Commion for those allergic to wheat?

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Can those allergic to wheat recieve communion at the Latin Rite? Are there ever allowances to receive the precious blood?
 
I don’t fully understand everything about it, but I remember one woman in our RCIA was allergic to the gluten in wheat, so she recieved a special host from the priest every Sunday that had very low amounts of gluten. There was enough wheat to allow the transubstantiation, but not enough to cause a reaction. Of course, some people allergic to gluten are granted the grace of being able to recieve, without having a reaction. I believe Rosalind Moss is such a person.

As for the cup, the reason this woman didn’t recieve from the cup is because a) the priest breaks off a bit of the large host and mixes it with the Precious Blood, B) Some lipsticks contain wheat and when other women recieve they may leave some of their make-up on the chalice and C) Sometimes the Precious Blood isn’t offered at our parish.

BTW, you might get better answers if you asked in the Liturgy and Sacraments forum.
 
It is possible to receive just the Blood of Christ in such cases. Discuss with the pastor and before mass, with the priest if not the pastor, needed arrangements.

In some cases, like severe wheat allergies (beyond just gluten), a separate communion cup can be consecrated even when communion is being offered to the people under the Body alone, if need is present.

If the gluten in lipstick is sufficient to cause problems, it’s likely to be a severe allergy.
Code of Canon Law:
Can. 925 Holy communion is to be given under the form of bread alone, or under both species according to the norm of the liturgical laws, or even under the form of wine alone in a case of necessity.
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I understand Rosalind Moss was unable to tolerate the consecrated host until after a miraculous healing at a shrine (Lourdes comes to mind, but I could be wrong about that). It is a lovely story.

sojo
 
Little_Flower said:
Can those allergic to wheat recieve communion at the Latin Rite? Are there ever allowances to receive the precious blood?
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I’m glad you brought that question up, but for a different reason.

A number of us ***are allergic to the sulfates ***they use to make red wine. Severely allergic. For those who have this allergy they experience strong asthma type reactions.

I have not yet had a reaction to the Blood of Christ, whether that is because they don’t use sulfates when they make the wine, or if the Lord is just protecting me.

I have had life threatening reactions from red table wine at home though.

Can someone at one of the wine producing monasteries or abbeys tell any of us – if there are rules regarding such additives when it comes to making wine that will be used for the Mass?
 
ChristianVet said:
I’m glad you brought that question up, but for a different reason.

A number of us ***are allergic to the sulfates ***they use to make red wine. Severely allergic. For those who have this allergy they experience strong asthma type reactions.

I have not yet had a reaction to the Blood of Christ, whether that is because they don’t use sulfates when they make the wine, or if the Lord is just protecting me.

I have had life threatening reactions from red table wine at home though.

Can someone at one of the wine producing monasteries or abbeys tell any of us – if there are rules regarding such additives when it comes to making wine that will be used for the Mass?
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No additives are allowed in the making of wine for use at Mass. This is why you often see the wine bottles marked “sacramental wine”.
 
Little_Flower said:
Can those allergic to wheat recieve communion at the Latin Rite? Are there ever allowances to receive the precious blood?
Click to expand...
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.
 
ChristianVet said:
I’m glad you brought that question up, but for a different reason.

A number of us ***are allergic to the sulfates ***they use to make red wine. Severely allergic. For those who have this allergy they experience strong asthma type reactions.

I have not yet had a reaction to the Blood of Christ, whether that is because they don’t use sulfates when they make the wine, or if the Lord is just protecting me.

I have had life threatening reactions from red table wine at home though.

Can someone at one of the wine producing monasteries or abbeys tell any of us – if there are rules regarding such additives when it comes to making wine that will be used for the Mass?
Click to expand...
Absolutely no additives are permitted for Mass wine; that most likely explains your lack of reaction.

Moreover, the use of additives renders the wine of doubtful validity at best, invalid at worst.
 
ChristianVet said:
I’m glad you brought that question up, but for a different reason.

A number of us ***are allergic to the sulfates ***they use to make red wine. Severely allergic. For those who have this allergy they experience strong asthma type reactions.

I have not yet had a reaction to the Blood of Christ, whether that is because they don’t use sulfates when they make the wine, or if the Lord is just protecting me.

I have had life threatening reactions from red table wine at home though.

Can someone at one of the wine producing monasteries or abbeys tell any of us – if there are rules regarding such additives when it comes to making wine that will be used for the Mass?
Click to expand...
I do not believe even sulfates are allowed in Sacramental wine.
 
Thanks for all who responded regarding the sacramental wine and that there are no additives.

I won’t let the thought of an allergic reaction bother me anymore when I approach the Blood of Christ.

👍
 
ChristianVet,

Another angle on your situation: if you want to drink table wine, you can have the parish order an extra bottle when they buy their sacramental wine, then you can buy it from them.

Thanks to all who shared. Our family knows about life-threatening food allergies. It is probably one of the heaviest crosses to bear. The Church’s teaching on the redemptive value of suffering is, oftentimes, all that gets us through the dark periods. Knowing that this trial has value.
 
I am allergic to gluten in wheat, but the Host has never affected me. If it had, however, a priest who learned of my allergy offered to give me the wine. If the Host ever starts to have a negative effect on me (if the allergy gets worse), that is what I intend to do.
 
I think peeps need to realize something here… the Faith teaches us that, while the substance of the Host is changed to the Body (and Blood) of Christ, the accidents of wheat and wine remain. These accidents include the molecular/allergenic properties of wheat and wine. Therefore, one should not approach the altar if they have a life-threatening food allergy that could be triggerred all the while thinking in one’s mind, “God will preserve me from harm.” God expects us to use prudence in judgement - that’s why he gave us an intellect. It is not an act of Faith to put one’s life in jeopardy in a way that ignores revealed Truth (about the nature of the Eucharist).

I just don’t want someone reading this to do something rash and imprudent.
 
KarenNC said:
Why is wheat required for transubstantiation? Is red wine required or is it merely preferred for the color?
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I believe it is b/c that is what Christ consecrated at the last supper, wheat bread.

Any type of wine is fine. I’ve seen red, white and rose. Many parishes prefer white b/c it is easier to clean the altar linens. I agree Red wine is a little more symbolic, but we really don’t see the conecrated wine in the chalice, only in the cruet I guess. Unless your parish uses glass chalices, which is against the rubrics of the Mass.

God Bless
 
The statement that there is to be no sulfates in wine used at Mass is false.

All wine contains sulfates, and the only suflate-free wine is an accident in nature.

Wineries do add sulfates in order to stabilize the wine, and even sacramental wine, will have sulfates added.

Jim
 
bilop said:
I believe it is b/c that is what Christ consecrated at the last supper, wheat bread.

Any type of wine is fine. I’ve seen red, white and rose. Many parishes prefer white b/c it is easier to clean the altar linens. I agree Red wine is a little more symbolic, but we really don’t see the conecrated wine in the chalice, only in the cruet I guess. Unless your parish uses glass chalices, which is against the rubrics of the Mass.

God Bless
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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.🙂
 
bilop said:
I believe it is b/c that is what Christ consecrated at the last supper, wheat bread.

Any type of wine is fine. I’ve seen red, white and rose. Many parishes prefer white b/c it is easier to clean the altar linens. I agree Red wine is a little more symbolic, but we really don’t see the conecrated wine in the chalice, only in the cruet I guess. Unless your parish uses glass chalices, which is against the rubrics of the Mass.

God Bless
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Any color of wine is fine. It must however meet specific content requirements.
 
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