This bothers me:
Church Says Girl’s Communion Not Valid: Catholic Church Invalidates Communion of Girl With Digestive Disorder Because Wafer Lacked Wheat
BRIELLE, N.J. Aug. 19, 2004 — An 8-year-old girl who suffers from a rare digestive disorder and cannot eat wheat has had her first Holy Communion declared invalid because the wafer contained no wheat, violating Roman Catholic doctrine.
and:
Haley, a shy, brown-haired tomboy who loves surfing and hates wearing dresses, realizes the consequences of taking a wheat wafer.
“I’m on a gluten-free diet because I can’t have wheat. I could die,” she said last week.
I picked up on this because I am originally from Brielle. I’m not a Catholic, so I cannot say I fully understand the Church’s policies, though I did grow up with quite a few Catholics in Brielle, as well as knowing many in later life. Listening to Mr. Bortz today, I agree with his sentiments of “what would God think?” and “What would Jesus say?”.
Is the Catholic Church so stuck in their policies that they would risk the life of a young girl? Apparently so. Would she not be attempting, or committing, suicide were she to take the Wafer? Is that not against the way of the Church?
I hope the Church steps up to the plate and does the correct thing. They should say to themselves “what would God think?”
