Commion for those allergic to wheat?

[Rawb]

Thanks for the info. I am not Catholic or even Christian. I know some folks who have severe food allergies, so the topic of the thread caught my eye and in reading it, I came upon the information and thought I would ask for clarification.

I had not realized that Catholic teaching was as specific as wheat bread only, I had thought it was the ritual that was more important that the substance that was used. It had never occurred to me to ask if one could use, say cornbread or rice flour bread, etc. In fact, I would not have been surprised to find that the thin wafers were cut from rice paper, as they look like what is commonly used in Asian restaurants.

Learn something new everyday.

KarenNC, Sacraments must have proper Ministers, Intention, Matter and Form. In the case of the Eucharist, the proper Minister is a validly Ordained priest (ordination has it’s own intention, minister, matter and form), Intention is to…manifest? I can’t think of the word, the transubstantiation, and the matter and form are wheat bread and wine with no additives in the course of a Mass.

…I think, LoL. I think those are all the requirments. Each Sacrament has it’s own. Just to add to your information.

 

[boppaid]

Many people who are allergic to wheat gluten can ingest small quantites without ill effect. For those very few who are extremely allergic, they can always receive the Precious Blood. Arrangements can also be made for them to receive before anyone else.

I thought there is a piece of the host dropped inside the wine? Wouldn’t that make it impossible for someone severely allergic to drink the wine as well?

 

[KephasAugustine]

Are there ever allowances to receive the precious blood?

I don’t know if anyone has said this already…but the Body and Blood of Christ are both Really Present in each form–bread and wine. So you receive the Body and the Blood, both, whichever form you receive.

Correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Aramis]

I thought there is a piece of the host dropped inside the wine? Wouldn’t that make it impossible for someone severely allergic to drink the wine as well?

Only in the celebrant’s cup, under Roman usage. The other communion cups do not get the particle.

In many eastern churches, communion is under both automatically, for the whole of the particles and the lamb are placed into the chalice and immersed in the Precious Blood.

But then again, in many eastern churches, the Eucharist is recieved from the day of an infant’s baptism onward…

 

[boppaid]

Only in the celebrant’s cup, under Roman usage. The other communion cups do not get the particle.
…

Thank you!

 

[JimmyJeff]

If someone is a true celiac, it’s not actually an “allergy” per se but an autoimmune response to the gluten in wheat. Even if someone doesn’t have an outright “reaction” to the gluten, what it does is destroy your intestines. You can be asymptomatic and have a biopsy done and still be damaging your intestines.

Just a medical commercial from someone who is being testing soon for Celiac.

Now back to your regularly scheduled posting.

 

[KephasAugustine]

If someone is a true celiac, it’s not actually an “allergy” per se but an autoimmune response to the gluten in wheat. Even if someone doesn’t have an outright “reaction” to the gluten, what it does is destroy your intestines. You can be asymptomatic and have a biopsy done and still be damaging your intestines.

Just a medical commercial from someone who is being testing soon for Celiac.

Now back to your regularly scheduled posting.

I was just tested positive the other day. Good luck to you!

 

[prv]

W/o any disrespect to the hierarchy responsible for decision making, I have a suggestion.

If low gluten altar bread and wine made from mustum is enough for a valid Mass, why not use that perpetually for all Masses?

 

[NMJenny]

If someone is a true celiac, it’s not actually an “allergy” per se but an autoimmune response to the gluten in wheat. Even if someone doesn’t have an outright “reaction” to the gluten, what it does is destroy your intestines. You can be asymptomatic and have a biopsy done and still be damaging your intestines.

Just a medical commercial from someone who is being testing soon for Celiac.

Now back to your regularly scheduled posting.

You are so right, Jimmy–and women need to be aware of a special danger for them, osteoporosis! When the gluten intolerance causes damage to the intestines, it can reduce or completely stop the absorption of calcium. That happened to me–I was taking 2,000 units of calcium a day and when my blood was tested it showed absolutely no calcium!! Even though I showed no other of the normal symptoms of Celiac Disease (which is the name of this gluten intolerance), I was put on a gluten free diet, and in three months the calcium in my blood was back to normal. However, my osteoporosis has gone from “moderate” to “severe” during this period.

I researched the low-gluten hosts, but found that I could tolerate the regular host at least once a week…

 

[KephasAugustine]

You are so right, Jimmy–and women need to be aware of a special danger for them, osteoporosis!

It should also be noted that men are at risk for osteoporosis as well. I’ve just tested positive for the early stages of that, too (as a result of celiac). Now I’m eating a gluten-free diet, taking calcium supplements…luckily for me, I’m so young that it can be reversed and my bones can grow more stable before it’s too late!

Should also be mentioned that celiac can lead to infertility. People should get checked more.

 

[NMJenny]

That’s interesting about the infertility, Kephas–I sure didn’t have that problem!!

I was aware that men can also have osteoporosis, although it’s a much rarer condition with them. But I do know that C. S. Lewis had a rather nasty case, poor man. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone–unfortunately in my case it seems to be getting worse rather than improving, in spite of all the things that I’m doing. I think it’s probably because I had six kids in eleven years when I was in my 20s and 30s, and nursed them all. So I was draining my body of calcium right when I should have been making strong bones. And since I wasn’t having any symptoms, there’s no way to tell how long my gluten intolerance was interferring with calcium absorption either.

Speaking of gluten intolerance, Celiac Disease tends to run in families, so if you have it, keep an eye on your children…

 

[clv2001]

Thank you to everyone who previously replied on this.

I don’t believe that I can take communion safely with Celiac, as my parish only provides bread (and the wine is high-risk for all the reasons previously discussed).

Unfortunately, my schedule is very erratic (I work extensively as a volunteer and am not available on weekends at all to attend mass from November until April). This means I cannot ask my parish to have a low-gluten host available for me. I tried to not receive, but the dirty looks pressured me to take communion, even though I am sick for hours afterwards.

Is it a sin if I don’t ever receive? How do I handle the dirty/questioning looks best? (Sometimes I wish I had a big sign saying, “CELIAC”.

Chris

 

[sandraladeda]

Thank you to everyone who previously replied on this.

I don’t believe that I can take communion safely with Celiac, as my parish only provides bread (and the wine is high-risk for all the reasons previously discussed).

Unfortunately, my schedule is very erratic (I work extensively as a volunteer and am not available on weekends at all to attend mass from November until April). This means I cannot ask my parish to have a low-gluten host available for me. I tried to not receive, but the dirty looks pressured me to take communion, even though I am sick for hours afterwards.

Is it a sin if I don’t ever receive? How do I handle the dirty/questioning looks best? (Sometimes I wish I had a big sign saying, “CELIAC”.

Chris

Hi Chris.
You can order specially made, approved communion wafers from some nuns in (I believe) Wisconsin (I’ll look it up for you)

I have a friend who is a celiac, and she orders these hosts - a supply of several months at a time. She carries one in a pyx, and places it near the altar, so that when the table is set, her pyx goes onto the altar with the other bread and wine, and it is consecrated with the other as well. She has a previously agreed on method of receiving - the priest places her special host into the same bowl with the other consecrated hosts. When she approaches him to receive, he gives her that host. It is easily distinguishable from the other hosts due to its different texture (more bumpy) and jagged, irregular edges (versus the perfect circular disk of the traditional host) It has worked fine for her for 10 years or more.

I will get back to you on the manufacturer of these specially made, extremely low gluten as to be nearly negligible but still valid communion wafers.

In Christ…

Editing to add…

Not Wisconsin… here’s a link…good luck!

benedictinesisters.org/english/site.php?use=low_gluten

 

[richwmiller]

Thank you to everyone who previously replied on this.

I don’t believe that I can take communion safely with Celiac, as my parish only provides bread (and the wine is high-risk for all the reasons previously discussed).

Unfortunately, my schedule is very erratic (I work extensively as a volunteer and am not available on weekends at all to attend mass from November until April). This means I cannot ask my parish to have a low-gluten host available for me. I tried to not receive, but the dirty looks pressured me to take communion, even though I am sick for hours afterwards.

Is it a sin if I don’t ever receive? How do I handle the dirty/questioning looks best? (Sometimes I wish I had a big sign saying, “CELIAC”.

Chris

you can order your own hosts and advise the pastor of that. And supply the priest with it in a pyx before mass or advise the pastor and ask for a special chalice with a suitable wine to be set aside for you.
If the pastor doesn’t accommodate you you should speak with someone from the diocese.
No, it is not a sin to never receive if you have just cause. It could be sinful if you didn’t receive for spite.
Don’t worry about dirty looks. The one’s giving dirty looks have dirty minds.

 

[puzzleannie]

Can those allergic to wheat recieve communion at the Latin Rite? Are there ever allowances to receive the precious blood?

yes, as has been discussed here many, many times, a person with a wheat allergy, or with celiac disease which is not an allergy but a dangerous reaction to ingesting gluten, may recieve communion confected using low gluten hosts (if doctor approves) or with the precious blood alone. this is a non-issue and the persons affected should make a quiet personal arrangment with their pastor in their parish, or speak quietly to the priest before Mass if they are travelling.

 

[puzzleannie]

. I tried to not receive, but the dirty looks pressured me to take communion, even though I am sick for hours afterwards.

Is Chris

i sincerely hope you are mistaken about the dirty looks toward anyone who is not receiving communion because such a church would not be Christian let alone Catholic. on any given Sunday there should be lots of people not receiving for all kinds of reasons which are none of anyone’s business, sounds like people in this parish need remedial charity education. Yes it may very well be that certain persons cannot receive at certain times, for various reasons, health among them. If they can’t they have no obligation, and if they offer up this deprivation for the intentions of those separated from Christ in his sacraments through sin, very great graces will come their way through this sacrifice.

 

[maryjk]

Thank you to everyone who previously replied on this.

I don’t believe that I can take communion safely with Celiac, as my parish only provides bread (and the wine is high-risk for all the reasons previously discussed).

Unfortunately, my schedule is very erratic (I work extensively as a volunteer and am not available on weekends at all to attend mass from November until April). This means I cannot ask my parish to have a low-gluten host available for me. I tried to not receive, but the dirty looks pressured me to take communion, even though I am sick for hours afterwards.

Is it a sin if I don’t ever receive? How do I handle the dirty/questioning looks best? (Sometimes I wish I had a big sign saying, “CELIAC”.

Chris

I have been gluten free since my biopsy in December of last year. At that time, I met with my priest. And talked about what I could do.

The hosts made that are low gluten, are just that, low gluten, not gluten free. They are fine for most Celiacs but you should talk to your GI before you talk to your priest about using them.

You can receive from the Chalice. Just make sure that you do not receive from the presider’s Chalice. Your priest can tell you how to do that.

I would also recommend sitting in the front pew. That way you are among the first to receive. Lipsticks sometimes have gluten in them, and if it isn’t wiped off, you could be sick from that.

I also attend daily Mass. We have only one Chalice at daily Mass. I do not receive. I am sure that I look kind of funny. I don’t receive on Friday, if you go to confession on Saturday and don’t see me, but than see me on Sunday receiving, you might be confused. If someone asked me, I would let them know why. Not that it is their business, but the more people that know, the less questioning looks I get when I receive from the Chalice but not the Host.

Yes, it does run in families. In fact, if you have a first degree relative with Celiac, you should have a blood test. It is in the genes. It can also effect fertility. If you have been trying to get pregnant, and there is no reason why you can’t. Be tested. It has something to do with not getting all of your nutrients. Same thing if you are anemic and can’t figure out why. That is how they found my Celiac.

If you have questions about Celiac, receiving from the Chalice only or Celiac testing, PM me. I would be happy to share whatever information I have.