Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City says a bleeding host reported after a communion wafer turned water red was caused by bread mold, not a miracle.
Officials said Wednesday that a scientist found the conclusive natural explanation for the wafer that turned water in an ablution bowl a dark red color at Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Kearns.
The diocese appointed a committee to investigate after the host that went uneaten on Nov. 8 appeared to bleed after being left unattended for several days.
Committee chair Monsignor Francis Mannion says the church sets a high bar for proving a miracle and rules one out if an event has a conclusive natural explanation.
He says in a statement that miracles have occurred in the church's history, but false claims undermine its credibility.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
