For those who believe in extremism

What has been said:

197.1. Rob McDonagh (08/18/2004 05:28 AM)

I saw this one, too. Makes me wonder what these people were smoking when they made that decision (a little too much sacrimental wine, maybe?). News flash, people: it's the symbolism that matters, not the recipe for the bread! Do they think Jesus used these neatly pressed wafers with the right amount of wheat at the Last Supper?!? Do they somehow imagine God is watching them and smiling in approval? I can hear Him now: "Great job, telling one of my children they can't participate in Holy Communion unless they risk death! That's exactly what I had in mind!"

Morons. There is absolutely no possible defense for such stupidity, and I hope The Deity holds them responsible for it.

197.2. Christopher Byrne (08/18/2004 07:10 AM)

I just wish newspapers would get it right. It is not non-wheat that is the issue, it is non-gluton.

It could have been any other grain based wafer, but as long as there is no gluton, it is a no-go.

Two nuns have developed a new Vatican-approved wafer that is low-gluton:

http://catholickey.org/index.php3?gif=news.gif&mode=view&issue=20040409&article_id=2858

This is just another example of church officials stepping on it. Communion is the act, not the food (well within limits as I do not want to be ex-communicated:-)).

also here is a great story:

http://www.foodstuff.org/News/OnThePlate/wafers.htm

BTW, I just got off the phone with Anna and she will get back to me next week about the conference. She likes my proposed topic but needs to run it by someone who is on vacation.

197.3. Rock (08/18/2004 10:17 AM)

And people wonder why I am raising my kids UU...

197.4. Christopher Byrne (08/18/2004 11:19 AM)

That is why it is especially sad to see actions such as this destroy publicly those who do have a positive faith experience. See my thoughts at:

http://www.controlscaddy.com/A55A69/bccaddyblog.nsf/plinks/CBYE-63Q53Y

197.5. Stan Rogers (08/18/2004 04:44 PM)

I think the problem here is the doctrine of transsubstantiation: the idea that the "substance" of the Host is changed from mere bread to the Body of Christ at the moment of consecration. As far as I know, that belief is specific to the Roman Catholic Church (and it was the defence of that doctrine that earned Henry the Vee-Eye-Eye-Eye the title "Defender of the Faith", which still attaches to the English crown). Most other denominations define the sacrament as "an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace" (taken from the Anglican catechism, but found in several other Protestant sources in similar words). Without transsubstantiation, the act is merely symbolic of the actual communion; with it, you need to worry about the possibility of conversion from one substance to the other, and the intended meaning of the word "this" in the phrase "this is my body...". Did he actually mean a Seder matzoh made from a specific recipe? It seems silly, but when you've got a core doctrine riding on the deal, you have to be at least as careful as you try to be fair.

That it seems obvious to someone like myself that if the substance is miraculously transformed at consecration, then JC would lend his bodily substance to anything as long as the intent is pure doesn't matter -- I have surprisingly little pull at the Vatican.

197.6. Christopher Byrne (08/19/2004 11:59 AM)

Heck it is not just the Vatican. The Archbishop in Atlanta (who is past mandatory retirement age but will not go) issued an edict on Monday of Holy Week that women may not have their feet washed during Holy Thursday Mass of the Easter Triduum. For those not Catholic, The Easter Triduum, which consists of Holy Thursday Mass, Good Friday Services, and concludes with the Great Easter Vigil) are considered to be the highest holy days in the Church.

Luckily, those pastor's who disagreed scrapped the whole feet washing rather than discriminate.

Now this forward thinking man has issued an edict that no politician that supports abortion may receive Holy Communion in the Archdiocese of Atlanta, the Diocese of Savannah, and the Diocese of Charlotte may receive Holy Communion unless the publicy recant their positions and seek forgiveness:

"Because of the influence that Catholics in public life have on the conduct of our daily lives and on the formation of our nation's future, we declare that Catholics serving in public life espousing positions contrary to the teaching of the Church on the sanctity and inviolability of human life, especially those running for or elected to public office, are not to be admitted to Holy Communion in any Catholic church within our jurisdictions: the Archdiocese of Atlanta, the Dioceses of Charleston and Charlotte. Only after reconciliation with the Church has occurred, with the knowledge and consent of the local bishop, and public disavowal of former support for procured abortion, will the individual be permitted to approach the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist."

http://www.archatl.com/archbishops/donoghue/20040804.html

This puts our Chapel's (http://www.uga.edu/cc/) Director, a Franciscan Friar who is under the Holy name Province based in New York, at odds, as this province has adopted the position of the Archbishop of Detroit, who wisely said:

"The prayer we pray before the Altar is 'Lord, I am not worthy to reive you, only say the word and I shall be healed", not 'Lord, THEY ARE not worthy to reive you, only say the word and I shall be healed". Simply said and to the point.

To take Archbishop Donoghue's logic, the sin of abortion is far greater than the sin of an unjust war* that is taking innocent lives or taking from the poor. I want my Jesuit Parish** back now!

*http://www.elca.org/jle/articles/contemporary_issues/article.perry.david.html

**http://www.holytrinitydc.org/