Gluten-free hosts aren’t gluten-free

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gracepoole said:
I’m not talking about people being allergic to the “smell” of peanuts. I’m talking about people being allergic to peanuts. As far as I know, everyone here is talking about allergens that aren’t contained and how these impact individuals. I’m not sure why you think allergens are uniformly and consistently contained.
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Someone who is so allergic to something that they will likely go into anaphylactic shock are probably incredibly sensitive to anything remotely containing the smell. The smell can generally be the foodstuff’s dust traveling into the nose and thereby causing an allergic reaction. Alternatively, it can get into the wine from a previous individual drinking along with any other allergens [EDIT: but that’s impossible because we have to fast an hour before taking the Eucharist (which I think is a hilarious reason to give for why it’s impossible because I’ve seen the Catholic Church or maybe some sedes use an argument saying “it’s impossible because we have this rule in place” but this is most likely just vanity getting the better of me)]. I’ve even been told by chefs that “there is no completely gluten free kitchen” so no matter what there is a degree of cross contamination involved for those with celiac.
 
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Are there really people who are THAT sensitive to a tiny bit of gluten?

my mom, as of fairly recently, can’t have gluten but she does not worry about the Eucharist as it’s not enough to cause her any real problem.
 
MAS79 said:
Are there really people who are THAT sensitive to a tiny bit of gluten?

my mom, as of fairly recently, can’t have gluten but she does not worry about the Eucharist as it’s not enough to cause her any real problem.
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Yes. The last time I ate a sandwich I puked it up (several years ago). The last time I had cross contamination (a brownie chunk that found its way into my Tim Horton’s ice cream) I ended up having terrible stomach pain for several hours and then had diarrhea. Sorry if it’s disgusting but I’m the only example I really have.

Organic Bread seems to really cut down on the symptoms though. My mom is also celiac and she said that organic bread didn’t affect her like regular brand bread does.
 
Talking of ‘discrimination’ is applying man’s modern world view to our Holy God. At the Last Supper, Jesus instructed us to take bread. Therefore it must be bread. That’s good enough for me.

As a woman with coeliac disease, (diagnosed 5 years ago), I have mixed thoughts and experiences. First and foremost, it is my cross to bear. I cannot always receive communion. That is sometimes hurtful, and I wish the Church would have some sort of system in place to facilitate this. The positive side though, is that I do not take communion for granted any more.

I attend 3 churches. In these churches, after initial teething troubles, receiving communion was mostly possible - 2 parishes have gluten-reduced hosts for me, and one consecrates a chalice for me without adding a piece of the host, and I need to receive Communion first to avoid contamination. I also accept this as an opportunity to grow in humility. I either have to go first, to receive only the Precious Blood, and thus stand out, or I have to go very last, and thus stand out, as I am left waiting there while the priest returns to the tabernacle to fetch my host. Either option is embarrassing.

I only can’t receive Communion if I am late (I have to ‘book in’ in advance), or if I go to a different parish.

If one is normally in the same parish, I don’t understand any difficulty. The priest is obliged to help, although this can take time and patience. I am extremely careful about gluten in every other moment in life, but the gluten reduced host is a risk I am prepared to take. I have not noticed a reaction.

I am shocked to hear of people with coeliac disease ‘splurging’ on beer or eating bread or other things. I struggle to believe it’s true. No pain does not mean no reaction. You will certainly be causing untold damage. 0% gluten, (apart from a gluten - reduced host) is the only safe option!

In Christ x
 
It doesn’t make any sense no matter how or from which “angle” you look at it!
 
Yes.

If I ingest gluten, even simple cross contamination from a griddle, I can be sick for weeks. Sick to the point that I can’t leave the house and be that from a toilet.

It really doesn’t take that much to reach 50 parts per million.

I’ve been hit from various restaurants. I am very careful, but I won’t spend my life afraid to go out.

And just to note, airborne allergies to peanuts is a myth. You might want to readthis article.
 
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I personnally does not know someone who has a mortal allergy to gluten. But from what I know from my family, when you have a severe allergy you have to avoid at all cost the food and all coast any traces.

Gluten is easy to come into contact. If you are eating in the same table with someone who eat bread, you can easy eat crumbs by accident. Flour is also very volatile and can be eaten by accident without the person know it. You can be contamined with sahring some not well-clean dishes. Or just because of package of flavour. Even when we buy them, many flavour escape from the package and stay in the cupboard after! Flavour can be inhalated (why many bakers have asthma, and even dismished life expetancy? Flavour!).

That’s why when a student has a mortal/severe allergy, such as as fish, he cannot eat in school canteen, or only in a separate room, with a special uncontamined food contained in closed package.
And even with that, we sometimes heard death in the media, because a child have not been prudent enough, or becaue accidental contamination.
 
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Jessie, I am really surprised that you have to stand waiting while a low-gluten Host o retrieved from the tabernacle. This is not necessary. Does this mean that the parish consecrate some ahead of time just is case?

Why not suggest that an altarbread is put in a pyx on the corporal before Mass, so that it is consecrated at the same time as the others, then the pyx is taken to the Communion station ready for you, either n the minster’s hand or in the bowl with the others if that is acceptable? in our church, it helps that here are convenient shelves and side altars to put the pyx until the person comes up.
 
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Some people are gluten intolerant and while is causes discomfort isn’t the same as being Celiac.
 
Anicette said:
Gluten is easy to come into contact. If you are eating in the same table with someone who eat bread, you can easy eat crumbs by accident. Flour is also very volatile and can be eaten by accident without the person know it. You can be contamined with sahring some not well-clean dishes. Or just because of package of flavour. Even when we buy them, many flavour escape from the package and stay in the cupboard after! Flavour can be inhalated (why many bakers have asthma, and even dismished life expetancy? Flavour!).

That’s why when a student has a mortal/severe allergy, such as as fish, he cannot eat in school canteen, or only in a separate room, with a special uncontamined food contained in closed package.
And even with that, we sometimes heard death in the media, because a child have not been prudent enough, or becaue accidental contamination.
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I am thinking that you mean “flour,” rather than “flavour.”

And yes, flour can spread. My family keeps their bread, pasta and other flour filled food away from my food. I don’t allow wheat flour in my house. Just watch the air the next time you make a cake. And wipe the counter, right after, you will find a fine layer of flour on it.

But, what I am saying is that for people with an allergy or celiac, that flour must find it’s way to the person. The flour just sitting on the counter can’t harm me. Nor can it harm anyone walking into my house. A person with celiac would have to consume that flour. Even touching it, wouldn’t hurt them. Even if they had dermatitis herpetiformis, the skin rash that can come with celiac, touching the flour wouldn’t hurt them. It must be consumed.
 
Someone who has such a deadly allergy likely wears a mask when they are out in public as do people with compromised immune systems. This would filter the deadly particles.
 
Caveat lector! One receives the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ whether one receives one or both Species.
 
I’d suggest asking the parish to look at the solution I posted above. A simple little add on to the existing vessel.
 
In the Byzantine and Ukrainian Greek Catholic Churches, leavened bread is used and unleavened bread is verboten (unless it’s during an emergency e.g. persecution).
 
The host still looks like bread, tastes like bread, smells like bread, and has gluten. In the same way the Precious Blood still has the appearance and effects of alcohol. If you were to consume a large amount of the Precious Blood you would become drunk. If someone with celiac disease consumed a large number of hosts they would become ill.

Yes, transubstantiation has taken place, but the qualities of bread and wine remain.
 
Doctors, priest and the Holy Catholic Church tell people with Celiac disease to not receive communion. It isn’t safe.

Your friend is damaging her intestine ever time she receives.

Eventually she can get intestinal lymphoma from continuously consuming gluten.

She should speak to her doctor. And her priest.
 
She could make a spiritual communion too. St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori has a beautiful spiritual communion prayer which I use occasionally.
 
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