This is in response to the letter from Lee Andrews, printed Jan. 3, about the ruling by the Catholic Diocese of Maine regarding Communion at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center and other institutions of the Sisters of Charity.

Andrews and others need to know the Roman Catholic faith in order to understand why we do certain practices.

The church is not a cafeteria from which to pick and choose. Many leave and many don’t become Catholic because they are not strong enough to follow the laws that Jesus taught his disciples and have been passed on to us.

In the Catholic Church, one has to be baptized and receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation to be able to receive Holy Communion. A 6-year-old child goes to confession. A person who has lived in sin all his life, who does not have a pure soul, is not in condition to receive the body and blood of the Lord.

The tabernacle is locked, so evildoers will not desecrate the precious contents. Do we not lock our doors when we go out or go to bed? We protect ourselves and our belongings. The tabernacle is the dwelling of the Lord.

For those who need to know more why Communion is only given to the pure of heart, read Chapter 11 in the first letter from Paul to the Corinthians to find the answer.

Jane B. Theriault, Lewiston