History of the Host

[ConstantineTG]

I’m curious how the Host came about to the one we use at Mass today. Obviously different Liturgical traditions use varying appearances of bread for consecration. How did the Roman Catholic use of thin wafers came to be in its present form?

 

[JamestheOlder]

There’s an interesting article in “New Advent”, under the tital “Altar Breads”, that contains this note:

“The earliest documentary evidence that the altar-breads were made in thin wafers is the answer which Cardinal Humbert, legate of St. Leo IX, made at the middle of the eleventh century to Michael Cerularius, Patriarch of Constantinople. These wafers were sometimes very large, as from them small pieces were broken for the Communion of the laity, hence the word “particle” for the small host; but smaller ones were used when only the celebrant communicated.”

Further investigation was prevented by time restraints. Hope this helps, somewhat.,

 

[ConstantineTG]

Thanks!

I’m interested to know more. I went to New Advent and read the article. I wonder what prompted the use of wafers rather than something that would be more like flat bread. I know the Coptic Church uses big, round flat bread which looks like pita.

 

[steveb1]

Thanks!

I’m interested to know more. I went to New Advent and read the article. I wonder what prompted the use of wafers rather than something that would be more like flat bread. I know the Coptic Church uses big, round flat bread which looks like pita.

Just a guess: wafers are small, fitted to the individual tongue and the thumb and index fingers of the priest - and they don’t crumble, are easy to transport, and are small enough to fit in large numbers into most chalices/ciboriums. Most of these virtues don’t apply to larger forms of altar breads, as far as I know.

 

[JamestheOlder]

Just a guess: wafers are small, fitted to the individual tongue and the thumb and index fingers of the priest - and they don’t crumble, are easy to transport, and are small enough to fit in large numbers into most chalices/ciboriums. Most of these virtues don’t apply to larger forms of altar breads, as far as I know.

It would be interesting to hear from one of the other (Eastern?) Churches on the use of levened bread, which seems to be baked into a loaf, and then broken when distributed as Holy Communion. What happens to the crumbs of the sacred species?