Church bans gluten-free host

[salusanimarum17]

Not sure why this is in the newspaper but here goes:

dispatch.com/content/stories/faith_and_values/2012/06/01/church-bans-gluten-free-host.html

From the article: "Before Allison Sisson received Catholic Communion for the first time, her mom talked to their priest about the girl’s celiac disease, a condition in which eating wheat gluten can cause severe damage to the intestines.

The priest ordered gluten-free hosts and held one on a separate plate for that day and when she attended Mass at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Whitehall. Before Mass, Allison’s mom, Beth Sisson, would let the priest know they were there. Allison also wore a beaded cross made by her grandmother as a reminder.

But about four weeks ago, the word came down from the Catholic Diocese of Columbus that the hosts didn’t meet Vatican standards because they didn’t contain wheat.

A low-gluten option was available, so Allison, an 11-year-old fourth-grader at Holy Spirit School, tried it. But, she said, “it tasted disgusting.”

She has decided to receive just wine when she takes Communion, even though that makes her sad, she said. …"

 

[Rich_Olszewski]

She has decided to receive just wine when she takes Communion, even though that makes her sad, she said. …"

Just wine? The wine contains the same Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity as the Host. No reason to be sad.

 

[YoungTradCath]

It blows my mind that this made it into the newspaper.

She is deprived of nothing. Furthermore, she can receive the host if she wants, but doesn’t like the taste. How… monstrously silly.

What a waste of bandwidth on their part.

 

[Aelred_Minor]

Of course a “gluten-free” host has to be made of wheat (and so would actually be low-gluten). What, this parish was using rice hosts or something? :whacky::dts:

This is basic sacramental theology. You need valid matter for a valid sacrament.

 

[Ophelia23]

I have always wondered this, and I hope I don’t take too much heat for asking the question. I honestly ask it with true curiosity. Is having a gluten-free host really necessary if we truly believe in the transubstantiation of the bread to the body? How can Christ cause our bodies harm by receiving Him?

 

[thewanderer]

It blows my mind that this made it into the newspaper.

She is deprived of nothing. Furthermore, she can receive the host if she wants, but doesn’t like the taste. How… monstrously silly.

What a waste of bandwidth on their part.

I think you misunderstand what celiac disease is. It is not a matter of a preference of taste. It is a life-threatening allergy to gluten. Even tiny trace amounts of gluten can be very dangerous for people with this disease.

 

[thewanderer]

I have always wondered this, and I hope I don’t take too much heat for asking the question. I honestly ask it with true curiosity. Is having a gluten-free host really necessary if we truly believe in the transubstantiation of the bread to the body? How can Christ cause our bodies harm by receiving Him?

The host still retains the accidents of bread, and so can affect people as bread would, even though its substance is no longer bread.

 

[salusanimarum17]

I think you misunderstand what celiac disease is. It is not a matter of a preference of taste. It is a life-threatening allergy to gluten. Even tiny trace amounts of gluten can be very dangerous for people with this disease.

Well, her reason for not consuming the Host is the taste, not that it caused a reaction or is now a danger to her.

 

[jilly4ski]

I think you misunderstand what celiac disease is. It is not a matter of a preference of taste. It is a life-threatening allergy to gluten. Even tiny trace amounts of gluten can be very dangerous for people with this disease.

But that is not what the article said. It said that she tried them but they tasted disgusting and decided not to receive the host. Which is a perfectly valid choice. But it didn’t say that she couldn’t receive the low gluten hosts, because of her medical condition. Like all allergy conditions, there is a range of sensitivity. Some can tolerate small amounts and some cannot.

 

[YoungTradCath]

I think you misunderstand what celiac disease is. It is not a matter of a preference of taste. It is a life-threatening allergy to gluten. Even tiny trace amounts of gluten can be very dangerous for people with this disease.

I know that. However, the article states that she can receive the host (low gluten). She doesn’t “like” the taste of it. That’s silly and is a problem she has made for herself.

 

[Seira]

A low-gluten option was available, so Allison, an 11-year-old fourth-grader at Holy Spirit School, tried it. But, she said, “it tasted disgusting.”

Like the normal unleaven bread tastes amazing. You’re not partaking of the body for it’s taste. Not to mention you can wash it down w/ the wine.

 

[epan]

I have always wondered this, and I hope I don’t take too much heat for asking the question. I honestly ask it with true curiosity. Is having a gluten-free host really necessary if we truly believe in the transubstantiation of the bread to the body? How can Christ cause our bodies harm by receiving Him?

For a true Celiac sufferer, wheat, barley and rye contain a complex non water soluble protein which triggers an autoimmune response. This immune response damages the small intestine, and can cause damage and nutritional deficiencies. It is a progressive disease, which can cause skin rashes, joint problems, difficulty breathing and chest pain, cognitive problems, including early dementia. People with Celiac who think they are on gluten free diets, but are still consuming small amounts of gluten continue to suffer damage to their bodies. Correct diagnosis in the US took more than two years on average. With more awareness, things are getting better in the medical community. Of people diagnosed, 1/3 recover quickly, 1/3 within 5 years, and 1/3 do not recover because too much damage has been done to the small intestine.

Celiac is not a wheat allergy, which is an anaphylactic response to wheat only.

Gastroenterologists are now considering adopting another related diagnosis, as awareness of this disease has increased, which would be “non celiac gluten sensitivity” to describe patients who do not have Celiac, but who still suffer some of the symptoms of gluten sensitivity.

There are Federal guidelines for gluten content, for a food item to be considered gluten free. To my knowledge, Celiacs do not mount an immune response to such foods. Though even eating food which is fried in oil which has been used for breaded items can provoke an immune response. Celiacs can be very sensitive to small quantities of gluten.

My question is, how much wheat must the host contain? Is an extremely small amount, which would meet gluten free standards sufficient? Or, does the host need to be primarily wheat in the Catholic Church?

Protestant churches are serving gluten free hosts at communion.

 

[epan]

I know that. However, the article states that she can receive the host (low gluten). She doesn’t “like” the taste of it. That’s silly and is a problem she has made for herself.

She is just a kid… but I wonder how low in gluten the “low gluten” host is. If she truly has Celiac disease, then she should not be eating any gluten.

The good news for here, is that there is a vaccine in the works in Australia. It is a very difficult protein to vaccinate against. Last I heard, they were in the early stages with it, not yet to clinical tests. The problem with Celiac is that even people who are conscientious about their diet will get “glutened” when they eat out or travel, which causes nasty symptoms, and also causes damage to their bodies. The vaccine would need to be administered periodically, but might be great for a kid who doesn’t watch what they eat, and for people traveling, etc.

 

[Luna_Lovecraft]

“She has decided to receive just wine when she takes Communion…”

“I think she was afraid people would think she wasn’t Catholic if she didn’t take the host.”

Methinks it’s time for one eleven-year-old receive some catechesis about the Real Presence. And I also think her parents need to help her navigate Celiac disease without calling into question individuals and entities who cannot accommodate her. There are tons of people out there with religious and medical dietary requirements, and one condition of living with them is learning how to advocate for yourself without dragging it through the papers.

Luna

 

[salusanimarum17]

… My question is, how much wheat must the host contain? Is an extremely small amount, which would meet gluten free standards sufficient? …

I don’t know what the minimum is. For the “low gluten” hosts that are available, the gluten content is “less than 100 parts per million” and the government may say that food with less than 20 ppm can be called “gluten free.” (according to the above article)

In the article, a dietician stated that “the amount of gluten in one of the hosts is 0.004 milligrams and that researchers have found it takes 10 milligrams per day to start a reaction.”

 

[thewanderer]

I know that. However, the article states that she can receive the host (low gluten). She doesn’t “like” the taste of it. That’s silly and is a problem she has made for herself.

Sorry, my bad.

I didn’t actually read the whole article… I just saw that she was a celiac and assumed that was the reason she wasn’t receiving.

Open mouth. Insert foot.

 

[YoungTradCath]

Sorry, my bad.

I didn’t actually read the whole article… I just saw that she was a celiac and assumed that was the reason she wasn’t receiving.

Open mouth. Insert foot.

It’s okay. =)

 

[Ophelia23]

Sorry, my bad.

I didn’t actually read the whole article… I just saw that she was a celiac and assumed that was the reason she wasn’t receiving.

Open mouth. Insert foot.

If I could count how many times I open my mouth to insert my foot in any given days…

 

[epan]

If I could count how many times I open my mouth to insert my foot in any given days…

My feet are quite tasty.

 

[SusansChoice]

Not sure why this is in the newspaper but here goes:

dispatch.com/content/stories/faith_and_values/2012/06/01/church-bans-gluten-free-host.html

From the article: "Before Allison Sisson received Catholic Communion for the first time, her mom talked to their priest about the girl’s celiac disease, a condition in which eating wheat gluten can cause severe damage to the intestines.

The priest ordered gluten-free hosts and held one on a separate plate for that day and when she attended Mass at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Whitehall. Before Mass, Allison’s mom, Beth Sisson, would let the priest know they were there. Allison also wore a beaded cross made by her grandmother as a reminder.

But about four weeks ago, the word came down from the Catholic Diocese of Columbus that the hosts didn’t meet Vatican standards because they didn’t contain wheat.

A low-gluten option was available, so Allison, an 11-year-old fourth-grader at Holy Spirit School, tried it. But, she said, “it tasted disgusting.”

She has decided to receive just wine when she takes Communion, even though that makes her sad, she said. …"

Many newspapers use any opportunity to portray the Catholic Church in a negative light.
Did you read any of the comments at the end of this article?

I don’t know how the paper would even know about this. I would hate to think the child’s mother would do something so petty just because the child doesn’t like the taste of the Host. Afterall, The Church did accomodate her and the article didn’t indicate there were any adverse effects with the low-gluten option.