David Ancell / Wednesday September 08, 2004
I’ve been following articles on the New Jersey rice “Communion” story lately. Apparently, a priest decided to offer a young girl with celiac disease a rice wafer because she couldn’t receive under the species of bread otherwise. The diocese ruled that this was not valid matter, and, therefore, all the young girl got was a mouthful of rice. Naturally, some people in the media have or will plug this as a case of some “rigid” or “uncaring” bishop placing “the rules” or “tradition” before “sensitivity” to the girl’s condition.
I find this extrememly irritating. Do these people really think that a bunch of old men got together and made arbitrary rules and strictly enforced them for the sheer heck of it? Do they think that our hierarchy likes being involved in these situations? It seems that common decency would tell them to give the benefit of the doubt until they investigated the matter. Then again, when it comes to the Catholic Church, common decency is often thrown out the window.
If someone reports on this story, they should at least take the time to check this out, get the facts straight, and find that there are reasons for what the Church does. It would have been far more convenient to just declare the rice wafer valid. The bishop won’t do so because he cannot. Rice cannot be consecrated and become the Body of Christ any more than a bridge can be constructed out of paper towels. It simply isn’t the correct material. The Church does not have the power to consecrate it because Christ didn’t give it to her.
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