Alaska prisons effectively ban Catholic Mass

The Alaska Department of Corrections has instituted a new policy that banned the use of altar wine during religious ceremonies, effectively barring Catholic Mass from being offered at correctional facilities.

“No altar wine or other alcoholic beverages will be used by anyone who is involved with any activity. The use of a non-alcoholic substitute (juice) for altar wine may be considered,” the interim policy established on June 6 reads.

The interim policy effectively bans Catholic masses, which require a priest to consecrate and consume both bread and wine in order for the Mass to be considered valid.

“The use of a small amount wine by a Catholic priest in the celebration of Holy Mass is a requirement for Catholics,” Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote, explained in a statement to The Spectator. “This is done because the Catholic mass memorializes the Last Supper where we believe Christ himself transformed wine into his body, blood, soul, and divinity, and asked his apostles to continue this practice as a perpetual memorial.”

The 2004 Vatican instruction Redemptionis sacramentum states that “It is altogether forbidden to use wine of doubtful authenticity or provenance, for the Church requires certainty regarding the conditions necessary for the validity of the sacraments. Nor are other drinks of any kind to be admitted for any reason, as they do not constitute valid matter.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “The essential signs of the Eucharistic sacrament are wheat bread and grape wine.”

Catholic parishioners are only required to receive either bread or wine during communion, as Jesus is believed to be fully present in both species. But Catholic doctrine dictates that both species must still be present at the Mass and consumed by the celebrant. Yet the Alaska Department of Corrections policy does not even allow solely the priest to use or consume alcoholic wine.

The Alaska Department of Corrections policy notes that it applies to “all Department employees, volunteers and prisoners.”

“Prisoners should never be impeded from access to spiritual help, including the availability of Catholic sacraments.  Prisoners themselves do not need to partake in consuming the consecrated wine.  But the priest must do so,” Burch said. 

The DoC’s previous policy regarding altar wine stated that “any use of altar wine at a faith group related event must be approved by the Superintendent after consultation with the Institutional Chaplain or Chaplaincy Coordinators under the procedures in this policy and shall only be consumed by the clergy member who is conducting the activity.”

The interim policy was approved by Commissioner Jennifer Winkelman. Winkelman was appointed to her position in January by Republican governor Mike Dunleavy.

The Alaska Department of Corrections claimed in a statement to The Spectator confirmed that “Alaska DoC’s previous policy allowed altar wine with approval of the superintendent or chaplaincy coordinators” but claimed that “to our knowledge altar wine has never been approved.” News articles from prior years, though, confirm that Masses have been offered in various Alaskan correctional facilities, which would require wine.

The policy necessarily prevents Catholic prisoners from fulfilling their holy obligation to attend Mass on Sundays. Catholics are also are required, at minimum, to receive the Eucharist once a year.

An Alaska Department of Corrections policy handbook regarding different faith traditions recognizes that it is a basic requirement for being a Catholic to “assist at Mass on all Sundays.” The handbook also says that Eucharist is when “The bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ when the words of consecration are pronounced by the priest at Mass.”

The interim policy was implemented during a review of all faith-based programming in the Department of Corrections. It is not clear what prompted the review, when the review will be completed and if the ban on altar wine will continue beyond the review.

“The memo was issued as temporary guidance as DoC reviews the policy in its entirety. The final policy will be reviewed by the Department of Law to ensure the appropriate balance between security in DoC facilities and inmates ability to practice their religious beliefs,” a spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Corrections said. “Alaska DoC will not address additional questions until the final policy has been reviewed.”

A source familiar said that Catholic Church leaders in Alaska are preparing for potential legal action to fight the policy, but are concerned about retaliation.

The Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau and the Diocese of Fairbanks did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Previous court cases have erred on the side of allowing Catholic prisoners the right to receive wine during communion. There have been relatively few instances of priests being barred from using wine during Mass in prisons. In 2012, a Monseigneur was told he could not bring a small amount of wine into a Charleston County jail in South Carolina; the issue was resolved before any legal action was taken.

“We are hopeful that Alaska officials will rethink this policy in light of Catholic practices,” Burch told The Spectator. “Failing to do so would represent a form of discrimination against Catholic inmates and a violation of fundamental protections of religious liberty.”