Not giving communion to people with Alzheimer's disease

[MaggieTheCat]

Got this story from my grandma. There is an assisted living facility in my hometown that has its own little room with an altar and pews and everything for church services. My grandma does not live at the assisted living facility, she still lives in her own home, but she has a lot of friends who live there, so she goes to the Lutheran church services there. She also frequently helps the pastor with his services. I don't know what all she does, but among other things, she helps get the communion prepared for him.

There is a woman who goes to the service who was just recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. As soon as the pastor found out she was diagnosed, he refused to give her communion. I guess the reasoning behind it is that she no longer understands what it means.

I'm not religious so I don't really get the whole communion thing myself. I mean, I know what it signifies, I just don't understand why it's so important to people. But I do understand that it IS important to people who believe in it. So I don't understand why suddenly this woman is being denied communion.

The worst of it is, from what I understand, is that she is still in the early stages of Alzheimer's. So she does still understand mostly what is going on. She recognizes my grandma when grandma shows up for the services, and talks with her. And when the pastor first started passing her during communion, she got very upset and tried to wave him back over to her. But he ignored her.

Is this common? If so...why? I don't understand.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I never heard the like, and that pastor needs to have a foot broken off in his ass.

A lot of bigger churches actually sends communion out to shut ins and nursing homes. In fact, my friend that triggered my conversion to the Episcpal church actually is one of these people that goes out to the shut ins. I've gone with her on occasion. There are old folks on the list, needless to say.

If this is something the lady has done before she got sick, she knows what she is doing. That's not for that idiot to decide. I'm just appalled.

[MaggieTheCat]

The lady took communion regularly, as far as I know. She actually moved to my hometown recently to go to this nursing home; she was originally from another town nearby. When she first moved in to the nursing home and expressed interest in attending the Lutheran services, apparently the pastor had to first verify that she was an active member of the Wisconsin Lutheran Synod, or he wasn't going to give her communion at all. So he started giving her communion after he verified that she was a member, but a few months later when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, he refused her communion.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

That is unbelievable. I can't believe he's got a congregation (of Lutherans, no less) putting up with that.

I've taken communion in Lutheran churches, and I am not Lutheran. That guy needs to be reported.

I've never, in any church I've ever been in, regardless of denomination, had to show freaking PAPERS to participate in communion.

The guy is denying sacrament to needy people in need of comfort in their final years? Seriously?

Mind blown.

[Greenday]

If it was Catholics, I wouldn't be surprised as Catholicism is extremely strict and they seem to have rules on everything.

But I've never heard of such a strict Lutheran church. They have been stricter than the Methodist churches I would normally attend, but that's not saying much. They have all been accepting and welcomed me to do communion if I wanted to.

[mikoyan29]

I wouldn't even believe catholic because there is the sacrement of the sick. Now, I'd believe he was an asshole....but I don't think that's a proper religion.

[Rapscallion]

If she wasn't a religious person all her life and suddenly accepting communion after the condition developed, I could accept him refusing, since it's no guarantee she's of sound mind when making the decision. However, this is someone who has been doing it for years - it's no sudden change of mind etc. I'd say let her continue.

Rapscallion

[Arcade Man D]

That is unbelievable. I can't believe he's got a congregation (of Lutherans, no less) putting up with that.

I've taken communion in Lutheran churches, and I am not Lutheran. That guy needs to be reported.

I've never, in any church I've ever been in, regardless of denomination, had to show freaking PAPERS to participate in communion.

The guy is denying sacrament to needy people in need of comfort in their final years? Seriously?

Mind blown.

Yup, to my knowledge all Lutheran synods believe in "open Communion". Or as the pastor of my (American Baptist, not Lutheran, but same idea) church puts it in the Invitation and Institution of the Lord's Supper (a.k.a. prologue to the Communion)

"As we gather here, we remember that this is not the table of a church, or a denomination, but the table of Jesus. So we invite all to partake, as long as you keep His words in mind", then goes on to quote the verses about the bread-breaking and wine-sharing.

In other words, this guy is way out of bounds, and ought to be reported to the Synod (anonymously).

[Kheldarson]

Don't know much about the Lutheran church heirarchy, but definitely take it to his superior. You don't do that. Heck, if my uncle, who has had the mental capacity of an infant, has been allowed to participate in the Eucharist once, why would anybody deny a sound reasoning woman who has believed her entire life her communion? Not right.

[tabbyblack13]

My Grandma had Alzheimer's and was very religious before the disease took her away. I know it is a sin to attack a person but if anyone tried to not giver her communion I would have ended up in jail. She loved going to church and being apart of the Christan community before Alzheimer's robbed her of her mind.

What I fear from this is what will happen when she dies. Will this priest refuse to do a proper burial because of the Alzheimer's too?

[draggar]

The priest is wrong. The woman has had a strong faith in her religion for many years and just because she was diagnosed with a disease her faith should be questioned?

The priest's ways should be questioned.

[Adoyle90815]

That priest was definitely wrong, especially as this woman was still in the early stages of Alzheimer's and understood the meaning of Communion.

[protege]

My Grandma had Alzheimer's and was very religious before the disease took her away. I know it is a sin to attack a person but if anyone tried to not giver her communion I would have ended up in jail. She loved going to church and being apart of the Christan community before Alzheimer's robbed her of her mind.

My grandmother turned 93 on Monday. She has Alzheimer's...which is getting worse. As such, she usually has no idea what's going on If a priest denied her communion because of it...I'd probably hurt the bastard. Her church was a big part of her life--she served on many of the committees, volunteer groups, and knew everyone.

[Ree]

That was a personal bias of that particular minister.
I don't believe there is anything in the doctrines of The Lutheran church that denies communion to Alzheimer's patients, but I believe they do leave it up to the minister as to whether they wish to minister communion or not if a person is intellectually unable to understand the sacrament.
In fact, communion is considered a part of the ministry to the sick and infirm, and that includes people with Alzheimer's.

http://www2.elca.org/lutheranpartner...es/provid.html
http://www.baylor.edu/content/servic...t.php?id=47151

[pssorens]

First of all, I'm not agreeing with what the pastor did. but the stuff Ree Looked up was From the ELCA Lutheran Church and not the wisconsin synod. Lutheranism is made up of three main groups. ELCA( Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), Missouri Synod, and the Wisconsin Synod. Having been associated with all three groups I know that the Missouri Synod and Wisconsin Synod have different rules for the taking of communion than the ELCA which tends to be more liberal than the other two.