Catholic Church's Holy Eucharist
The Catholic Church is very strict in the Holy Eucharist that is used at Mass, and using a rice-based Eucharist will not work.
According to the Code of Canon Law, The Rites And Ceremonies Of The Eucharistic Celebration (Can 924):
- The holiest 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.
The Catholic Church is very strict that Communion is to be made of wheat and a small amount of gluten because of the belief that Jesus used wheaten bread at the Last Supper.
Viable Solution
Fortunately there is a valid solution by the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. They were able to manufacture a Communion Host that is not only approved by the Catholic Church but also approved by the Gluten Free Community.
The Communion that the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration manufacturer is made from wheat starch. This starch has most of the gluten removed. It was tested by the Office of the Secretariat and has been approved to be used at Mass in the dioceses of the United States with the appropriate permissions.
The Communion was also tested by the Center for Celiac Research, where they found that the .01% gluten content is well below the 10 milligrams safe number.
Ordering the Low-gluten Communion Bread
You can order the Low-gluten Communion Bread from the Alter Breads BSPA website. Currently it's $5.35 for a 30 wafers.
At Church
The best way to safely receive the Communion is to work with your church. It's important that there is no cross contamination. Several options:
- You could receive the Communion Host from a dedicated Eucharistic Minister
- You could be the first person to receive the Communion Host
- You could always receive the Communion after the mass completed