Attitudes toward gum at Mass

[Damascus]

Bear in mind Jimmy Akin also thought the Pope should not have used that quote…

Amoung other things. I love him, but he does say things from time to time that make me wonder if his cowboy boots are too tight.

 

[jmcrae]

Oh, I saw that episode as I was getting ready for the Saturday night Vigil.
Fr. Levis was funny.
The questioner asked (and I’m paraphrasing here) ‘What if I have bad breath? Wouldn’t it be charitable of me to use a breathmint so I don’t offend the people next to me?’

Fr. Levis said, 'Your bad breath might be the other person’s Penance’.

I laughed out loud. Anyone here ever been in the position of that “poor penitent”?

In His Most Sacred ,

Denise

That’s hilarious.

I’m sure that a quick swish with Listerine falls within the definition of “not food.” Besides, the time to worry about your breath is not five minutes before Mass.

 

[puzzleannie]

every child in this parish knows that Rule No 1 is No Gum In Church. They even correct their elders (bless their dear little hearts). Everyone in this parish knows I will personally confront them with a paper cup or tissue if I see them chomping. I have interrupted the communion procession more than once to confiscate gum. There is also No Gum at CCD. The reason has nothing to do with fasting and everything to do with the fact that the traditional service project for confirmation I is scraping the gum off pews for the Altar Society (who cleans the Church every week).

 

[Karin]

I’m astounded recently at the number of people who chew gum at Mass. I’m just wondering what people’s attitudes here are.

(I was brought up that you don’t chew gum in public, and I’ve always assumed that it was included as part of the fast before receiving Holy Communion. Am I wrong about that?)

I chew gum …I am all for chewing gum JUST NOT AT MASS…ESPECIALLY IF YOUR GOING TO RECIEVE COMMUNION…it breaks the fast since GUM IS A FOOD !!!

 

[Seatuck]

Gum does not break the fast because it is not a food , however that doesn’t mean there is a place for it at Mass.Mass is for casual occaisions . Mass is serious worship. Gum can contribute to profanation of the Eucharist. Think about it . Little particles often get stuck in the teeth and then you chew the host and that might get stuck as well . Not a very reverant way to treat Jesus who we should consume. At least that’s my two cents.

 

[Karin]

Gum is a “food”…
1. Sugar is…a* white crystalline carbohydrate used as a sweetener and preservative.* Carbohydrate: an essential structural component of living cells and source of energy for animals
2. Food is…any substance that can be metabolized by an organism to give energy and build tissue

So we can conclude that since GUM contains SUGAR it is a food.

 

[mercygate]

Gum, coffee and cigarettes all break the fast. I like puzzleannie’s idea to use cleaning the gum off the pews as a Lenten project!

 

[Karin]

Gum, coffee and cigarettes all break the fast. I like puzzleannie’s idea to use cleaning the gum off the pews as a Lenten project!

SMOKES!!!
That I have to disagree with…it isnt a food or a drink…it is a DRUG.

 

[mercygate]

SMOKES!!!
That I have to disagree with…it isnt a food or a drink…it is a DRUG.

It is not a medicine. It goes in your mouth. It breaks the fast. Fasting is not entirely about nutiriton; it is about keeping the mouth free of ‘contamination’ before introducing Our Lord into your body as the first food of the day.

 

[Karin]

It is not a medicine. It goes in your mouth. It breaks the fast. Fasting is not entirely about nutiriton; it is about keeping the mouth free of ‘contamination’ before introducing Our Lord into your body as the first food of the day.

I did not say it was a medicine I said it was a DRUG!
Also Canon Law says nothing about keeping your mouth free from contamination it does say…"*Eucharistic fast *. Canon Law states, "One who is to receive the most Holy Eucharist is to abstain from any food or drink, with the exception only of water and medicine, for at least the period of one hour before Holy Communion" (CIC 919 §1). Elderly people, those who are ill, and their caretakers are excused from the Eucharistic fast. (CIC 191 §3).

 

[TimOliv]

While I don’t see a problem with the gum vs. the Eucharistic Fast, chewing gum provides a major difficulty for myself…

Gum chewing noises

I’m one of those wacky people who likes silence in church while I’m praying. I recall one occasion in which I was just kneeling down and no sooner did I close my eyes than…

SNAP

Hmm, must have been a candle wick…

POP

And as I looked around for my source, I found it was a young lady one row away chewing gum (causing it to do that snapping sound as she did).

I’d say while it may not violate the fast, it does sort of bring down the…solemnity, wouldn’t you say?

“We praise and adore you Christ for suffering for our sins, we offer up to you our own sufferings…wait a second, I’ve got cat breath, I need some Big Red”

 

[Catholic90]

I don’t think gum is a food, but it also does not belong at mass. Not all gum contains sugar, so that argument doesn’t work!

Our priest goes outside to have one last cigarette before processing down the aisle for mass.

 

[Chatter163]

This is simply part of the breakdown of society in general, and proper Catholic formation in particular.

It fits right in with cell phones during Mass, slouching kids in the pews, children running around during Mass, talking in church, innappropriately dressed adults, and the list goes on. :crying:

 

[TimOliv]

I don’t think gum is a food, but it also does not belong at mass. Not all gum contains sugar, so that argument doesn’t work!

Our priest goes outside to have one last cigarette before processing down the aisle for mass.

Which brings me to another point. I’d imagine there are among us some smokers. You don’t see us lighting up during mass (though with some priest’s homilies I wouldn’t mind a smoke right about then…). Self control, save the gum chewing, smoking and cell phones for after mass. Is one hour per week too much to offer Jesus? I’d say its a lighter burden than a cross…

 

[mercygate]

I don’t think gum is a food, but it also does not belong at mass. Not all gum contains sugar, so that argument doesn’t work!

Our priest goes outside to have one last cigarette before processing down the aisle for mass.

How demoralizing. I knew a priest who used to swill his a.m. coffee in the sacristy before Mass on the grounds that “it’s mostly water.” I ask you.

 

[msproule]

No matter what some people will argue, chewing gum does break the Eucharistic fast…it is neither water nor medicine.

That aside, a person with no intention of receiving Holy Communion (such as a child, a non-Catholic guest, or a Catholic not in a state of Grace) should still refrain from chewing gum during Holy Mass because it would be disrespectful and rude.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

This would definitely explain the upswing in the amount of it that I’m seeing, lately, since he is a highly respected Catholic.
(…)

I don’t think we can give Jimmy Akin credit for this (an upswing). I’m considering that most thoughtful Catholics who may have heard this directly or indirectly, would not decide from this that chewing gum is A-Okay now. When I heard it, it did not change my behavior, but added a different perspective.

However, if people heard it doesn’t break the fast then decided “awright! I’m gonna chew gum at Mass now!” then that’s unfortunate. Jimmy made point about it not being food, he did not imply it was a most excellent way of preparing for Mass.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

I’ve been one of those rustlers. I do it so as to not have a massive coughing fit. The coughing can be seriously distracting to others, and I can go on for 10 minutes with one. I need to stop the cough right then.

I’m not sick. Well, I am, but not with a cold or sore throat. Acid backs into my throat and lungs, especially when I sing or breathe deep to recite a long prayer. So, the cough drop is only partially helpful, but it can stop me from the 10 minute hacking fit. I haven’t had much problem with it lately, but I have in the past.

Yes, I’ve had this happen to me.

That’s exactly the sort of thing that I figured. In a case like that, obviously you have to do something right away, and the Church certainly permits us to use medicine when we need it.

What I don’t get is how a breath mint or gum could be considered “medicine” in the same sense as that.

Most cough drops are basically hard candy (I’m referring to the non-menthol kind). Candy will serve the same purpose in a pinch just as mints and gum can help lubricate the throat helping to control the cough.

 

[msproule]

I also think Jimmy Akin is gravely wrong on this one. I write off his argument as yet another example of his well-masked sarcasm (which I usually enjoy), but here it serves only to mislead a lot of readers.

Canon Law not only forbids “food” explicitly, but it also clearly states that the only exceptions to this rule are water and medicine. While the argument is made that gum is not food, no argument is presented contesting that gum is water or medicine.

 

[rayne89]

That seems to fit with my understanding, as well.

I suppose throat lozenges could be classified as “medicine” but if a person has a sore throat, I would expect him to stay home, or at least take the medicine before coming into the Church.

I have seen/heard people rustling a lozenge out of its wrapper during Mass, and while it’s a bit distracting, it doesn’t happen often enough to cause consternation - it seems as though most people “get” that we only suck on throat lozenges if there is absolutely no other alternative, so I’m very willing to assume that a sore throat simply snuck up on these people, unexpectedly.

My mom has has asthma and chronic bronchitis. Sometimes she’ll go into coughing fits where she needs a lozenge during Mass. She also is aware her coughing freaks people out and they don’t want to exchange the sign of peace with her because they think she’s sick.