) was in Holland in 1945, when Allies fed young Dutch kids wheat-based foods and they became sick. A good place for general info:
http://www.csaceliacs.org/ (not trying to blog pimp). I hope that helps.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I had a surgical operation two years ago, after which I could not eat solids for a couple of weeks. I received Communion from the chalice only, and I was informed this has been always been done for people whose medical condition wouldn't permit receiving the sacred Host (not just people with celiac disease), even during the long historic periods when laypeople did not customarily receive from the chalice.

There's also the difficulty of people who cannot or should not drink alcohol, even in tiny quantities. This is addressed by the use of "mustum," which is what vinters call freshly expressed, natural, untreated (that is to say, not pasteurized) grape juice.

I was reading the account of a priest, Walter Ciszak, who was confined in Soviet prisons and labor camps for 20+ years. Other prisoners smuggled him handfuls of raisins, which he soaked in water and then squeezed out the juice: this he used for saying Mass.

Ciszek is a man worth knowing.