A new front seems to have opened up on the communion wars — and it involves someone who isn’t even Catholic.

Fr. James Martin, S.J. has the scoop:

In one of the strangest religious stories of the month, Sally Quinn, the longtime Washington Post reporter and co-editor of the Post-Newsweek blog “On Faith” wrote about her decision to receive Communion at her close friend Tim Russert’s funeral. Ms. Quinn is not a Catholic. The whole story is here on The New Republic’s blog here.

First, Ms. Quinn’s comment from the original “On Faith” blog:

“Last Wednesday at Tim’s funeral mass at Trinity Church in Georgetown… communion was offered. I had only taken communion once in my life, at an evangelical church. It was soon after I had started “On Faith” and I wanted to see what it was like. Oddly I had a slightly nauseated sensation after I took it, knowing that in some way it represented the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Last Wednesday I was determined to take it for Tim, transubstantiation notwithstanding. I’m so glad I did. It made me feel closer to him. And it was worth it just to imagine how he would have loved it. After I began “On Faith,” Tim started calling me “Sister Sal” instead of “Miss Sal.”

Not surprisingly, the Catholic League issued a response.

“Just reading what Sally Quinn said is enough to give any Christian, especially Catholics, more than a ‘slightly nauseating sensation.’ In her privileged world, life is all about experiences and feelings.

“Moreover, Quinn’s statement not only reeks of narcissism, it shows a profound disrespect for Catholics and the beliefs they hold dear. If she really wanted to get close to Tim Russert, she should have found a way to do so without trampling on Catholic sensibilities. Like praying for him–that’s what Catholics do.”

What’s going on here?

Check out Jim’s blogpost to find out.

UPDATE: There’s also a very good dissection of the Quinn kerfuffle over at The Anchoress. Elizabeth Scalia says:

Sally Quinn was attempting to commune with Tim Russert – a man who, while on Earth, may have been to her “the only Christ” she had ever seen.

Her instinct, then, could be construed as “seeking Christ the only way she has known him, through the sacrament of Communion.”

She shouldn’t have done it. It would be lovely if non-Catholics would take the time, as President and Mrs. Bush did, to learn what we believe and to respect our ways as they might respect a million other multi-culti rituals. But on the other hand, Quinn may have brought a real innocence to her act, as well as some vincible ignorance. Christ is bigger than any slight that can be made against him, and the Holy Spirit has a way of using the most surprising people or circumstances for designs we cannot understand.

Check out her link for the rest. It’s all good.