Is Orthodox Eucharist Valid?

[thedavidwilson]

I was in Romania recently and some members of the orthodox Church there said that the bread used for their Eucharist contains yeast and is leavened. Is this true and doesn’t this make the Eucharist invalid rather than just illicit?

Does anyone know if the bread used for the Eucharist in any of the eastern rites of the Catholic Church is leavened?

 

[KarenElissa]

I was in Romania recently and some members of the orthodox Church there said that the bread used for their Eucharist contains yeast and is leavened. Is this true and doesn’t this make the Eucharist invalid rather than just illicit?

Does anyone know if the bread used for the Eucharist in any of the eastern rites of the Catholic Church is leavened?

Yeast is allowed in the bread and Eastern Catholics do use leavened bread. Here is an article that talks a bit about it. The part about Eastern Catholics is about half way down.

 

[Nicholas82]

Even if your own Roman Catholic priest were to use leavened bread your Church would consider it valid but illicit.

 

[Yerusalyim]

The use of leaven or unleaven bread is not an issue of doctrine. The Orthodox Eucharst, along with all it’s other sacraments, are valid.

 

[LilyM]

Yes, a lot of Eastern Catholic churches do use leavened bread and it’s recognised as both valid and licit within those churches. It’s a disciplinary matter, a bit like Eastern Catholic priests are permitted to be married whereas Latin Catholic priests aren’t (except for some converts who are given special permission).

 

[Hesychios]

It should also be noted that it has always essentially been this way. There are no records of the practice of leavening for Eucharistic bread being “introduced” as such.

 

[thedavidwilson]

Yeast is allowed in the bread and Eastern Catholics do use leavened bread. Here is an article that talks a bit about it. The part about Eastern Catholics is about half way down.

Thanks. So does the bread the Orthodox Church uses only contain flour, yeast and salt? I thought you needed to add sugar to leavened dough so that the yeast will have something to eat. Does the addition of sugar for the process of leavening violate the prohibition of adding sugar to the bread used for consecration?

“Redemptionis Sacramentum,” Nos. 48-50, which states:

"[48] The bread used in the celebration of the Most Holy Eucharistic Sacrifice must be unleavened, purely of wheat, and recently made so that there is no danger of decomposition. It follows therefore that bread made from another substance, even if it is grain, or if it is mixed with another substance different from wheat to such an extent that it would not commonly be considered wheat bread, does not constitute valid matter for confecting the Sacrifice and the Eucharistic Sacrament. It is a grave abuse to introduce other substances, such as fruit or sugar or honey, into the bread for confecting the Eucharist. Hosts should obviously be made by those who are not only distinguished by their integrity, but also skilled in making them and furnished with suitable tools.

 

[Milliardo]

Thanks. So does the bread the Orthodox Church uses only contain flour, yeast and salt? I thought you needed to add sugar to leavened dough so that the yeast will have something to eat. Does the addition of sugar for the process of leavening violate the prohibition of adding sugar to the bread used for consecration?

No, for the simple fact that Redemptionis Sacramentum only covers the Latin rite; it does not bind either Eastern Catholics or Orthodoxy.

 

[Hesychios]

Sugar is not necessary.

The starch in the wheat flour is sufficient to feed the yeast. It goes a little bit slower.

One practical reason for the prohibition of sugars in the Latin ruling would have to be because of wild yeasts. It is virtually impossible to prevent spores of yeast from contaminating any bread, anywhere, including in the manufacture of Latin-type hosts.

One would need a hermetically sealed laboratory of modern design (similar to the makers of computer chips) to prevent this from happening, and irradiation of the ingredients.

http://content.answers.com/main/content/img/CDE/_HEATWFR.GIF

Host bakers of long ago must have found this out the hard way, stray or extra sugars would not only feed the wild airborne yeasts (and the ones present in the flour), but probably introduce some of their own.

http://www.rndwafers.com/communionwafer1.jpg

Thus, there is always the possibility of those wafers puffing up with a little carbon dioxide before baking. Now with the modern molding/baking machinery the micro bubbles can be pressed out as the heat is applied, and such contamination would not be apparent.

 

[KarenElissa]

Thanks. So does the bread the Orthodox Church uses only contain flour, yeast and salt? I thought you needed to add sugar to leavened dough so that the yeast will have something to eat. Does the addition of sugar for the process of leavening violate the prohibition of adding sugar to the bread used for consecration?

“Redemptionis Sacramentum,” Nos. 48-50, which states:

"[48] The bread used in the celebration of the Most Holy Eucharistic Sacrifice must be unleavened, purely of wheat, and recently made so that there is no danger of decomposition. It follows therefore that bread made from another substance, even if it is grain, or if it is mixed with another substance different from wheat to such an extent that it would not commonly be considered wheat bread, does not constitute valid matter for confecting the Sacrifice and the Eucharistic Sacrament. It is a grave abuse to introduce other substances, such as fruit or sugar or honey, into the bread for confecting the Eucharist. Hosts should obviously be made by those who are not only distinguished by their integrity, but also skilled in making them and furnished with suitable tools.

Nope, no sugar is looks like. (Here

And here is another bit from the Catholic encyclopedia about altar bread in the Catholic Church.