It seems that a nine year old Catholic girl is being forced to choose between her health and her religion. It's this sort of nonsense that helped to cause the Protestant Reformation.
Strong words. However she's been given three good alternatives for receiving communion: "...low-gluten host, drink or touch her lips to consecrated wine or drink or touch mustum, which is a partly fermented grape juice." That doesn't sound to me like a slight against anyone. Receiving God one way or another I'm sure makes little difference to God.
Apparently it makes a difference to this family. Why they would reject all these options is a mystery to me. She's allergic to gluten, but that still leaves the option of the wine. And they make it sound like she will get drunk off of communion wine. The amount consumed is so small that it wouldn't have any effect. Also, it's my understanding at least, that the Church allows people to make what is called an act of spiritual communion. It's my understanding that this is just as valid as receiving communion by any other method.
I don't know the whole circumstances of this case, but I can't help but think that perhaps this family may just be from the Reformist end of the Catholic Church trying to stir up trouble. Not to say that there isn't a traditionalist faction on the other end of the spectrum frequently doing the same.
Bishops can make bad decisions just like anyone else. Though I doubt that it this is one of those cases.
There is no right to receive Communion in Catholic Church anyway anyone demands to have it presented to them. That completely misses the point of going to receive communion in the first place. And if you believe otherwise you can create your own church and join the over 30,000 other Christian denominations that are out there.
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