Wafer Watch -- or, The Faithful Citizenship Coloring Book

By ( articles ) | Apr 16, 2004

Ellen Goodman gives a synopsis of her monograph on Ecclesia de Eucharistia:

What next? Will we have a political reporter to cover John Forbes Kerry at each Sunday Mass from now to November? Will there be a Holy Communion beat? A wafer watch?

Dismissing concerns over political exploitation of the Eucharist as a "wafer watch" is clearly a great leap forward in inter-religious understanding. A prominent Catholic voice for dialogue concurs:

The whole thing, fumed Frances Kissling of Catholics for a Free Choice, turned us into a nation of "eucharistic Peeping Toms."

Lest we forget, Ellen reminds us that we're sexist as well as stupid:

Twenty years ago, the bishops were annoyed by Mario Cuomo and apoplectic at Geraldine Ferraro when she spoke as a Catholic, a vice presidential candidate, and a woman. "I'm a weekly communicant," she says, remembering 1984. "But I have to tell you, every time I went up to the altar I was in a little bit of a panic about who might give you Communion and who might refuse."

Because she spoke as a woman.

By putting Kerry on wafer watch, conservatives in the church are running the Kennedy tape backward. Ferraro reminds them: "Kerry's not running for pope. He's running for president."

Moral: Miss Goodman believes in a caring God.