What constitutes the host?

[Corki]

Thanks, that is what I am trying to say when I said “ordinarily”. Which means it is what is valid vs. licit. Some mixing will not invalidate the Sacrament, but will be highly illicity. But perhaps to cater to people with a special condition, as you have said, and indult could be granted. An indult cannot change what is valid or invalid, only what is licit and illicit, since beign licit deals with obedience and discipline. So by granting an indult, the priest or congregation are not going against the law of the Church. But the matter was valid to begin with. Of course such indult would only apply to those suffering the condition, and not for everyone.

It would be more accurate to say “might not invalidate the” Sacrament. Note the following (from the CDF, bolding mine)

In June 1979, the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith responded to the issue of valid matter in a letter to then Archbishop Joseph Bernardin, then president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB):

It may be helpful to note that recipes sent to the Sacred Congregation over the past several years vary greatly in the matter of “additions”; where there is question of slight additions (e.g., salt, condiments) the matter will be valid but illicit;** where there is substitution of all or a large quantity of water by other liquids (e.g., milk, honey, etc.) the matter will be invalid.**7]

I don’t see how adding something would help people with a condition that can’t tolerate gluten. The wheat must still be there, the gluten must still be there. Adding slight quantities of something else won’t change that.

 

[ConstantineTG]

It would be more accurate to say “might not invalidate the” Sacrament. Note the following (from the CDF, bolding mine)

I don’t see how adding something would help people with a condition that can’t tolerate gluten. The wheat must still be there, the gluten must still be there. Adding slight quantities of something else won’t change that.

Like I said, I do not know anything about making bread. I’m just saying that if its a necessity to add something to lower the gluten, then it can be done as long as it doesn’t make the bread into anything but wheat bread.

 

[PJM]

I have been an avid catholic for most of my life and have tried to learn as much as possible.
I have been going to St.Mark for about 4 years now and have become head of the Eucharistic ministry for the 6:00pm mass. However I have now run into a problem…
They have started to distribute gluten free hosts.
I was my understanding that ONLY wheat made hosts could be used.
So what I am asking is this…

#1. Am I correct?.

Art. 3.
THE RITES AND CEREMONIES OF THE EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION
Can. 924 §1. The most holy eucharistic sacrifice must be offered with bread and with wine in which a little water must be mixed.

§2. The bread must be only wheat and recently made so that there is no danger of spoiling.

§3. The wine must be natural from the fruit of the vine and not spoiled.
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.

Can. 926 According to the ancient tradition of the Latin Church, the priest is to use unleavened bread in the eucharistic celebration whenever he offers it.

Can. 927 It is absolutely forbidden, even in extreme urgent necessity, to consecrate one matter without the other or even both outside the eucharistic celebration

General Instruction of the Roman Missal: GRIM no. 72

At the Preparation of the Gifts, the bread and the wine with water are brought to the altar, the same elements that Christ took into his hands.

In the Eucharistic Prayer, thanks is given to God for the whole work of salvation, and the offerings become the Body and Blood of Christ.

Through the fraction and through Communion, the faithful, though they are many, receive from the one bread the Lord’s Body and from the one chalice the Lord’s Blood in the same way the Apostles received them from Christ’s own hands.

Catholic Encyclopedia “Communion”

“The faithful receive Communion under one kind, fermented bread being used in the Eastern, and unfermented in the Western Church, under both kinds. Each one should receive according to the Rite to which he belongs.”

NCCB

On July 24, 2003 (Prot.N. 98/78-17498), Cardinal Ratzinger again took up the topic of the use of mustum and low-gluten hosts at Mass in a second letter, also addressed to the presidents of Episcopal Conferences and included below for our readers. In it the Prefect restates essential Church teaching regarding valid matter for the Eucharist, and lays out new norms for the use of mustum and low-gluten hosts. Pastors and the faithful are reminded that for bread to be valid matter for the Eucharist, it must be made solely of wheat; contain enough gluten to effect the confection of bread; be free of foreign materials and unaffected by any preparation or baking methods which would alter its nature. The amount of gluten necessary for validity in such bread is not determined by minimum percentage or weight, though hosts which have no gluten are considered invalid matter for Mass. In the Roman Rite, the bread prepared for the Eucharist must also be unleavened.

Article: www.Catholic Communion: Keeping the Faith [GOOGLE]
By Chris Spreitzer

Catholic celiacs have limited options when it comes to receiving communion at Mass. In 1995, and again in the summer of 2003, the Vatican and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops reiterated the interpretation of Canon Law (924.2), namely that “Special hosts quibus glutinum ablatum est [in which gluten has been removed] are invalid matter for the celebration of the Eucharist;” and that “low-gluten hosts are valid matter, provided that they contain the amount of gluten sufficient to obtain the confection of bread, that there is no addition of foreign materials, and that the procedure for making such hosts is not such as to alter the nature of the substance of the bread.” The May 2000 U.S. Bishops Committee on the Liturgy newsletter went on to say that “In the light of the increasing scientific evidence that even a small amount of gluten may be dangerous to sufferers of Celiac Sprue disease many would hesitate to recommend the use of “low gluten” hosts. Thus the only viable solution seems to be the offering of the Precious Blood to such persons.”

The doctrine of concomitance teaches Catholics that the whole Christ is present under the appearance of bread and also under the appearance of wine. However the traditional manner of receiving the Eucharist for the past few centuries has been for Catholics to receive communion only in the form of bread. This tradition is one that many Catholic celiacs grew up with and one that is very close to their hearts. The inability to receive communion in the traditional manner after a diagnosis of celiac disease can be a constant source of pain and spiritual isolation. Receiving both the Body and Blood of Christ at communion (receiving under both species) has become more commonplace in the U.S. since the Second Vatican Council encouraged the faithful to receive communion under both species as a more complete sign of Christ’s sacrifice.** This practice can vary from parish to parish and from diocese to diocese at the discretion of the bishop.**

Check with your Bishops Ofice before doing anything else.

 

[sojo]

Thanks to all for clarifying this!

Someone asked if Celiac is a new disease, and if not, what happened to people with it in the past.

No, it is not new, but it is on the rise along with auto-immune diseases of various types (lupus, fibromyalgia, extreme environmental allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome etc.) Other things that often share some issues that are on the extreme rise in the population are asthma and autism. No one knows why, but there are a lot of theories. For example, in Lupus and Fibromyalgia (and a bunch of lesser known auto-immune problems) have been discovered to share an increase in anticardio-limpins. But the why and how of it all is still under research. A side effect of escalated anticardio-limpins is early miscarriages.

In the “bad old days” most children with Celiac disease were sickly and suffered extreme, excruciating pain and eventual early death. When bread was the main staple for the poor, it stands to reason. Interestingly, people with autism and Down syndrome have an increased incidence of Celiac disease. Another piece of the puzzle.

Witness a child who screams, headbangs and self-injures 24/7 go on an Gluten-free diet and transform into a normal, happy child within a few days and you will never doubt that Celiac disease is real. Autopsies confirm the permanent damage to the stomach and intestines of long untreated Celiac sufferers.