[Alex Murphy]

Because Jesus ate wheat bread with his apostles before his Crucifixion, church law requires the host to be wheat and only wheat, said Deacon Martin Davies, director of the Office for Divine Worship at the Diocese of Columbus. Without wheat, the wafers cannot be consecrated and used in Mass, so no gluten-free wafers.

In 1995, the Vatican said low-gluten hosts are valid if they hold enough gluten to make bread. Worshippers wanting the low-gluten option were required to present a medical certificate and obtain a bishop’s approval. The policy was loosened in 2003 to eliminate the medical-certificate requirement and to allow pastors to grant approval. The Vatican also said that Catholics with celiac disease could receive Communion via wine only. However, for faithful catholics with celiac disease and gluten intolerance who want to participate more fully, the low-gluten version, which some say tastes terrible, remains the only communion wafer option.

[Alex Murphy]

Related threads:
COMMUNION THROUGH A FEEDING TUBE (And More on Confirmations)
Catholics with celiac disease can now take the host at communion with low-gluten wafer
Monsanto's genetically-modified Eucharist
No Genetically Modified Jesus! (Important Issu!)
Midwest drought to impact altar bread prices

[Dutchboy88]

Now wait just a darn minute, here. If transubstantiation changes all of this stuff into the real body of Jesus, what difference does the “starter” make?

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

Form and matter.

Non-wheat "bread" is not the proper matter.

The Vatican also said that Catholics with celiac disease could receive Communion via wine only.

Been there. Done that. What's the problem? Reception under both species is not necessary.

However, for faithful catholics with celiac disease and gluten intolerance who want to participate more fully...

This isn't encounter group. Get over it. I did, in about ten seconds.

[TheThirdRuffian]

This is absurd and legalistic.

And yes, I am Catholic.

If we want to follow the Law, let’s do it right and become Orthodox Jews.

[Carpe Cerevisi]

The typical anti-Catholic fare must be somewhat light today. Thanks for posting this timely article from August of last year.

[Salvation]

**That’s because the Catholic Diocese of Columbus recently said that gluten-free wafers don’t meet Vatican standards because they don’t contain wheat. **

Gluten free hosts contain a small amount of gluten so they do contain enough of the wheat.

[Revelation 911]

soooo Transubstantiation can only happen with gluten? - why do they limit God like that? (/sarc)

[James C. Bennett]

The comedy of superstitious ignorance!

[Gamecock]

I guess Jesus can only turn bread and wine into Jesus.

[Former Fetus]

From the Jewish Virtual Library: “MATZAH, unleavened bread made from one of five species of grain – wheat, barley, spelt, rye, and oats”. I would think that Jesus ate the same matzah that the average poor people ate, that is more likely barley but definitely NOT wheat. How can the Catholic Church make such a deal about not using anything but wheat bread?

[pa_dweller]

I think I remember years ago reading about the church allowing tapirs to be substituted for fish on Fridays in South America.