Alternative to communion host?

[malphono]

i believe the Marionite Church uses unleavened bread, but you are correct that most Eastern Churches utilize unleavened bread

Actually, the Chaldean Church, the Syro-Malabar Church, and the Armenian Church also use unleavened bread. I believe the same is true for the ACoE and the Armenian OC as well.

 

[Phemie]

i see. i wonder why he opted for it. our previous priest doesn’t use the same size of host

Some priests like the high visibility, some like the fact that they share the celebrant host with many people. Here are the altar breads we use. This is not an ad and I don’t work for the company.

 

[CB_Catholic]

That was a “concelebration host”. We use a 5 3/4" one that can be broken into 24 pieces but there is a 9" one that can be broken into 69-70 pieces.

Our previous pastor used to use those really big ones, and yes, they looked like they could cover his face. They were scored to be broken into pieces. You always knew when the piece you got was from that host because it was square.

 

[jilly4ski]

Maybe the retreat that the person went on was put on by a religious order? I know some orders make their bread themselves. I went to a Benedictine University where the monks made the bread, it was unleavened but quite a bit thicker than your average communion host and had to be torn into pieces. So maybe it was something like that.

Pax

 

[Phemie]

Maybe the retreat that the person went on was put on by a religious order? I know some orders make their bread themselves. I went to a Benedictine University where the monks made the bread, it was unleavened but quite a bit thicker than your average communion host and had to be torn into pieces. So maybe it was something like that.

Pax

I’ve also attended retreats where homemade bread was made specifically for the occasion. I’ve baked it myself a few times. Loaves were about 6" around, flat, deeply scored for easy breaking, and made only with whole wheat/all purpose flour and water. Perfectly licit.

 

[choy]

i also notice some bread are more brown while others are more white

 

[Phemie]

i also notice some bread are more brown while others are more white

Suppliers usually offer both white & whole wheat flour hosts.

 

[choy]

Suppliers usually offer both white & whole wheat flour hosts.

thats what i figure. i wasn’t sure though, so thanks for confirming it

 

[Montalo]

Actually, the Chaldean Church, the Syro-Malabar Church, and the Armenian Church also use unleavened bread. I believe the same is true for the ACoE and the Armenian OC as well.

thank you for the additional information

i will admit to ignorance on most Eastern practices, so i was incompelete

thank you for the information though

 

[curlycool89]

Are pastors or bishops allowed to specify the type of bread used for communion in their parishes and dioceses. I have heard of various types of bread (other than the unleavened host) used in Catholic mass.

Maggie

In the Roman rite of the Catholic Church, hosts must be unleavened and made of wheat and water and nothing else.

One option becoming more common is a low-gluten host, which is something like on 0.1% gluten or something. There is no such thing as a licit gluten free host, because if something has no gluten then it is not wheaten bread, and therefore it is illicit/invalid.

 

[Brendan]

Maggie - in order to be valid, the Latin rite bread must be unleavened and made from only wheat flour and water. There are no other types available.

If the matter is not wheat bread, then it is invalid.

Leaven bread (or unleaven) bread is valid matter in any Catholic Church, as that is a matter of the Sacramentology we all share as Catholics. A Sacrament cannot have different matter in one part of the Church than it does in another. It is the same Sacrament, so what is valid matter in one, is valid in all.

Using leaven bread in a Latin Church does not affect the validity ( it is still the Eucharist), but is a matter of liturgical abuse.

 

[TheDoctor]

If the matter is not wheat bread, then it is invalid.

Leaven bread (or unleaven) bread is valid matter in any Catholic Church, as that is a matter of the Sacramentology we all share as Catholics. A Sacrament cannot have different matter in one part of the Church than it does in another. It is the same Sacrament, so what is valid matter in one, is valid in all.

Using leaven bread in a Latin Church does not affect the validity ( it is still the Eucharist), but is a matter of liturgical abuse.

Thanks Brendan. I think this is the point that Mark was trying to get me to see also. I appreciate your clearing this up for me and for the other’s reading.