The Message -- for Catholics of Southwestern Indiana 11
The bread for communion
By FATHER JOHN DIETZEN
Catholic News Service
We look forward to your articles. My
concerns the host we receive at Commu-
.our area we receive a very small white wafer,
been always taught to let it melt in our
and say a prayer.
I visit my son's family, the host is a larger
which looks like it is made from whole
I feel uncomfortable seeing everyone walking
altar looking as if they're chewing.
)
Your question may appear trivial to
;but it has significant implications that are
COnsidering.
Lg yOU remember was at one time
not unusual. When I was in elementary school, in
fact, we were told it was a sin to let the host touch
one's teeth.
At very least, these sorts of strange teachings
never had real foundation in Catholic doctrine or
authentic practice.
Jesus told the disciples several times that his
Eucharistic body was to be their food, which they
were to eat.
The church's rules about the nature of bread for
the Eucharist reflect that belief. Regulations in the
General Instruction on the Roman Missal, for exam-
ple, require that the bread used in the Eucharistic cel-
ebration "appear as actual food" (No. 283).
In other words, it should look and taste like
bread people actually eat.
There's nothing at all unusual in this rule. A fun-
damental principle in the theology and celebration of
the sacraments is that the signs -- oil, water, gestures,
bread, words -- should reflect as genuinely as possi-
ble the reality they signify.
Dirty baptismal water or gummy oil, for example,
while perhaps valid for the sacraments, are, to say the
least, inappropriate and defective sacramental signs.
Similarly, bread which no one would otherwise
recognize as bread isn't what the church urges for the
celebration of Mass. As one child first communicant
said when asked whether he believed the bread is
now Jesus, "I believe it is Jesus, but I don't believe it
was bread."
The hosts you experience at your son's parish are
common. They attempt to honor as well as possible
the requirement that Eucharistic bread be made only
of water and wheat, with no added ingredients, and
still "appear as actual food," as real bread.
A free brochure answering questions Catholics ask
about the sacrament of penance is available by sending a
stamped, self-vddressed envelope to Father John Dietzen,
Box 325, Peoria IlL 61651.
Questions for this cohmm should be sent to Father
Dietzen at the me address.
leaders welcome 'yes' vote on northern Irish agreement
By CHRISTENA
COLCLOUGH
ews Service
Northern Ireland
Church leaders in all
Welcomed the "yes"
Friday peace
and Ireland's pri-
he hoped the vote
gun out of Irish poll-
issued by Arch-
Brady of Armagh,
said: "I think
ow move on to work
for a better
are good,
the hand of
has been offered.
hopefully it will
hand of friendship.
LSthe
concerned,
raean that the war is
take the gun
politics once and for
Brady said.
primate of all
welcoming the
Ireland poll
In the May 22 vote
Ireland and
85 percent of
the peace agree-
to end the
"Troubles." More
than 3,000 people have been
killed in nearly 30 years of con-
flict in Northern Ireland.
Pope John Paul II, visiting the
northern Italian city of Turin
May 24, hailed the vote and said
he hoped it would lead to last-
ing peace.
"I want to express my joy at
the desire for peace and recon-
ciliation that has emerged in the
popular referendum in Ireland,"
he said. "I encourage that
beloved people to continue with
courage along the path they
have taken up."
Cardinal Bernard F. Law of
Boston praised the referendum
results, which he called a "yes"
for "a future that moves beyond
violence, the bullet and the
bomb."
"The world owes a debt of
gratitude to all those whose
labors have brought us to this
point," he said in a statement
May 23. But he cautioned that
"a great deal of work still
remains" and called for people
to pray that God will continue
to bless peace efforts.
The final count of 71.12 per-
cent in Northern Ireland in
favor of the peace deal was
announced May 23. More than
600,000 people turned out to
vote, the highest election atten-
dance ever in the British
province of Northern Ireland.
In the Irish Republic, 96 per-
cent of voters agreed to drop
Articles 2 and 3, which repre-
sent the constitutional territori-
al claim over Northern Ireland.
Retired Bishop Edward Daly
of Derry, Northern Ireland,
interviewed on television short-
ly after results came in, said, "I
think there is a great desire for
most people to focus on the
future rather than the past.
"I think the significance of
today's events is that 71 percent
of this community anonymous-
ly, irrespective of religious back-
ground, voted 'yes' for the
agreement. And that is the mes-
sage that should go out from
today, and that is what young
people want to hear," he said.
At a press conference, Arch-
bishop Desmond Connell of
Dublin, Ireland, welcomed ref-
erendum results but stressed
that "courage and sincere deter-
mination" were necessary to
implement the agreement.
"In this time of new political
structures, the churches can
play an important part and can
make an ".unportant contribution
in combating sectarianism,
social exclusion and injustice,"
Archbishop Connell said.
The Church of Ireland primate,
Archbishop Robin Fames, echoed
Archbishop ConneU's sentiments,
saying, "the silent majority has
spoken" but that much work still
needed to be done.
"I pray that we may never
have to face endless funerals
and broken hearts. The future
under God is open to Catholic
and Protestant, nationalist and
unionist. May we move forward
together with a new respect for
each other," he added.
The main obstacles to be over-
Northern Ireland assembly June
25 and how the parades issue is
resolved.
But not all church leaders
were optimistic.
Msgr. Denis Faul of Dungan-
non, a prominent spokesman on
the peace issue, described the
vote as "good news," but
warned that rlauch remains to be
done before there can be a last-
ing peace.
"The British and the world
now know where the real trou-
ble is -- the 50 percent of union-
come immediately include the ists who voted:,No.They
elections to the new 108-seat the troublemakers;" said. :
mentiomng
Newman chair
3eorge, O.MI., Archbishop
has accepted the title of the hon-
the Venerable John Henry New-
associated with St. Joseph's
In Rensselaer, Ind. Cardinal George
>ted an appointment as episco-
of the association by the
i ice of Catholic Bishops.
College will host a national
COnference Aug. 6-8, with some, 15
SCholars presenting papers•
program scheduled
n ge Issues will be present-
Evansville, Sunday,
• to 5:30 p.m. The program is
or both have
previous union, have worked
annulment process and are now
for a valid marriage in
the church, according to Kristel Riffert at
Catholic Charities. Riffert said the program
was developed to help couples prepare for a
sacramental marriage as well as confront some
of the major issues specific to remarriage.
St. Meinrad confers theology degrees
St. Meinrad School of Theology awarded
master's degrees to 44 students May 14.
Among them were Letenegus Ansera of Fer-
dinand, who received a Master of Theological
Studies, and Lucille Pierpont of Vincennes,
who received a Master of Religious Education
degree.
Pilgrimage services May 31
Benedictine Father Denis Robinson will
speak on, "Mary, Woman of the Spirit," Sun-
day, May 31, at Monte Cassino, near St. Mein-
rad Archabbey. The 2 p.m. service is the last of
a Sunday series in May.
Golden Jubilations
Warren and Lorene (Doerr) Dunkel of Evansville will celebrate
their fiftieth wedding anniversary on May 30. They were mar-
ried May 29,1948, at SL Benedict Church, Evansville. They are the
parents of three children: Elaine Herrin s of Virginia Beach, Va.,
and Eldon Dunkel and Diane Dunket, both of Evansville. They
have three 8randchiidren, and one great-Wrandchild. Mr. Dunkel
worked for Railway Express fort 30 years; he retired from
Holsclaw Brothers in 1980. Mrs. Dunkel retired from Zesto in
1984.
