Dreary Statistic!

[CMCM]

How's this for a dreary statistic about diagnosis....although it shouldn't surprise anyone here!

"Celiac Disease affects 1-in-133 Americans, although only 1-in-4,700 are ever diagnosed. Treatment consists of a gluten free diet for life, which leads to a full recovery in most cases."

[KaitiUSA]

I believe it is now down to 1 in 90 to 1 in 100...depending which research you look at but yeah dramatic numbers. It is so common, yet underdiagnosed and they should have regular screening for it. Considering some people don't get symptoms is all the more reason to do regular screening.

[Felidae]

Everyone in grade school gets screened in Italy. I think Sweden is now doing the same. Wouldn't it be great if Canada and the US did the same.

[Jnkmnky]

People just do NOT want to know about celiac disease. I've tried to tell some people who are on the verge of having surgery for ulcerative colitis, a parent of a child with autism, a DR!!! with M.S.... All I've done is suggest they look into gluten in their diet as a possible source of inflamation... falls on deaf ears. The minute you suggest "taking away bread"- they stop listening. There's no way the average person can accept the loss of bread. According to the Catholic Church, Celiac Disease is "scandalous". (I'm Catholic) Seems people can't accept a gluten free life as a decent reality.

[jajus100]

I have never heard the "Catholic Church" calling celiac scandalous. They have provided options for Celiacs. Please tell me where you are getting that...

What is scandalous, to me, is that children aren't tested. 1 out of 100 is a VERY high number. Not only is it not routinely tested for, but as this board clearly demonstrates, when people WANT to be tested, it isn't readily available.

[mommida]

Hopefully the average of 11 years for a Celiac to be diagnosed in the U.S. will change soon too.

Laura

[swittenauer]

I'm curious about the catholic comment also. I've never heard that before & I work for the catholic church.

[jerseyangel]

Dreary, indeed...Just like the dark, rainy day were having in NJ. I also don't understand the unwillingness of people in general to take the notion of gluten sensitivites and celiac disease seriously. I have people in my life that I have always thought of as intelligent and open minded that either think I'm "being too picky" or their eyes just glaze over and will not even entertain such a thought. Like I'm overreacting--thats the feeling I get. Routine testing of children would be a good idea, in my opinion. Think of all the unnecessary suffering these people would avoid with a simple blood test. How can 1 in 133, a statistic like that, continue to be ignored?

[jenvan]

Those kinds of stats makes me grateful that I was diagnosed. And it continues to motivate me to spread the word and encourage others with symptoms to explore it. Even if I look like a bit of a freak to some I also agree with Jnkmnky that in some cases, people just don't want to know, even if they think its a possiblity. What you don't know can hurt you

[luvs2eat]

I am certain that my sister and brother have the DH form but both refuse to be tested because there are medicines they can take for their rashes. My sister lives in France and isn't about to give up that awesome bread. I'm trying to make them understand that even tho the medicine helps the rash... their intestines are still being compromised, even if they have no gut symptoms!!

[Jnkmnky]

I have never heard the "Catholic Church" calling celiac scandalous.  They have provided options for Celiacs.  Please tell me where you are getting that... 

What is scandalous, to me, is that children aren't tested.  1 out of 100 is a VERY high number.  Not only is it not routinely tested for, but as this board clearly demonstrates, when people WANT to be tested, it isn't readily available.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I posted about this in another thread. The Catholic church ..."in order to avoid scandal..." says alcoholics and people with Celiac disease cannot be priests. Priests are directed to handle Celiac members of the congregation with quiet acceptance, offering the wine only if the low gluten hosts will not be acceptable to the celiac.

Because the "recipe" of the host has become an issue with the Catholic church, they've dug their heels in and refuse to concede that some people can't digest the gluten in the host. It becomes a weakness for the church because if someone suggests there's gluten STILL in the host after it's been transformed into the actual body of Jesus...well, then some people will not believe it actually changed.... and that it's still a gluten containing *cracker* at best. It's sad, really. I don't think the challenge is for the members of the church so much as for the leadership of the church. OBVIOUSLY, this issue of gluten still being in the host is affecting the belief of the leadership and they're all operating on fear at this point. Their decisions concerning Celiacs receiving communion suck. They're failing to get the point. God doesn't make mistakes, and they need to let go of the "recipe" idea and allow all people to participate at the 'supper'.

https://www.celiac.com/st_prod.html?p_prodid=369

Oh, Celiac.com has this... I didn't know that. Read through it and you see where it says Alcoholics and Celiacs are not to be given holy orders. So my son cannot be in the military and he can't be a priest. Funny.

[jajus100]

Okay,

Where as you say the Church has problems with Celiacs, I think you have a problem with Church teachings. The bottom line is that the "matter" of the bread and wine during communion DO matter! A simple matter of researching church teaching for the last 2000 years will explain why. The church can't just change because some people can't take gluten. The fact is that celiacs can easily receive the body and blood of Jesus through the precious blood. That to me is simple enough. I really don't see why it is such a problem.

[jenvan]

jajus100... i read your post and am not sure if i understand what you are implying. do you mean us church-goers should skip the bread and stick with the wine, thereby still receiving the same spiritual end as if we had taken both bread and wine? (or in my church, the juice : )

'church teaching as doctrine'...so i guess you are speaking of the catholic church only...not the Church, capital C, meaning all christians... b/c many churches out there, scriptual, bible, Gospel based churches, do not cling to the "matter" of the "host."

thanks for clarifying...just wanted to make sure i understood.

[jajus100]

jajus100...  i read your post and am not sure if i understand what you are implying.  do you mean us church-goers should skip the bread and stick with the wine, thereby still receiving the same spiritual end as if we had taken both bread and wine?  (or in my church, the juice : )

'church teaching as doctrine'...so i guess you are speaking of the catholic church only...not the Church, capital C, meaning all christians...  b/c many churches out there, scriptual, bible, Gospel based churches, do not cling to the "matter" of the "host."

thanks for clarifying...just wanted to make sure i understood.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am ONLY talking about the Catholic Church. The Catholic teaching is different from most protestant teachings in the meaning of Holy Communion. When I speak of church doctrine, I am only speaking of the doctrine that relates to the Catholic Church. I was a protestant for years. In my non-denominational church, I really don't think there would have been ANY problem with the matter of the "bread." They could have easily used a gluten-free bread for communion. That is simply no the case based on Catholic Doctrine. The teachings are simply different for different churches. I am saying for Catholics, they have really three choices. They can just take the precious blood, which is the body and blood of Jesus every bit as much as the host. They are not "missing anything" by not taking the hose. They could use a very low-gluten host that is available. Or, they could take their chances with the regular host, which I don't think would be the wisest choice. They might even be able to take a fraction of the low-gluten host if that were possible. Even one crumb, is the same as the whole....

[swittenauer]

I'm just glad that the point of the host was brought up & is becoming more widely recognized as an issue for todays world. In the archdiocese where I work there is already a church offering the low gluten host. It's good to see the awareness.

[jenvan]

I guess only the coming years will tell... I am protestant, so the host issue isn't one for me... I do believe whole-heartedly that there are certain non-negotiables for the Christian faith (obviously), and that to change them would be to change who Christ is, what the Gospel means etc, but some of the "negotiables" do change from time to time, so as to keep the Church culturally relevant. I'm not saying what those are...just saying I think they are out there. I guess in the end, whether a church is responsive to a Celiac or not, that person can take the plea directly to God, and they can experience "communion" in prayer, in a home, amongst friends etc...

I haven't taken communion since my diagnosis. Am working out the details of getting gluten-free bread in my church...which probably isn't too hard, since I am involved, and my dh was on staff for 5 years. It is a church of about 5,000...so I'd say there have to be a few Celiacs in there somewhere! I know for sure one, the son of a woman who came to my support group once. This week I connected with someone here on the boards who was diagnosed and went to my college, and we each have another friend from our college who was diagnosed as well!

[swittenauer]

The only thing that really got me going on this posting was the comment about celiac being scandalous. I just don't understand that. I will go to our tribunal where they are knowledgeable on canon law, etc. & see if there is something new regarding this disease but after doing a bit of research on the internet today...I can't seem to find anything relating to that issue besides the host. I saw nothing about the priesthood as mentioned prior to this. Anyway, it seems as though we have gotten off track from the original topic of this particular posting.

[Noelle126]

I talked to my preist about the "scandelous" nature of Celiacs and basically if a priet is not going to take the host, when he believes that it has become the body of christ he is basically saying that it is still a matter of bread and not the body of christ. As Catholics we believe in transubstation: Transubstantiation is generally understood to refer to the belief that at the moment of Consecration, the elements (or "gifts" as they are termed for liturgical purposes) of bread and wine are transformed (literally trans-substance-iated) into the actual Body and Blood of Christ. The terms "elements" or "gifts" are preferred, as it is theologically incorrect to refer to the "bread" or "wine" after they have been consecrated, as Catholics believe they are no longer bread and wine.

This doctrine holds that the elements are not only spiritually transformed, but are actually (substantially) transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. The elements retain the appearance or "accidents" of bread and wine, but are indeed the actual Body and Blood of Christ, the true, real, and substantial presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

So to Catholics the bread is no longer bread...a Celiac not taking the host is basically saying that the host is still bread and not the body of christ...thus this is why Celiacs cannot be priests.

[jajus100]

So to Catholics the bread is no longer bread...a Celiac not taking the host is basically saying that the host is still bread and not the body of christ...thus this is why Celiacs cannot be priests.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here is an article by another priest.

Would a person with Celiac disease be protected by transubstantiation from being harmed by gluten in the host?

The argument that the accidental qualities of bread cannot harm the intestine of one who suffers from Celiac disease (due to non-tolerance of gluten in wheat bread) is false. It is of course true that the substance of the bread does not remain after the consecration of the sacred species. However, all the accidents remain, which include not just the exterior appearance, but everything that is subject to the senses and that science can investigate, including the chemical composition. The chemical effects of the gluten on the intestinal wall will consequently still remain, just as much as the appearance and texture of bread, for they are just as accidental to the real nature of what is there as the appearance and texture. Here lies the miracle and the mystery of the Blessed Eucharist. It would be a miracle if the accidental qualities of gluten were not to harm the intestine. Although such miracles can happen, we cannot depend upon such an extraordinary intervention of Almighty God. Consequently, a person who suffers from Celiac disease needs to ask the priest to give him or her a very small portion of the host. It is never allowed to manufacture the host out of rice or a non-wheaten material that does not contain gluten. Such hosts are not valid matter for the Holy Eucharist. [Answered by Fr. Peter R. Scott]

[jerseyangel]

Thanks for the explanation, Noelle. As a Catholic girl, I wondered why Celiacs could not become priests--I had never heard such a thing until recently on here. Your words make sense to me.

[jajus100]

Found the exact question on ETWN...

Open Original Shared Link

[Jnkmnky]

An alcoholic cannot receive holy orders because alcoholism is considered a moral problem. A celiac cannot receive holy orders because it causes controversy/scandal. Now.. I don't care either way. Jesus said, "Do this in memory of me." He wasn't refering to a bread recipe he was showing the Apostles how to make. There is no recipe. There's the most likely recipe according to what would have been available at the time. If a celiac eats a gluten containing host... it's the gluten that didn't change from gluten to God that's harming the intestines of the Celiac. This fact unnerves the Catholic church. It's petty and it's stupid. It's also fear motivated. And they're only making my point when they sweat nun's blood trying to devise a "low-gluten" host to keep it all relevant. How low can the gluten go??? How little does there have to be to keep God in the host???? Since God is infinite, He can be infinitely smallllllll.....could a Celiac get away with sniffing a gluten containing host????

The church can't just change because some people can't take gluten.

Oh yes the church can. It changes from time to epic time when it realizes it's screwing up. Whoo-hoo for Vatican II. The Catholic church is run by men and they screw up plenty.

Apparently, there's more than "some people" if current statistics hold true. What Jesus intended and what it's turned into are two different things entirely-- and only because a few men at the head of the Catholic church believe more that God needs them to correct His "mistakes" (whoops! God didn't count on people with Celiac disease wanting to be Catholic!) than in the truth - which is that the intent of the commandment is more important than any recipe deemed "the one". Things DO change in the Catholic church...even if they do change and move at a snail's pace. This will change too. This isn't about tossing a recipe Jesus told us to use for the bread. It's about allowing everyone to participate-- oh, yeah. Thanks for the wine. I feel better now. You can make excuses for the current rules all you want. The truth is, the current rules are not following the spirit of the commandment. I have faith that God's way more practical than some people give him credit for being. Or are you just a more enlightened Catholic?? .....

Thanks for the insight into my thinking....I'll mull over your opinion of my faith..

I think you have a problem with Church teachings.

[jajus100]

Not sure why you felt such a need for such a "snarky" response.

You feel the Church should change its teachings, I feel that it would be entirely inappropriate to do so on such an important matter. Can't you just agree to disagree.... Some of us are traditionalist Catholics who don't want all the changes that some of the progressives want. We simply believe in the reasons for why some things have to stay as they are, you obviously don't. So be it...

[Jnkmnky]

Not sure why you felt such a need for such a "snarky" response.

You feel the Church should change its teachings, I feel that it would be entirely inappropriate to do so on such an important matter.  Can't you just agree to disagree....  Some of us are traditionalist Catholics who don't want all the changes that some of the progressives want.  We simply believe in the reasons for why some things have to stay as they are, you obviously don't.  So be it...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am naturally snarky. There are no "traditionlists" in the Catholic church anymore than there are "really" Catholic people or "Liberal" Catholics... "progressives" and whatever else. We're just Catholics. We were all invited to the supper. What's inappropriate is quibbling over how much gluten a host needs in order for it to turn into God. Seriously...Are they nuts?? You're supposed to feed your guests accordingly and not get all freaked out by their dietary needs/restrictions. That's in the bible in much prettier words. I do not believe God made a mistake when it came to Celiacs. I don't believe being a Celiac means you can't be a priest. Jesus did not hand down a recipe for the bread or hosts. God can exist in a rice craker or bundt cake or a pretzel -even an gluten free pretzel if that's all you have on hand to preform a Mass. I think the guys in control have really lost it when it comes to understanding this commandment. God is not devoid of common sense. The guys in control of the Catholic church-today- are seriously lacking in common sense. It doesn't matter, though. Even if celiacs suddenly couldn't have the wine either....(say the world supply ran out and all the grapes died on the vine)... It wouldn't matter. Being unable to eat the bread, being denied a reasonable alternative *cuz a low gluten host is not cutting it*, wouldn't change the desire a celiac would have to particiapate... Hungering and thirsting are supposed to be highly rated by God... Knowing that the gluten remains and will harm your villi, doesn't mean you don't believe in the mystery. My breastmilk contained gluten.... didn't make me less mom! Just meant I had to make some changes. I'm sure God would be willing to be in a rice cracker for His Celiacs.

I'm just waiting on Vatican III.... or for common sense to prevail!

[bluelotus]

I believe it is not down to 1 in 90 to 1 in 100...depending which research you look at but yeah dramatic numbers. It is so common, yet underdiagnosed and they should have regular screening for it. Considering some people don't get symptoms is all the more reason to do regular screening.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ha ha....can't wait to tell people that think I'm a freak because of it how common it really is....1 in 90, wow!