Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1917-08-16
|SACRAMENTAL WINE SUPPLY
BEGINNING TO RUN SHORT
Shortage Being Felt in Catholic Churches,
Says Bishop---Question Discussed
by Episcopalians.

Difficulties in obtaining fermented
VINE Tor sacramental purposes are
Delng experienced by clergymen of
several denominations. At a meet
ing OF Catholic clergy with Bishop
Augustine F. Schinner yesterday the
Rev. E. Friedrich of Chewelah was
appointed to investigate and obtain
legal aid if necessary to clear the
way for the catholic clergy of the
spokane diocese to obtain supplies,
according to Bishop Schinner.
Bishop Herman Page of the Spo-
kane missionary district of the Epis-
copal church also reported that
there had been considerable talk a
,nong some of his clergymen relative
% obtaining sacramental wines, but
that to date no action had been
.aken.
Lutherans have appointed Rev. A.
y. Swinehart. of Spokane college, to
prepare a paper to be read at their
-lext meeting on the subject.
Legal Difficulties Involved
"The difficulty the clergy have ex-
perienced," said Bishop Schinner,
after the meeting yesterday, "is that
local authorities in some of the
towns do not seem to understand the
law. Some say the old law is abro-
gated on account of the referendum
and that the new law is not in force.
Some priests whose supplies are run
ming short are borrowing from
others until they can obtain new SUI
pplies. We will now start an invest
igation to clear the matter up so that
all of the clergy will understand the
law and have local authorities CO.
operate with them. The Catholic
church uses only fermented wine for
this purpose.
MANY of the people are trying to
hide behind the federal law and
claim that it does not permit them
to ship wine into dry territory, but
the federal law distinctly exempts
wine for sacramental purposes"
Bishop Herman Page said: "We
nave not taken any action so far but
there has been quite lot of talk
about what should be done. The
Rev. Alexander Lockwood, mission
airy for the district, conducts serv-
ices in six or seven places and may
experience trouble in getting supp
lies in all the places, but | guess he
can manage all right
Grape Juice Just as Good.
When called at Greenacres where
lie is spending the summer, the Rev.
Lockwood said, 81 am using grape
Juice in the sacramental services and
started to use it month ago. Many
Of the druggists in the small towns
nave given up their licenses and are
not carrying wine. The use of wine
is symbolical to my mind, and grape
Juice is just as good for the purpose
as port wine. The law provides that
the minister has to go to the county
alluitoi s'Aet DON iOi pCllIl tllcu
ne goes before the prosecuting attor-
ney and has to furnish character
proof. This official takes the case
under advisement for about thirty
days before the clergyman gets the
certificate. | feel that there is no
use bucking this thing and that the
church may as well come to it."
The Rev. o. L. Karlson, pastor of
the Sion Lutheran church, said his
church used wine and that there was
still a supply on hand. He also said
that the Rev. A. o. Swinehart has
been delegated by the Lutheran min
sterial association to make inquiries
and report at the next meeting. The
Rev. Mr. Swinehart said:
Scripture Says Fruit of Vine
81 have not paid much attention to
the matter yet, but SO far have had
no difficulty. | conduct services at
ST. Maries, Idaho and the druggist
there told me he had some the last
time l was there. | do not consider
wine essential, for the scripture says
Fruit of the vine
| Ministers of the Congregational,
Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian
Methodist Episcopal South and Bapt-
ist report that they use the unfer-
mented grape juice for sacramental
purposes.