The 'body of Christ' carries gluten: how do celiacs receive communion?

BarcelonaThe hosts that symbolize the body of Christ are made of wheat flour and water. And wheat has gluten. This means that a part of the population, coeliacs and those sensitive to gluten, cannot consume them. How do these people manage if they are devout? Well, the Church has not always made it easy for them.

In 1995, and before becoming pope, Joseph Ratzinger, when he was a cardinal and prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, prohibited any alternative to gluten: neither corn nor rice. He issued a document stating that only wheat was suitable for the sacrament because it is the only ingredient that can represent the body of Christ. Coeliacs, therefore, were left with the alternative of receiving communion with the other species, wine, the option preferred by the Episcopal Conference and which symbolizes the blood of Christ. This added the difficulty of breaking the bread over it, which leaves traces, and which is done in the ritual. But it is resolved by having another chalice. In fact, in crowded masses there is usually a chalice provided for these cases and also for people who cannot swallow. But there is another factor that is more difficult to solve: what do we do with minors? Do we give them wine?

In fact, in 2008 a controversial case made headlines. The son of practicing Catholics was making his first communion in Huesca. Neither the priest nor the vicar of the diocese accepted that the child receive communion with a corn host. The alternative was wine, which the parents asked to be replaced by grape juice, which contains no alcohol. The Church did not accept it. The arguments were that the sacraments are sacred –redundant as it may be–, that it is a matter that does not accept exceptions, so neither the parish nor the diocese could do anything about it. Finally, a German host was found that met both requirements and the child was able to receive the sacrament.

In 2017 the Church again addressed the issue in a letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments titled “Circular Letter to the Bishops on Bread and Wine for the Eucharist” and signed by Cardinal Robert Sarah. It stated that hosts without gluten “are invalid”. “The bread must be unleavened (without yeast), made only of wheat, recently baked and prepared by competent and upright persons”. No other cereal is valid, nor is any other ingredient, such as fruit, honey or sugar. Its presence is considered a “grave abuse”. This matter was relevant because the preparation of the hosts was no longer solely the responsibility of monasteries, but was also produced in other places and even modernity had crept in through a loophole and there were parishes that bought them online.

The solution comes from Italy

But what was proposed is that the presence of wheat –non-negotiable– be so minimal that celiacs could eat it. People with gluten sensitivity and celiacs can consume those made from wheat starch and are low in gluten. If the host has less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten or less than 20 mg/kg (20 mg/1,000,000 mg), it is suitable for consumption by celiacs. Since it contains a part of wheat, it is already sufficient for the Church. Of course, these hosts must be purchased separately. When this is the case, you only need to notify the priest in advance. And nowadays, you no longer need to go all the way to Germany.

Priest Enric Canet explains to ARA that it is very easy to acquire them at the Centre de Pastoral Litúrgica de Barcelona. When a believer informs of their condition, one is purchased. They come in small boxes of 50 units. Canet believes that minors should not be given wine, although it is a good solution for adults. But from his point of view, when going to schools, even the gluten-free bread brought by the student could be blessed and consecrated in the same way. And even, since it is a matter of communion, if it is a small group, everyone could partake of this bread. For him, putting so many obstacles in the way is "absurd": "The fundamental thing is that the child can share the Eucharist, and that transcends any other regulation. Otherwise, it is stupid and anti-evangelical." Nevertheless, Canet acknowledges that not everyone sees it the same way.

The company that manufactures them is Italian, which is not surprising. For Gemma Riera, from the Celiac Association of Catalonia, Italy is the "paradise for celiacs." Due to its gastronomic culture, there is so much presence of wheat (pasta, pizzas...) that diagnosis is found much earlier. That's why there is so much prepared catering. This is also the case for multitudinous masses, as they have the Vatican installed in the heart of the country.