Phoenix, Ariz., Mar 6, 2006 / 22:00 pm
Bishop Olmstead of Phoenix has put into question a controversial practice to administer Communion to an autistic child, a decision which has sparked critics against the Church from people unfamiliar to Catholic teaching.
The practice questioned by Phoenix Bishop is to give the communion to Mathew Moran an autistic child, with the boy taking the Communion wafer and placing it in his mouth. His father, Nick Moran, then removes it and consumes the host himself. “Matthew will not swallow even a tiny crumb of the host or a drop of wine with any regularity, frequently spitting them out”, he said.
The publisher of 'The Church Report' Magazine and CEO of Christy Media Questions the Catholic Diocese of Phoenix for its decision on this practice. Jason T. Christy, an evangelical, unfamiliar with the questions and practices within the Catholic Church about Communion said that “Once again, the Catholic church has demonstrated its inability to relate to its parishioners and error on the side of good.”
Another comment came from Denise Resnik, board chairwoman for the Southwest Autism Research Center and the mother of a boy who is dealing with autism. "We often seek comfort in our religion, and it would be nice to think the church would support them to the best degree possible."