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Page: Social and Religious Issues
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Roman Catholic position
Roman Catholic doctrine states that for a valid Eucharist the bread must be made from wheat. The Catholic Church has approved the use of low-gluten hosts, but even these are not gluten-free. Some Catholic coeliac sufferers have requested permission to use rice wafers; such petitions have always been denied.
The issue is more complex for priests. Although a Catholic (lay or ordained) receiving under either form is considered to have received Christ "whole and entire", the priest, who is acting in persona Christi, is required to receive under both species when offering Mass — not for the validity of his Communion, but for the fullness of the sacrifice of the Mass. On August 22, 1994, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith apparently barred coeliacs from ordination, stating, "Given the centrality of the celebration of the Eucharist in the life of the priest, candidates for the priesthood who are affected by coeliac disease or suffer from alcoholism or similar conditions may not be admitted to holy orders." After considerable debate, the congregation softened the ruling on 24 July 2003 to "Given the centrality of the celebration of the Eucharist in the life of a priest, one must proceed with great caution before admitting to Holy Orders those candidates unable to ingest gluten or alcohol without serious harm."
Coeliacs and Passover
The Jewish festival of Pesach (Passover) may present problems with its obligation to eat matzo. Matzo is normally made from wheat or other gluten-containing grains, so oat matzo is used. Many products prepared for Passover are free of wheat, barley, spelt, oats, and rye, as many Orthodox (especially Hasidic) Jews avoid non-matzo wheat products (gebroks) altogether. Potato starch is the primary starch used to replace the grains.
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Important notice:
The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other
qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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