Gluten intolerant: How do you ask for blessing?

[kiki6]

I’m gluten intolerant. I was told I could go up to communion and just ask the priest for a blessing. The first time went good. The next time I went to a deacon and he looked at me weird and said he couldn’t do that. I was embarrassed so did not return to communion for awhile. Tried it again and this priest looked at me funny too. Can I receive a blessing or not? Is there a universal rule. We travel a little bit and it is less embarrassing to not go up.

 

[adrift]

I’m gluten intolerant. I was told I could go up to communion and just ask the priest for a blessing. The first time went good. The next time I went to a deacon and he looked at me weird and said he couldn’t do that. I was embarrassed so did not return to communion for awhile. Tried it again and this priest looked at me funny too. Can I receive a blessing or not? Is there a universal rule. We travel a little bit and it is less embarrassing to not go up.

Some places do this others do not as you have found out. It is not a practice that is instituted by the Church. I know others with your problem and they just receive the Blood. Is there a reason you can’t do this?

 

[ConstantineTG]

Make arrangements prior to Mass, or even during the week through the parish office that you cannot receive the Precious Body and therefore would need to receive from the Chalice the Precious Blood.

 

[Zacdecat]

or…let the priest know and he will give you the merest particle of a Host, but truely is receiving the Host too difficult…it tends to dissolve anyway.

 

[MarkThompson]

There are also very low-gluten hosts (e.g., these), which would be suitable for the majority of people with gluten intolerance, although not for people who can really take absolutely zero gluten. You could easily ask the priest to have the parish keep some of these on hand – especially if you’re willing to order them yourself and donate them to the church.

 

[Trishie]

I’m Celiac. Having Celiac disease or gluten intolerance isn’t a sin that needs to be subjected to denial of Communion. You shouldn’t have to do without Communion.
We have done nothing wrong. We are in full obedience with the Church.
You priest could allow you to receive from the Chalice.
Everything with regard to Communion for a Celiac is difficult and awkward, but you should be allowed to receive Communion not just a blessing.

Deacons and Extraordinary Ministers should be made aware that at least 1 in 133 people in the united States are Celiacs, not to mention other nations. Celiacs should not be made to feel marginalized or inconvenient, or treated as that Deacon treated you.

 

[YoungTradCath]

Ok, there’s no universal rule for the blessing thing. It actually was somewhat condemned by the Vatican (I shan’t find documents unless someone doth persist). Even if you do receive the blessing, it is not, in any way, shape, manner, or form, anything approaching the holiness received through the Eucharist.

At your home parish, you should make it known to your priest your disease. He should be very much willing to accommodate it. Whenever you travel, you can speak with the priest before mass to ensure that both species are distributed; if they are not, you can request that he have a chalice prepared. The way things are nowadays, it’s extremely common in the US and Canada, at least, to distribute His Blood.

With that said, I don’t think anyone is trying to “marginalize” those with celiac disease, as the above poster noted. To marginalize someone with celiac disease, the cleric must first know that said person actually has celiac disease.

 

[Te_Deum]

By the by, I thought Deacons could give blessings?

 

[Vincent1984]

By the by, I thought Deacons could give blessings?

In principle, they can give those blessings which are explicitly granted to them; by widespread practice, it would seem that a blessing at the time of Holy Communion is one of these.

However, many places are moving away from the fashion of giving out blessings at Holy Communion. The clue is in the title: it’s the time for Holy Communion, not for random individual blessings. The blessing proper to the Mass comes only a couple of minutes later, when the priest blesses all present, so there is no real need for individuals to queue for it at Holy Communion time.

Yes, I know lots of people are used to the habit, and it makes them feel happy. But still, many places (especially younger priests, in my experience) are trying to slowly move away from this habit.

 

[thistle]

The Communion line is exclusively for those going up to receive Communion. Going up for a blessing is not allowed.

This Congregation for Divine Worship and the Disciple of the Sacraments acknowledges receipt of your kind letter of 13 August, 2008 and would like to thank you for your interest and suggestions. This matter is presently under the attentive study of the Congregation.

For the present, therefore, this Dicastery wishes to limit itself to the following observations:
The liturgical blessing of the Holy Mass is properly given to each and to all at the conclusion of the Mass, just a few moments subsequent to the distribution of Holy Communion.
Lay people, within the context of Holy Mass, are unable to confer blessings. These blessings, rather, are the competence of the priest (cf. Ecclesia de Mysterio, Notitiae 34 (15 Aug. 1997), art. 6, § 2; can. 1169, § 2; and Roman Ritual De Benedictionibus (1985), n. 18).
Furthermore,** the laying on of a hand or hands – which has its own sacramental significance, inappropriate here – by those distributing Holy Communion, in substitution for its reception, is to be explicitly discouraged.**
The Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio, n. 84, “forbids any pastor, for whatever reason to pretext even of a pastoral nature, to perform ceremonies of any kind for divorced people who remarry.” To be feared is that any form of blessing in substitution for communion would give the impression that the divorced and remarried have been returned, in some sense, to the status of Catholics in good standing.
In a similar way, for others who are not to be admitted to Holy Communion in accord with the norm of law, the Church’s discipline has already made clear that they should not approach Holy Communion nor receive a blessing. This would include non-Catholics and those envisaged in can. 915 (i.e., those under the penalty of excommunication or interdict, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin).

 

[puzzleannie]

I’m gluten intolerant. I was told I could go up to communion and just ask the priest for a blessing. up.

whoever told you this was well meaning, but there is no precedent for the practice, it is not universal, and it should only be done if and where the priest specifically invites people. Ask your doctor if you can receive a low gluten host, which can be consecrated for you if you arrange for it with the priest, or under the form of the consecrated wine.

the deacon is not at fault, unless the OP first gave he or the priest the information about his needs and was then ignored. OP does not say this, nor does he say he has made any attempt to ask the priest to meet his needs.

 

[Orogeny]

I’m Celiac. Having Celiac disease or gluten intolerance isn’t a sin that needs to be subjected to denial of Communion. You shouldn’t have to do without Communion.
We have done nothing wrong. We are in full obedience with the Church.
You priest could allow you to receive from the Chalice.
Everything with regard to Communion for a Celiac is difficult and awkward, but you should be allowed to receive Communion not just a blessing.

Deacons and Extraordinary Ministers should be made aware that at least 1 in 133 people in the united States are Celiacs, not to mention other nations. Celiacs should not be made to feel marginalized or inconvenient, or treated as that Deacon treated you.

The OP wasn’t denied Communion, he/she was denied a blessing that they asked for.

Peace

Tim

 

[ConstantineTG]

The OP wasn’t denied Communion, he/she was denied a blessing that they asked for.

Peace

Tim

Yup, but rightfully so that the deacon and EMHC deny the blessing because they cannot bless.

 

[CatholicFireman]

We have a regular parishner who goes up to the altar to receive the Presious Blood, so, like Constantine TG, stated, arrange it prior to mass if possible.

 

[Seatuck]

Are you in the US? Here is a document by the US Bishop’s regarding celiac disease and communion.

usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/resources-for-the-eucharist/distribution-of-communion/celiac-sprue-disease.cfm

There used to be another one with a chart that I can’t seem to find at this time. Maybe someone else can come up with it. It had all the options and scenarios for low gluten and also for mustum use.

Here is the sticky with the “blessings in the communion line info”.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=543513

 

[CatholicFireman]

Here is the sticky with the “blessings in the communion line info”.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=543513

I wish somebody in my parish would tell them this. It would probably be ignored anyway.

 

[Vincent1984]

There is a document from the CDF on this issue.

A. The use of gluten-free hosts and mustum

1. Hosts that are completely gluten-free are invalid matter for the celebration of the Eucharist.

1. Low-gluten hosts (partially gluten-free) are valid matter, provided they contain a sufficient amount of gluten to obtain the confection of bread without the addition of foreign materials and without the use of procedures that would alter the nature of bread.

1. Mustum, which is grape juice that is either fresh or preserved by methods that suspend its fermentation without altering its nature (for example, freezing), is valid matter for the celebration of the Eucharist.

B. Communion under one species or with a minimal amount of wine

1. A layperson affected by celiac disease, who is not able to receive Communion under the species of bread, including low-gluten hosts, may receive Communion under the species of wine only.

…]

C. Common Norms

1. The Ordinary is competent to give permission for an individual priest or layperson to use low-gluten hosts or mustum for the celebration of the Eucharist. Permission can be granted habitually, for as long as the situation continues which occasioned the granting of permission.

NB that one can’t just buy some low-gluten (NOT gluten-free!) hosts on the internet and tell your pastor to use them. Ecclesiastical permission is required. The document authorises the Ordinary (i.e. bishop or his delegate e.g. auxiliary bishop, vicar general) to give this permission. It is possible that in your area, the Bishop allow all pastors or priests to authorize this. He may also want to check the source of the hosts being used &c.

 

[thomas_jd]

I’m gluten intolerant. I was told I could go up to communion and just ask the priest for a blessing. The first time went good. The next time I went to a deacon and he looked at me weird and said he couldn’t do that. I was embarrassed so did not return to communion for awhile. Tried it again and this priest looked at me funny too. Can I receive a blessing or not? Is there a universal rule. We travel a little bit and it is less embarrassing to not go up.

I suggest that you purchase a pyx to house a unconsecrated host that you bring to the sacristy prior to mass. Purchase a small amount of unconsecrated hosts either from a church or religious supply.Sit in the front of church and make this as easy on the priest as possible.This will ensure your ability to receive the Eucharist at each and every mass.
If you are unable to receive say an Act Of Spiritual Communion.
As of yet there is no definitive rule prohibiting a priest from Blessings during mass.

 

[Warloff]

Make arrangements prior to Mass, or even during the week through the parish office that you cannot receive the Precious Body and therefore would need to receive from the Chalice the Precious Blood.

After the consecration there is no difference. The bread becomes both the body and blood of Christ as does the wine.

In the Traditional Latin Mass it is possible for someone with gluten intolerance to receive from the chalice (usually using a golden straw). Contact the priest before hand.

 

[EvelynEVF]

To the OP: If your priest asks how it is done, this is what we do in my parish–

The low-gluten hosts are kept in the rectory freezer. Celiac communicants give the priest/deacon/usher the heads up earlier in the day. A low-gluten host is then brought to the sacristy with clean hands and placed in a designated pyx, which is kept in a specific place so that it is never accidentally taken on a sick call or otherwise contaminated. The sacristan places the pyx on the credence table, and when the deacon arranges the altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist, he puts the pyx on the corporal, where it remains closed. When he steps down to distribute, the priest holds the pyx in his palm under the ciborium. When the celiac approaches, the priest opens the pyx and drops the host directly into her hand. Then the pyx can be handed to the sacristan or placed in a pocket until it is purified.

There is definitely some planning and choreography required, and it might be pretty tough in a large parish, but it can be done.