Communion hosts

Q What are holy Communion hosts made of?

A Canon 924 of the Code of Canon Law states:  “ The most holy eucharistic sacrifice must be offered with bread and with wine in which a little water must be mixed.  The bread must be only wheat and recently made so that there is no danger of spoiling.  The wine must be natural from the fruit of the vine and not spoiled.”  Canon Law 926 also states that the bread must be unleavened bread (bread not prepared with rising agents).
Jesus instituted the sacrament of the holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday at the Last Supper.  This celebration was in the context of the Jewish Passover meal, so Jesus would have used unleavened wheat bread and grape wine.  The tradition of using unleavened wheat bread goes back to the time of Moses.  When Moses led the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery, the Jewish people were in a rush.  They did not have time to let their bread rise before leaving.  Instead, they used unleavened bread.  As a result, any leavened bread is forbidden at Passover.  Additionally, wheat bread was probably used since locust plagues had depleted barley flour from the Egyptian storage bins.  Therefore, to validly consecrate a host at Mass, a priest must use unleavened wheat bread and grape wine.  This preserves the sacrament as Christ instituted it.  From the earliest times of the church, priests have always used unleavened wheat bread and grape wine. 
What then, is a person to do who suffers with celiac disease? Celiac disease is an immune disease in which people can’t eat gluten because it will damage their small intestine. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.   If one has celiac disease and eats food with gluten, the immune system responds by damaging the small intestine. Since Communion hosts must be made with wheat, a person with celiac disease would not be able to consume a consecrated host but there are several alternatives.
First of all, let’s get this straight.  Gluten-free hosts cannot be used.  A 2003 letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith states:  “Hosts that are completely gluten-free are invalid matter for the celebration of the Eucharist.”  But “low-gluten hosts (partially gluten-free) are valid matter, provided they contain a sufficient amount of gluten to obtain the confection of bread without the addition of foreign materials and without the use of procedures that would alter the nature of bread.”  Therefore, if low-gluten hosts are available, someone suffering with celiac disease could try these hosts.  
If these low-gluten hosts still contain too much gluten, maybe just a small piece of the host may work.  This small piece of host might not cause any medical problems.  Even the smallest piece of the host contains Jesus, who is wholly present, “body, blood, soul and divinity” in every piece of the host.
The next alternative would be to receive holy Communion via the precious blood.  Christ is present under both species, the consecrated host and the consecrated wine.  One receives the full fruit of the eucharistic grace when receiving holy Communion under either species.  However, at this time because of the COVID-19 pandemic, one might not be able to receive the precious blood from the chalice.  
This alternative can become a reality when our priests are again allowed to distribute the precious blood.  However, a person would still have to be careful because a portion of the consecrated host is always dropped into one of the chalices on the altar.  To avoid cross-contamination, a different chalice should be used.
The last alternative would be to make a spiritual Communion by saying a prayer similar to this: “My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most holy sacrament.  I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.  I embrace you as if you were already there and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.”  (Saint Alphonsus Liguori)

Deacon Hooper is a deacon assistant at Immaculate Conception Church in Denham Springs. He can be reached at [email protected].