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Catholic Church bans gluten-free hosts

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dpareja:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/vatican-gluten-free-bread-communion-1.4197035


--- Quote ---The Vatican has outlawed gluten-free bread used to celebrate the Eucharist during Roman Catholic mass, but says low-gluten hosts can be used — so long as there is enough protein in the wheat to make it without additives.

...

According to the Holy See, the new rules — issued at the request of Pope Francis — are needed because bread is now being sold on the internet and in supermarkets and the Vatican wants to ensure local parishes use adequately pure products.

"Hosts that are completely gluten-free are invalid matter for the celebration of the Eucharist. 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," the letter reads.
--- End quote ---

Naturally, this has some people with celiac disease worried, so the letter proposes alternatives, like sucking it up and eating a low-gluten host, or telling the priest so he can prepare two chalices of wine, one without a bit of a host and one with, and ensuring that people with celiac disease drink from the former before anyone else has a chance to do so.

Or, of course, the Church could just get with the times and allow gluten-free hosts and avoid all this hassle and nonsense, but that would make too much sense.

Bob J.:

--- Quote from: dpareja on July 10, 2017, 01:59:14 am ---Or, of course, the Church could just get with the times and allow gluten-free hosts and avoid all this hassle and nonsense, but that would make too much sense.

--- End quote ---


I’m confused. What difference does any of this make. It is the body of Christ. The whole point of the longstanding Roman Catholic Church’s position of Mass is that it LITERALLY becomes the body of Christ. It is now religiously totally gluten free. Man flesh or God flesh -  or both?

dpareja:

--- Quote from: Bob J. on July 10, 2017, 02:40:26 am ---
--- Quote from: dpareja on July 10, 2017, 01:59:14 am ---Or, of course, the Church could just get with the times and allow gluten-free hosts and avoid all this hassle and nonsense, but that would make too much sense.

--- End quote ---


I’m confused. What difference does any of this make. It is the body of Christ. The whole point of the longstanding Roman Catholic Church’s position of Mass is that it LITERALLY becomes the body of Christ. It is now religiously totally gluten free. Man flesh or God flesh -  or both?

--- End quote ---

Because apparently God isn't omnipotent enough to turn a wafer into his son's flesh unless it has sufficient wheat content.

CrowFood:
So, former Catholic and amateur theologian, I can kinda explain the way this works.

Basically, when it comes to the RCC, everything is about tradition. The bread and wine need to be prepared a certain way. A fun factoid: during prohibition, Catholics were still allowed to make wine because, literally, they had to for their religion. It's part of the way things are done, so that is how they are done. The bread has specific ingredients that haven't been changed in forever, and that's just how it is. It also has to do with the nature of the Eucharist with the RCC. It's the focal point of the religion. Think of it like how most Protestants view the Bible: you can't change it, because it's that important.

I do remember a priest saying that if you have a gluten allergy, you can just drink the wine. If you have an allergy to both...you're kinda SOL.

dpareja:

--- Quote from: CrowFood on July 12, 2017, 02:05:42 am ---I do remember a priest saying that if you have a gluten allergy, you can just drink the wine. If you have an allergy to both...you're kinda SOL.

--- End quote ---

The problem is that they dissolve a bit of the host in the wine, so you're still SOL unless the priest prepares a separate cup with no host.

Anyway, favoring ancient traditions over modern realities even when those traditions are provably harmful is... somewhat fucked up.

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