Wrapped Low-Gluten Hosts
Date: May 3, 2026
Author: Fr. Edward McNamara, LC
Question: At our cathedral, low-gluten hosts are left in the individual plastic wrap in which they come. They are consecrated in this way. They are distributed in this way. My question is: What official sources would refute such a practice? — C.S., New York State
Answer: I have addressed some of the doctrinal and practical issues involving sufferers of celiac disease on September 14, 2004. Little has changed since that time except the development of several forms of very low-gluten hosts which are recognized as valid matter for the celebration of the Eucharist and at the same time safe for most of those living with the ailment.
The U.S. bishops' conference has provided ample guidelines regarding this subject which, because they are in line with general canonical principles, could be adopted in any country. One document from 2017 deals generally with the sacraments for people with disabilities.
The other guidelines can be found about a year earlier in the newsletter of the Committee on Divine Worship of the U.S. bishops' conference which issued an updated pastoral response in April 2016 regarding how to facilitate Eucharistic communion for those who suffer from intolerance to gluten and alcohol.
The introductory paragraphs of the 2017 document indicate the spirit with which the Church faces this question:
“The Church continues to affirm the dignity of every human being, and to grow in knowledge and understanding of the gifts and needs of her members who live with disabilities. Likewise, the Church recognizes that every parish community includes members with disabilities, and earnestly desires their active participation. All members of the Body of Christ are uniquely called by God by virtue of their Baptism. In light of this call, the Church seeks to support all in their growth in holiness, and to encourage all in their vocations. Participating in, and being nourished by, the grace of the sacraments is essential to this growth in holiness. Catholic adults and children with disabilities, and their families, earnestly desire full and meaningful participation in the sacramental life of the Church.
“In this regard, as it issues a revised and expanded Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops wishes to reiterate what was said in previous pastoral statements on this issue:
“It is essential that all forms of the liturgy be completely accessible to persons with disabilities, since these forms are the essence of the spiritual tie that binds the Christian community together. To exclude members of the parish from these celebrations of the life of the Church, even by passive omission, is to deny the reality of that community. Accessibility involves far more than physical alterations to parish buildings. Realistic provision must be made for Catholics with disabilities to participate fully in the Eucharist and other liturgical celebrations.”
With respect to the Eucharist for people with mental and other difficulties, these guidelines say the following:
“21. The Eucharist is the most august sacrament, in which Christ the Lord himself is contained, offered, and received, and by which the Church constantly lives and grows. It is the summit and the source of all Christian worship and life, signifying and effecting the unity of the People of God, providing spiritual nourishment for the recipient, and achieving the building up of the Body of Christ. The celebration of the Eucharist is the center of the entire Christian life.
“22. Parents or guardians, together with pastors, are to see to it that children who have reached the use of reason are correctly prepared and are nourished by the Eucharist as early as possible. Pastors are to be vigilant lest any children come to the Holy Banquet who have not reached the use of reason or whom they judge are not sufficiently disposed. It is important to note, however, that the criterion for reception of Holy Communion is the same for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities as for all persons, namely, that the person be able to 'distinguish the body of Christ from ordinary food,' even if this recognition is evidenced through manner, gesture, or reverential silence rather than verbally. Pastors are encouraged to consult with parents, those who take the place of parents, diocesan personnel involved with disability issues, psychologists, religious educators, and other experts in making their judgment. If it is determined that a parishioner who is disabled is not ready to receive the sacrament, great care is to be taken in explaining the reasons for this decision. Cases of doubt should be resolved in favor of the right of the Catholic to receive the sacrament. The existence of a disability is not considered in and of itself as disqualifying a person from receiving Holy Communion.
“23. Given the paramount significance of the Eucharist in the lives of the faithful, and in light of medical and technological advancements that affect Catholics with disabilities, new questions have arisen regarding the reception of Holy Communion, and circumstances that were once rare have even become relatively common. Clergy and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are encouraged to become familiar with the needs of their parishioners. In many instances, simple accommodations can be very helpful, and should be embraced by all at the parish level.
“25. Catholics with Celiac Sprue Disease or other conditions that make them gluten intolerant should be given the opportunity to receive a small fragment of a regular host, and made aware of the options to receive a low-gluten host or to receive under the form of wine alone. In the event of intolerance to gluten and wine, mustum may also be an option, with the approval of the local ordinary. Clergy and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion need to be aware of the possibility of cross-contamination and related issues in order to plan for the safe administration of the sacred species to Catholics with gluten intolerance. For example, the chalice given to a person with gluten intolerance should not contain a particle of the host, and low-gluten altar breads should never be intermingled with regular altar breads. As people may feel self-conscious at the prospect of needing special arrangements for the reception of Holy Communion, pastoral sensitivity in this area is particularly important.”
The slightly earlier document of 2016 addresses the situation of celiac sufferers more specifically, and it deals, among other practical issues, where to find very low gluten hosts in the United States.
With respect to the risk of cross-contamination it says:
“For those members of the faithful with gluten intolerance, even trace amounts of gluten can be damaging. It is important, therefore, to be mindful of 'cross-contamination' when using either low-gluten hosts or when offering Holy Communion to someone only under the species of wine. It might be best, for example, for the communicant to prepare a pyx with the low-gluten host before Mass, in order to avoid the situation of a sacristan who has handled the other hosts also to handle the low-gluten ones. At Communion time, then, they could approach the sanctuary together with any Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and receive the pyx from the celebrant with the words 'The Body of Christ' (or, if possible, they could be given the pyx within the normal Communion line, provided 'contamination' from handling of the pyx is avoided). Similarly, it might be necessary for someone who has permission to receive Holy Communion under the species of wine alone to prepare before Mass a chalice, which will not be part of the commingling rite and from which either they alone will receive or from which they will be the first to receive. Such precautions are not only medically necessary, but they demonstrate compassion to avoid singling out those who want to receive Communion but are unable to receive one or the other species.”
With respect to low-gluten hosts and mustum it states:
“The most recent Church teaching on the use of mustum and low-gluten hosts at Mass remains the letter from then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger … on July 24, 2003 (Prot. n. 89/78-17498), which was addressed to the Presidents of Conferences of Bishops. In that letter, pastors and the faithful are reminded that for bread to be valid matter for the Eucharist, it must be made solely of wheat, contain enough gluten to effect the confection of bread, be free of foreign materials, and unaffected by any preparation or baking methods which would alter its nature. The amount of gluten necessary for validity in such bread is not determined by minimum percentage or weight, though hosts which have no gluten are considered invalid matter for Mass. (In the Roman Rite, the bread prepared for the Eucharist must also be unleavened.)
“Mustum is defined as grape juice in which fermentation has begun, but has been suspended with the result that its alcohol content (usually less than 1.0%) does not reach the levels found in most table wines. It should not contain additives and may be stored through freezing or other means. The process used for the suspension of fermentation must not alter the nature of the juice in any way. The amount of alcohol needed for validity in mustum is not determined by a minimum percentage or weight. Pasteurized grape juice in which all alcohol has been evaporated through high temperature preparations is invalid matter for Mass. In the United States, it is forbidden to sell wine without the addition of sulfates as preservatives. The Church has determined that the very small amount of sulfates is acceptable and does not make the matter invalid.
“The lay faithful who are not able to receive Holy Communion at all under the species of bread, even of low-gluten hosts, may receive Holy Communion under the species of wine only, regardless of whether the Precious Blood is offered to the rest of the faithful present at a given celebration of Mass.
“Permission for priests, deacons, or the lay faithful without distinction to use mustum or low-gluten hosts is within the competence of the diocesan Bishop. The authority to permit the lay faithful to use mustum and low-gluten hosts in the reception of Holy Communion may be delegated to pastors under canon 137 §1 of the Code of Canon Law. Medical certification of a condition justifying the use of mustum or low-gluten hosts for Holy Communion is not required. Such permission, once granted, stands for as long as the condition persists which occasioned the request for the original permission.
“As a best practice, it is recommended that individuals with gluten and/or alcohol intolerance arrange through their parish the purchase any low-gluten hosts or mustum. This facilitates the oversight and good stewardship of the pastor who is responsible as mentioned above. It also ‘normalizes’ the practice for the communicant, as well as keeping the purchase of liturgical supplies together in the parish budget.
"It is also worth recalling that, through the doctrine of concomitance, the Church teaches that under either species of bread or wine, the whole Christ is received (cf. General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 282; Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1390). Thus, the faithful may be confident in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist they receive, even under only one or the other species.”
Although the above documents are guidelines and not law, they do offer us some valuable principles so as to respond to our reader.
First, it is clear that the overarching aim of the above documents is to include and harmonize the lived faith of those faithful who have some obstacle of disability. In other words, to cater for their needs without underlining their situation by separating them from the rest of the faithful during the celebration.
Second, when speaking about the concrete situation of those who live with gluten intolerance, the document speaks of a special pyx, or a separate chalice to avoid cross contamination. Nothing in this document would suggest that the species, although kept separate, be treated in any other way from any other consecrated host or chalice with the Precious Blood.
Therefore, consecrating and reserving low-gluten hosts in an individual plastic wrap, would not appear to be in line with good liturgical practice and the sacredness of the sacred species.
As suggested in the above document, best practice would seem to be to designate a person, even one who suffers from gluten intolerance, to prepare the pyx and/or chalice before each Mass in such a way that all dangers of cross contamination, and disrespect for the species, be avoided.
Should any hosts remain after Mass they may be reserved in the tabernacle in a specially designated pyx for later distribution by a minister who takes the necessary measures to avoid any danger to the faithful.
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