Question to Catholic nurses

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Elderly patient in acute care, very sick, A,Ox4. Catholic chaplain tied up somewhere else, so a volunteer from Chaplain's office comes. This guy was NOT a priest (wore no robes, no badge).

The patient wanted to have Holy Communion, but was on extreme swallow precautions with "pureed food only, 1:1 supervision". The volunteer refused to give her the host. When I asked him would it be appropriate to just let her kiss it, or do something else so that her religious needs would be satisfied, he became rude and told that "church policies" prohibit anything except actually consuming the host, and if patient is not able to do that, then it is essentially his or her personal problems.

Poor LOL was all over the place in tears.

So, my question to anybody who might know: what can actually be done in such situation? I just do not believe that poor people who just cannot swallow must be treated so cruelly.

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I was taught that the Body of Jesus was never to be chewed, however I see it done at Mass all the time. I've also seen the Host touched to the lips of a patient who was NPO, but not what happened to it afterwards. At any rate, the Eucharistic Minister in the OP was out of line, and if he had questions about how to administer the Eucharist under these circumstances he should have asked a priest beforehand. Sounds to me like his training was inadequate.

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.
... Sounds to me like his training was inadequate.

I do not know about training, but kindness and ol' good common sense were not there, that's for sure.

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Specializes in ED, psych.

I have many things I'd like to say, and none of them are very nice. What a self-righteous jackass.

I hope the LOL found some comfort. My prayers go out to her.

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I'm NOT Catholic, so I don't know how true this is ...

I read a news article several year ago about some kids stealing some communion wafers or something from a Catholic church. The Catholic church was out for blood. They explained that they believe that the communion wafers actually become the body of Christ and the wine actually becomes the blood of Christ when they are consecrated. The communion wafers that had been stolen had already gone through that transformation so the kids had actully stolen the body of Christ.

If the church believes that the communion wafer was the actual body of Christ, it is understandable that the volunteer couldn't just touch the wafer to the patient's lips and then toss it in the trash.

You might just ask the priest to explain the Church's position on Holy Communion for someone who is NPO. If they can't partake, what should be done?

When you do find out, please come back and tell us.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

If the patient is competent then she's free to decide if she wants to apply her recommended restrictions to communion or not. If the she chooses not to or can't swallow the wafer then my understanding is that it can be placed in her mouth momentarily and then returned to the church where it is placed in water specifically for the purpose of disposing of partially consumed wafers. Basically, the church consumes the wafer if someone else can't.

ETA: I did just find something from a source that claims to be also be associated with the Catholic church that says you either have to swallow all of it or you can't get communion at all, it basically said that if you can't physically take communion it's because God doesn't want you to, so views seem to vary widely.

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It's these type of things that also caused me to leave the Roman Catholic Church. I feel badly for the poor patient. From what I recall:

During the Consecration the Priest breaks the Host in two and takes one half then the other half is served to the other Priest or Eucharistic Minister. I even seen the Priest eat the small pieces left in the chalice after they done serving and cleaning up so partial pieces of the Eucharist must be ok.

I know there are different kinds of hosts and some melt easier than others- the small white ones that are tasteless melt very, very quickly but the tan, bigger wheat-flavored ones are hard and take awhile to melt.

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Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.

What about soaking the wafer in the wine? To make it soft/mushy.

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.
I used to be a devout Catholic, and left because of this sort of hairsplitting legalism. Some of these Eucharistic Ministers of Holy Communion are insufferable holier than thou, priest wannabes, frankly.

What this patient needed is the Anointing of the Sick rite, administered by a priest. If the chaplain was unavailable, I would call a local church. This was previously called last rites, but now can be administered more than once, when patient very sick.

i agree...

far are to rigid or my GOD plan...

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Specializes in PCCN.
I have tears running down my face from laughing so hard...I'm picturing "Holy Ghost Knockoffs" at Dollar General! :lol2:

omgosh- thats really funny! probably blasphemous, but still funny!

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Specializes in Oncology.

I floated to ICU and had a vented/sedated patient. A nun came and asked if she could give her communion. I was like, "Uhm, no. She can't eat or drink anything." The nun said, "Oh, I'll do spiritual communion, it's a prayer!" I said, "Yes, prayer is fine." She went it and whispered a prayer, then said to me, "I prayed quietly so I wouldn't wake her up." Bless her heart.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Many, many years ago at my first job (Catholic facility) I asked the same question. Only priests were allowed to administer communion at the time. I was told they could break the host into numerous itty, bitty pieces and 1 little piece still represented the Body of Christ. That miniscule piece (ike a read crumb) would quickly melt so there was no problem.

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I found an article by the Archbishop of Santa Fe that explains the Catholic Church position on communion. They believe that the bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood, soul and divinity of Christ when they are consecrated.

Is The Eucharist Really Christ's Body and Blood? - Archdiocese of Santa Fe

Knowledge and belief about the real presence | National Catholic Reporter

Here's an article about communion for NPO patients

†Archindy.org: The Criterion Online Edition - June 4, 2010

There are strict rules about the bread and wine once it is consecrated.

I don't think the layperson was being deliberately mean. He was just following the doctrine of the church.

I don't agree with the Catholic teachings, but I respect anyone who lives their faith.

I'm NOT Catholic, so I don't know how true this is ...

I read a news article several year ago about some kids stealing some communion wafers or something from a Catholic church. The Catholic church was out for blood. They explained that they believe that the communion wafers actually become the body of Christ and the wine actually becomes the blood of Christ when they are consecrated. The communion wafers that had been stolen had already gone through that transformation so the kids had actully stolen the body of Christ.

If the church believes that the communion wafer was the actual body of Christ, it is understandable that the volunteer couldn't just touch the wafer to the patient's lips and then toss it in the trash.

You might just ask the priest to explain the Church's position on Holy Communion for someone who is NPO. If they can't partake, what should be done?

When you do find out, please come back and tell us.

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