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.
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