Can Eucharist be served other than bread and grape wine?

[CrucisLucia]

Is there a rule in Canon Law, or in the CCC, or from Sacred Tradition or Scripture or anything, that the Holy Eucharist can only be served through bread and grape wine only? Can the Holy Eucharist be substituted by other foods and drink other than bread and grape wine?

What if, say a church is in a geographical location where it is impossible to obtain bread or grape wine for some reason, what are they going to do? Or what if there is a culture where bread and wine are unknown in the cuisine? What provisions are given by the Church in these situations?

 

[porthos11]

Is there a rule in Canon Law, or in the CCC, or from Sacred Tradition or Scripture or anything, that the Holy Eucharist can only be served through bread and grape wine only? Can the Holy Eucharist be substituted by other foods and drink other than bread and grape wine?

No. Wheat bread and grape wine only. This is non-negotiable.

What if, say a church is in a geographical location where it is impossible to obtain bread or grape wine for some reason, what are they going to do? Or what if there is a culture where bread and wine are unknown in the cuisine? What provisions are given by the Church in these situations?

No Mass is possible.

 

[Ad_Orientem]

From the Code of Canon Law of the Latin Church:

Can. 924

§1. The most holy eucharistic sacrifice must be offered with bread and with wine in which a little water must be mixed.

§2. The bread must be only wheat and recently made so that there is no danger of spoiling.

§3. The wine must be natural from the fruit of the vine and not spoiled.

It is my understanding that the Eastern Churches are permitted to add yeast and salt to the bread, but otherwise the restrictions are the same.

 

[CrucisLucia]

No. Wheat bread and grape wine only. This is non-negotiable.

No Mass is possible.

So if there is no wheat and grape growing around, then no Mass can be celebrated at all? I now can imagine Catholic and Eastern Orthodox missionaries preaching in remote areas always have to bring bundles of bread and wine in their backs.

Was this always the case in history? I read Spanish and Portuguese missionaries preaching the Catholic religion in 16th-century Philippines and Japan. As there is no wheat and grape wine there, what did the Portuguese and the Spanish missionaries used for Communion? Sorry, if I keep asking questions of curiosity like these.

 

[porthos11]

So if there is no wheat and grape growing around, then no Mass can be celebrated at all? I now can imagine Catholic and Eastern Orthodox missionaries preaching in remote areas always have to bring bundles of bread and wine in their backs.

Was this always the case in history? I read Spanish and Portuguese missionaries preaching the Catholic religion in 16th-century Philippines and Japan. As there is no wheat and grape wine there, what did the Portuguese and the Spanish missionaries used for Communion? Sorry, if I keep asking questions of curiosity like these.

That would exactly be the case. The wheat and wine would be imported.

As I said, non-negotiable. This is not a matter of ecclesiastical law, which can be changed. This is of divine institution, and is something that cannot be changed. The Church has neither the power nor the authority to change any of this.

No, the Church cannot use grape juice for alcoholics.

No, the Church cannot use rice cakes for celiacs.

 

[SyroMalankara]

So if there is no wheat and grape growing around, then no Mass can be celebrated at all? I now can imagine Catholic and Eastern Orthodox missionaries preaching in remote areas always have to bring bundles of bread and wine in their backs.

Was this always the case in history? I read Spanish and Portuguese missionaries preaching the Catholic religion in 16th-century Philippines and Japan. As there is no wheat and grape wine there, what did the Portuguese and the Spanish missionaries used for Communion? Sorry, if I keep asking questions of curiosity like these.

Interesting article on the subject: catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/kakure-kirishitan.html

 

[Joe_5859]

Can you think of a food and drink (besides maybe water) that are more widespread throughout cultures and time periods than bread and wine? I can’t. I think the Lord knew what He was doing when He established the matter necessary for the Eucharist. They are universal.

 

[Neofight]

Because Christ,
…took the bread…and took the cup…and gave it to them

Who needs Canon Law to prove the obvious?

Never forget Canon Law is based on Scripture, Scripture is not based on Canon Law!

PEACE AND ALL GOOD!

 

[TyburnTreeHuggr]

There must be something to it if even priests in concentration camps smuggled in raisins to make wine for consecration.

 

[WT1]

That would exactly be the case. The wheat and wine would be imported.

As I said, non-negotiable. This is not a matter of ecclesiastical law, which can be changed. This is of divine institution, and is something that cannot be changed. The Church has neither the power nor the authority to change any of this.

No, the Church cannot use grape juice for alcoholics.

No, the Church cannot use rice cakes for celiacs.

There is non-alcoholic communion wine that a parish can elect to serve should they choose to. Typically it is used by priests that need to avoid alcohol for medical or addiction reasons.

 

[porthos11]

There is non-alcoholic communion wine that a parish can elect to serve should they choose to. Typically it is used by priests that need to avoid alcohol for medical or addiction reasons.

Non-alcoholic is invalid matter.

You’re probably describing mustum, which is permitted only by indult, and only for the priest.

 

[WT1]

Non-alcoholic is invalid matter.

You’re probably describing mustum, which is permitted only by indult, and only for the priest.

Yep

catholic.com/magazine/articles/why-grape-wine

There is, however, a practically non-alcoholic beverage derived from grapes called mustum. This term is defined in the document Norms for Use of Low-Gluten Bread and Mustum, promulgated by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (August 22, 1994): “By ‘mustum’ is understood fresh juice from grapes or juice preserved by suspending its fermentation (by means of freezing or other methods which do not alter its nature)” (§II:C). The prefect at the time, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, issued a more precise clarification of mustum in a circular letter (June 19, 1995) addressed to presidents of episcopal conferences. He elaborated that for grape juice to qualify as mustum, there must be no interference with its inherent tendency to ferment, even if the actual fermentation process is “arrested at an early stage.” This restriction would, for instance, exclude pasteurization, which entails enzymatic destruction. (So much for supermarket grape juice.) What matters is that the beverage retain as nearly as possible the intrinsic characteristics of grape wine.

 

[Gorgias]

He elaborated that for grape juice to qualify as mustum, there must be no interference with its inherent tendency to ferment, even if the actual fermentation process is “arrested at an early stage.” This restriction would, for instance, exclude pasteurization, which entails enzymatic destruction. (So much for supermarket grape juice.)

Actually, pasteurization doesn’t interfere with grape juice’s “inherent tendency to ferment”, although it would kill any natural yeasts that would be present in the juice. The addition of preservatives would inhibit ongoing or subsequent fermentation, though.

So, a well-known company’s concord grape juice may be fermented, since it is only pasteurized, but its white grape juice may not be, since potassium metabisulfite has been added to it.

 

[bluerose]

So if there is no wheat and grape growing around, then no Mass can be celebrated at all? I now can imagine Catholic and Eastern Orthodox missionaries preaching in remote areas always have to bring bundles of bread and wine in their backs.

Was this always the case in history? I read Spanish and Portuguese missionaries preaching the Catholic religion in 16th-century Philippines and Japan. As there is no wheat and grape wine there, what did the Portuguese and the Spanish missionaries used for Communion? Sorry, if I keep asking questions of curiosity like these.

When Spanish missionaries came to what is now New Mexico, they brought the wine for communion over with them (traveling thousands of miles across oceans and continents for months) until they brought vine cuttings with them to plant in their mission territory. Those vines, now over 500 years old, still exist in the Tularosa Basin near Alamogordo, NM and are known as the Mission grapes. Cuttings from these vines have produced wine in New Mexico far longer than California has produced wine. Indeed, New Mexico is the oldest wine-producing region in the US.

 

[veilofveronica]

It’s non negotiable as others have already said. The only possible exception would be gluten-free hosts that have to be made in an approved manner and are offered in some parishes.

Communion is celebrated the same way around the world…it does not seem to be an issue in terms of the elements required.

 

[CrucisLucia]

Can you think of a food and drink (besides maybe water) that are more widespread throughout cultures and time periods than bread and wine? I can’t. I think the Lord knew what He was doing when He established the matter necessary for the Eucharist. They are universal.

Well, there’s also rice and corn, and several forms of alcoholic beverages. But again, they can be imported.

And I observed, virtually all modern cultures in the world seem to have a liking for wheat bread and it is consumed in the majority of the world frequently. Well, that places the universality aspect in it.

 

[peter26]

It’s non negotiable as others have already said. The only possible exception would be gluten-free hosts that have to be made in an approved manner and are offered in some parishes.

Communion is celebrated the same way around the world…it does not seem to be an issue in terms of the elements required.

Not an exception, these are not really gluten free, just very low gluten.

 

[Joe_5859]

Well, there’s also rice and corn, and several forms of alcoholic beverages. But again, they can be imported.

And I observed, virtually all modern cultures in the world seem to have a liking for wheat bread and it is consumed in the majority of the world frequently. Well, that places the universality aspect in it.

Fair enough. The sign value of the wheat bread has always struck me, though. Rice and corn are essentially lots of little individual units. With wheat bread, the individual units are ground together and form one loaf. Sort of like how we are one Body in Christ.

 

[veilofveronica]

Not an exception, these are not really gluten free, just very low gluten.

Yup! That’s what I meant, thanks for clarifying. They call them “gluten free” at the parishes we attend, but i know they have min. wheat content.