This was the rare week in which my national “On Religion” column for the Universal syndicate grew directly out of a recent GetReligion post, the one with this headline: “Autism and Communion: Textbook social-media clash between parents, press and church.” The syndicated column then provided the hook for this week’s “Crossroads” podcast (click here to tune that in).
That’s a lot of material to take in. Why did I think that this issue was worthy of all that attention?
Basically, it was a four-step process and I have to admit that I had a personal reason for taking this on.
(1) Let’s start with the USA Today story, which ran with this headline: “Boy with autism denied First Communion at Catholic church: 'That is discrimination,' mom says.”
That story offered a classic news-coverage clash between “discrimination” language that is so popular with journalists and the efforts of church leaders to, perhaps imperfectly, minister to people with special needs while also honoring 2,000 years of Catholic doctrine about Holy Communion.
(2) Doctrine vs. discrimination? What could go wrong? This USA Today piece was a classic example of a larger issue that your GetReligionistas have encountered over and over during the past 17 years.
Simply stated, journalists (especially reporters without religion-beat experience) have a tendency to frame religion news in images and language drawn from political conflicts. Who needs to dig into the details of Catholic tradition and canon law — including statements about Holy Communion and people with autism — when you can write a headline that shouts “Discrimination!”
Once again, there’s that doctrine found in way too many newsrooms: The world of politics is real. Faith and doctrine? Not so much.
(3) Who believes in “transubstantiation” anyway? That is an interesting news story in and of itself. My mind flashed back to a Pew Research Center study that came out last summer: “Just one-third of U.S. Catholics agree with their church that Eucharist is body, blood of Christ.” Here is a key part of Pew’s explainer, detailing that the study found:
… that most self-described Catholics don’t believe this core teaching. In fact, nearly seven-in-ten Catholics (69%) say they personally believe that during Catholic Mass, the bread and wine used in Communion “are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.” Just one-third of U.S. Catholics (31%) say they believe that “during Catholic Mass, the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus.”
Thus, about 70% of Catholics in America are, well, Protestants. By the way, that 31% statistic — Catholics who do embrace this doctrine — is pretty close to the number of U.S. Catholics who are frequent Mass attenders. Maybe there is a story there?
(4) Finally, this issue intrigued me because of my own church experiences — as an Orthodox Christian — with Holy Communion and people with autism. The whole topic of mental and physical disabilities is packed with theological content linked to the many ways in which (I will state this as a believer) we live in a broken world.
At the same time, believers can also see beauty and innocence in the lives of children and adults with mental disabilities and in the care shown by their loved ones. A child with severe autism is part of the Body of Christ, just as much as the priest at the altar.
How do pastors maintain reverence for the Sacrament, while also recognizing the spiritual needs of these children and their families?
All of these factors led me back to Father Matthew Schneider, who in social media — think Twitter and YouTube, primarily — as @AutisticPriest. He was diagnosed as autistic two years after he was ordained as a Catholic priest in 2013 and most people would say that he is wrestling with what used to be called Asperger's syndrome.
What are the doctrinal and canon law issues that loom over these discussions? Here is a key piece of the column:
"Because we believe Holy Communion is the Body and Blood or our Lord, we want to be very careful about this," said Father Matthew Schneider…
"This isn't a theology test. No one needs a theology degree to take Holy Communion. We simply need to make sure that [people with disabilities] know this is an act in a church rite -- that they are not eating ordinary food like at home. We're trying to find out if they have a basic understanding of what's happening."
Parents, pastors and journalists need to know that most Catholic dioceses have offices and staff members dedicated to helping parishes serve people with various kinds of disabilities. There are special educational materials to help children with special needs prepare for First Communion. This process may take more time, but it can be done, Schneider said.
Frankly, I would like to see some of the flipbooks and picture-card sets that -- without words -- describe the mysteries in the Mass. There is, for example, a "Communion Is Not the Same as Food" puzzle set uses simple images to help children with autism distinguish between the Eucharist and "home food."
This is the part of this story that journalists need to explore as they cover the tensions surrounding this issue. Here’s another big chunk of the column:
Under Catholic canon law, children can be given Holy Communion "if they can distinguish the body of Christ from ordinary food and receive communion reverently."
Schneider noted that U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops guidelines state that some individuals -- because of their disabilities -- may need to communicate this understanding "through manner, gesture or reverential silence rather than verbally."
This discernment process can be emotional, complicated and even painful. Thus, the bishops encouraged priests to "consult with parents, those who take the place of parents, diocesan personnel involved with disability issues, psychologists, religious educators and other experts in making their judgment. If it is determined that a parishioner who is disabled is not ready to receive the sacrament, great care is to be taken in explaining the reasons for this decision. Cases of doubt should be resolved in favor of the right of the Catholic to receive the sacrament."
This story is both complex and emotional. There is no way to cover it without serious attention to these kinds of doctrinal issues.
Once again, this is why newsroom managers need to seek out journalists who have experience covering religion news. News professionals need to get the details right.