<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Annette wrote:

<<<I was one of those that you wrote personally to because I was mentioned
in the article. However, I have no idea what anyone else wrote you but
the fact is. You are not the Celiac - it is your wife who is being
denied the right to receive a communion wafer that will not endanger her
health.>>>

I am the wife in this family.  It is my husband who has celiac and choses
to receive his Lord in the Eucharist every time he goes to Mass.  He
appears to be more interested in receiving his Eternal Lord than w/ his
temporal health.  How shocking.  And, according to him, he doesn't have
bad physical reactions from receiving Communion.  Yes, it might well be
affecting his health, but at this point, it is a risk HE is willing to
take.  That you are not willing to take it is your choice, and I think
yours is a perfectly logical, reasonable and acceptable decision.

<<<While many of us Celiacs were denied both the bread and wine by
priest and ministers until finally two religious supply houses started
producting the wafers in the US, it was not easy for any of us. To
attend Mass and NOT RECEIVE COMMUNION is not acceptable to those that
want to receive and cannot just because they are Celiacs or have a gluten
intolerance.>>>

Is it also not acceptable to NOT RECEIVE COMMUNION just because you are
in a state of mortal sin, or because you live in a sparsely populated
rural area that is w/o a priest, or whatever?

<<<As a Catholic I wrote to Rome many years ago and they told
me to contact the American Council of Bishops. I was only allowed to
receive the wine in my church because I was a Eucharistic Minister while
priest, brothers and sisters around the world were allowed to receive a
gluten free host. When I was advised by a local bishop that I could get
this host, I did so and encouraged everyone else to do the same.>>>

And as long as you're working w/in the Church to have access to the
Sacraments, that's fantastic.  I'd say you did the right thing.

I assume you mean the National Council of Catholic Bishops?

<<<To insist that a Celiac take a LOW GLUTEN HOST is saying take a
little bit of poisen. EXCUSE ME. The person making this demand is
breaking the commandment "THOU SHALT NOT KILL.">>>

EXCUSE ME-- I was passing along information at www.celiac.com.  If you
have a problem w/ the concept of a low-gluten host, take it up w/ them.

<<<I studied church law for years. The wheat host is a tradition, just as
the it used to be a tradition not to eat or drink before receiving
communion, not to eat meat on Friday, to only have Mass no later than
noon, for women to wear hats in church, for women not to be on the
alter, and Mass to be said in a language no one else could speak but the
priest.>>>

If you studied Church law for years, you ought to be quite familiar w/
Canon 924, sec. 2.  I'd expect you're also familiar w/ the concept of
signs in sacraments, and the difference between tradition and Tradition.
But, maybe not.

<<<Give us a break. Give up the all the gluten in your life including the
Communion. Eat somthing that you know will make you sick with extreme
symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, pain, skin rashes and unable to
function for several days. If you still feel comfortable telling ceiacs
to be more flexable. Visit the intensive care units of several hospitals
and offer to donate some of your body parts to those who are now having
difficulty because they were not on a strict gluten free diet.  Check
with a psychologist or psychiatrist to see how the stress of not being
able to fully participate in activities effect people.>>>

If I were in your position, and there's no saying I won't be some day (as
I do have one of the genetic markers for celiac, although do not at this
point have the disease), I think that I would have to approach it like
all other sufferings on this earth: temporary.  Let's say, for the sake
of argument, that I wind up w/ celiac, and will no longer be able to
receive Communion w/o the risk if critical illness.  Then, I have some
choices, don't I.  I can chose to make myself sick by going ahead and
receiving Communion anyway.  I can chose to request receiving from the
Cup.  I can chose to refrain from receiving.  Since I've considered this
possibility, I would chose either to receive from the Cup, or not receive
at all.  I would NOT sit around complaining about how the CHURCH ought to
change to accomodate me.  This is not the same as installing ramps or
widening doors.  This is telling the Church how to administer sacraments.

<<<May you never have to suffer with Celiac disease, diabetes, renal
disease, pancreatic all at the same time or any other series medical
problem.>>>

What tell do diabetes, and renal and pancreatic disease have to do w/ the
reception of Communion in the Catholic Church?

<<<I thank God that some of our Church Leaders have the Chritian Charity
to offer gluten free communion to those that want to receive the Body of
Christ.>>>

I thank God that some of our priests have the fortitude to actually teach
the teachings of the Church, leaving their parishioners w/o any doubts or
questions about where the CHURCH stands.

<<<Additionally, to single out a child to receive the wine, is opening
up a real serious issue. Many priest have been excused from receiving
wine and use grape juice because of alcohlism.>>>

So what?  I don't see how the two are related at all.  In one case, a
child is receiving Communion in a perfectly ordinary manner.  In another
case, a priest has received from Rome a dispensation to use mustum (which
is not Welch's) instead of fully fermented wine.  What does the one have
to do w/ the other, except that they both relate to the Cup?

<<<By the way Jesus did not eat a wheat communion wafer. He blessed a
loaf of bread which was probably barley. Not that barley is ok for
Celiacs but the point is no demans were made by Jesus to only use wheat
and he wanted all of us to share in the "Food of Life.">>>

Why would you think that the bread He used at a Passover meal would be
made of barley, esp. given that as far as I know, Jews have historically
used unleavened wheat bread for Passover?  And by "loaf", you would
still, according to Passover regulations, be referring to something
unleavened, not a "loaf" of bread as we understand "loaf" by any stretch
of the imagination.  Although barley was clearly used in first century
Palestine, note that Christ did not say, "unless a grain of barley fall
to the ground and die. . ."-- so it would be rather duplicitous to try to
say that they did not use wheat at all.

<<<I am serving my Lord and God with all my heart and sould to make
Communion available to all who do love and care and want to be fully a
part of His body.  I consider this my Mission on earth to bring all that
I touch closer to Jesus and feel the Eucharist is the best means of
doing this.>>>

Of course it is, as the Eucharist IS Christ Himself.  Now, if you get to
make up the ingredients used in the Sign of Eucharist, why not make up
everything else about it, too-- why may only a priest consecrate the
bread and wine and say Mass?  Why ought a priest only be male?  Why ought
we not be in a state of mortal sin when we receive?  Why ought there be
any sorts of rules at all re. the Eucharist?  You might think that I'm
taking one "little" thing and from that extrapolating all sorts of
irrelevant questions.  OTOH, if the bread can be made of anything at all,
then why not consecrate milk and cookies or popcorn and KoolAid?

<<<Jesus to Peter "Feed My Sheep" three times. He did not exclude anyone.
He called the church leaders of His day hipocrits. I wonder what He
would call those denying anyone a safe Eucharist.>>>

WHO HAS BEEN DENIED THE EUCHARIST?  You, as a celiac, and one who reacts,
apparently violently, to even the smallest ingestion of gluten, have the
option of receiving the Eucharist under the appearance of wine only,
instead of bread.  Is the person who is completely unable to swallow at
all also "denied" the Eucharist?  Perhaps for such people, we ought to
administer the Sacrament via an IV?

<<<To all on the server forgive my lengthy comments but I feel those who
would oppose a Catholic or Christian Celiac the right to receive
communion have some serious conscious examining to do.>>>

You have the right to receive Communion in the RCC.  You even have the
right, if you so chose, to receive the Host.  That doing so would make
you ill does not mean you don't have the RIGHT.

<<<"Until you have carried my cross, do no judge me for my words to help
others lighten their burden.">>>

"No trial has come to you but what is human.  God is faithful and will
not let you be tried beyond your strength, but with the trial He will
also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it." (1
Corinthians 10:13)

Having celiac is your trial.  Receiving from the Cup, or not receiving at
all, are two possible ways out that God has provided.  If you think you
can do better than God, then God be with you.

Later,

Pam

"Dileges Dominum Deum ex toto corde tuo,
  et in tota anima tua, et in tota mente tua. "