Abp. Elpidophoros Approves "Food-sensitive" Eucharist
When Accessibility Crosses the Line: A Call for Faithful Integrity in Liturgical Practice
Weston, MA—Hellenic College Holy Cross’s Huffington Ecumenical Institute (HEI) recently hosted a multi-day conference titled “Gathered as One Body: Disability, Accessibility, and Inclusion in the Orthodox Church,” together with the GOA Center for Family Care.
The initiative is part of the Greek Archdiocese's "On Behalf of All" pilot program on parish accessibility, funded by a large grant from none other than the Lilly Endowment, a well-documented pass-through organization for covert donations from the CIA.
The closeness of the Greek Archdiocese to three-letter agencies is, at this point, old news.1 The real news lies in some of the features of the so-called Adaptive Liturgy. One could certainly argue that having an ASL translator for deaf parishioners is a good and pastoral thought. However, this task should, at minimum, be relegated to a tonsured reader properly trained for such a sacred purpose. There have been multiple cases in which supposed ASL interpreters have signed completely different messages than what was actually said. Preaching the Word and leading the laity in prayer is a sacred function of the clergy. Thus, this role should ideally fall to a member of the clergy—minor or major, as appropriate.
Another feature introduced was hypoallergenic incense. Again, one can appreciate the intent and even applaud the effort to accommodate an increasingly unhealthy population. But the real scandal—the one that may skirt the line of heresy—is the introduction of so-called Food-Sensitive Eucharistic Gifts.
One can only assume that this is a "gluten-free" bread, to meet the needs of the five Orthodox Christians in America who may have an actual Gluten allergy. We'll start here just to note how absurd this is merely from a statistical point of view. Orthodox Christians account for just one percent of the American population. Similarly, only three-quarters of one percent of Americans have an actual Gluten intolerance. What are the odds that the three million Orthodox Christian population overlaps with the 2.48 million Americans with a real Gluten intolerance? Pretty slim. Of the total estimated Orthodox population, you're looking at maybe 16,750 on the high end—again, less than 1%.
Now one may say "well wait, didn't you just say that the desire to accommodate an increasingly unhealthy population was worthy of applause?" Yes, but incense is functional, not sacramental and a central tenet of the faith. So, let's get to the actually problematic part—the disbelief in the Eucharist.
This is, unfortunately, not the first time in recent history in which the Greek Archdiocese has shown a lack of faith in the Eucharist. Remember 2020, when they introduced multiple spoons for the distribution of Communion? Apparently, the Body and Blood of the God-Man could cleanse sin and defeat death, but couldn’t quite manage to sterilize a spoon. Now, it seems, the Eucharist is reduced to mere bread and wine—a dietary risk to those with gluten sensitivity. Madness!
And let’s not forget the abandonment of ancient and sacred prosphora baking traditions—traditions stretching back thousands of years—all because maybe one percent of Orthodox Christians lack the faith to believe that we who are but wax and grass partake of the very fire of Divinity. Perhaps the burning we feel is not some largely imagined allergy, but our sins!
And to speak plainly to those who say, “But I really do suffer from this”—let me ask: is a little fatigue, bloating, or discomfort not worth your eternal soul?
And no, this is not some petty “Greek vs. Russian” polemic. I love the Greeks and have a deep appreciation for the Greek tradition and the piety of everyday Greek faithful—a piety that puts mine to shame more often than not. This is about fidelity to Christ, to the Tradition of our Fathers, and not inventing solutions to problems that don’t exist.
Not every idea whispered into our ears by the good idea fairy is actually a good one—let me tell you! I pray that my Greek brothers and sisters will raise their voices, and that this blasphemy will be consigned to the ash heap of history—alongside the unholy alliance that funds it.
See, for example, Matthew Namee’s fantastic work on Fr. Alex Karloutsos and various administrations; start with part one and move forward from there, the story is fascinating. See also declassified documents on the relations between Patriarch Athenogoros, Harry Truman, and the CIA.
When I was first exploring Orthodoxy, I was a really hesitant about receiving the "bread and wine" because I have Celiac Disease. Celiac is not an allergy or an intolerance; it is an autoimmune illness and consuming gluten can cause severe damage to the body. My priest did not push it, but reassured me that it was no longer "bread and wine," but the Body and Blood of Christ and that it cannot make anyone sick. I was eventual baptized and took a huge leap of faith with my first communion. I experienced ZERO negative reaction to the sacramental offering. I react bad to EVERYTHING I put into my mouth... EXCEPT the Holy Mysteries. I have been Orthodox now for 20 years. There are 4 other parishioners at my parish who have also been diagnosed with Celiac Disease and none of us have EVER experienced any negative effect from partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ. And none of us can eat the blessed Prosphora or Antidoron - which have not been consecrated - without getting sick. This experience of both myself and others like me has done more to strengthen my Faith in Christ and His Church than anything I have read or learned intellectually. There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever in my mind that we are receiving Christ Himself when we approach the Chalice. It is an unbelievable tragedy that a hierarch of the Church does not understand this Truth!
In recent memory there were priests, priests many people still remember, who ministered to leper colonies, and who communed with the sick…yet never got sick themself. There are gluten-free brothers and sisters I know, who never get sick from antidoron. Such doubts remind one of the dreadful prophecy of Saint Kosmas,
“Hear my brethren Christians. Time will come when will not be this harmony, which is present, between the people and clergy. When a priest will go to a layperson’s home, as he will leave, they (the laypeople) will cense with incense. If he will sit on a bed, after his departure they will shake (clean) it. If the people encounter a priest on their way, they will come back and will not continue their way.”