10 July 2017

You may have seen the recent statement from the Vatican on the use of gluten free altar breads for Holy Communion. The letter from the Vatican has been issued to clarify the position of the Roman Catholic Church which has not changed.
 
Wheat, a cereal that contains gluten, is the only substance authorised by the Roman Catholic Church to make Eucharistic bread so there are special hosts that have been approved for use by individuals with coeliac disease when taking Communion. There are communion wafers available on the market that have a minimum content of wheat sufficient to be considered acceptable to the Catholic Church rules. These products are made from gluten free wheat starch and are either labelled gluten free or very low gluten. Other churches allow communion wafers to be taken which are made entirely from gluten free ingredients and so often church suppliers sell two different varieties.
 
We have more information and a list of companies you can contact to order communion wafers. Before ordering as an individual it is worth talking to your church as their usual church supplier can sometimes order these for you and minimise delivery charges.