Pita bread for communion

[tadoflamb]

Is pita bread valid matter for confecting the Eucharist?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Eucharisted]

I can't find any Church documents on it.

 

[christianmomof3]

only if you can eat hummus with it

 

[MoNiCa4316]

Is pita bread valid matter for confecting the Eucharist?

Thanks in advance.

Tad, I really don't know, but it seems to me that even if it was valid, it would still be illicit, because.. well Communion bread is very pure (it's only bread), and pita bread is kind of an ordinary food... it also seems disrespectful to me to use it for Communion, unless it's a special situation (priest has no other option, is imprisoned, etc)

I hope that no priest (who has another option, that is) attempted to consecrate the Eucharist with pita bread!

 

[DesertSky]

No.

 

[MoNiCa4316]

No it is not, it is an insult to Jesus. The Eucharist must be a flat wafer with no openings or pockets. When pita is used in this manner, I prefer to call them little "Satan pockets" because the devil hides there. However, when not used as "Eucharist" eating pita is perfectly fine and quite delicious with hummus.

Do you mean that some priests actually do this? I've been to Masses in many churches and several cities, and I've only ever seen the flat wafers (hosts) being used - the ones they use everywhere in the Latin rite.

 

[christianmomof3]

When pita is used in this manner, I prefer to call them little "Satan pockets" because the devil hides there. However, when not used as "Eucharist" eating pita is perfectly fine and quite delicious with hummus.

that is funny

 

[Eucharisted]

Canon 924 §2.

The bread must be only wheat and recently made so that there is no danger of spoiling.

The instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum further specifies:

[48.] The bread used in the celebration of the Most Holy Eucharistic Sacrifice must be unleavened, purely of wheat, and recently made so that there is no danger of decomposition. It follows therefore that bread made from another substance, even if it is grain, or if it is mixed with another substance different from wheat to such an extent that it would not commonly be considered wheat bread, does not constitute valid matter for confecting the Sacrifice and the Eucharistic Sacrament. It is a grave abuse to introduce other substances, such as fruit or sugar or honey, into the bread for confecting the Eucharist. Hosts should obviously be made by those who are not only distinguished by their integrity, but also skilled in making them and furnished with suitable tools.

 

[tadoflamb]

Do you mean that some priests actually do this? I've been to Masses in many churches and several cities, and I've only ever seen the flat wafers (hosts) being used - the ones they use everywhere in the Latin rite.

I must be lucky.

The parish I visit in Sedona does this. There's also a parish I used to attend that uses pita as well as the parish I just visited in Montana.

The parish in Montana was so stripped down, and the people so irreverent I'm wondering if that's a result of having an invalid sacrament.

 

[Michie]

Tad.. I read an article about this once & it's no.

 

[Gwendolyn]

The Catholic priest at the university used to have people from the community bake wheat-only unleavened bread for the Eucharist. It was kind of like a pita but there were no pockets. He got in trouble with the bishop, though, and had to start using the paper-thin wafers again.

 

[MoNiCa4316]

I must be lucky.

The parish I visit in Sedona does this. There's also a parish I used to attend that uses pita as well as the parish I just visited in Montana.

The parish in Montana was so stripped down, and the people so irreverent I'm wondering if that's a result of having an invalid sacrament.

that's tragic I read a suggestion once about only receiving the Eucharist when you know it's been properly consecrated, ie: proper matter, proper form

The Catholic priest at the university used to have people from the community bake wheat-only unleavened bread for the Eucharist. It was kind of like a pita but there were no pockets. He got in trouble with the bishop, though, and had to start using the paper-thin wafers again.

yup it's fine in the Eastern rites, but the Latin rite uses unleavened bread I read it's still valid but illicit.. as the rites should keep their traditions

 

[Gwendolyn]

yup it's fine in the Eastern rites, but the Latin rite uses unleavened bread I read it's still valid but illicit.. as the rites should keep their traditions

The bread was unleavened.

 

[MoNiCa4316]

The bread was unleavened.

oh sorry I missed that part! I guess there are further regulations about this in the diocese...?

 

[_Shannon_]

Pita is unleavened bread. If it's made with only wheat and water and is unleaved (you know, being made only of wheat and water) then it's fine.

In fact the unleavened bread of the Last Supper, you know when Jesus first started this whole Eucharist gig---was pretty much pita bread.

 

[Gwendolyn]

Now I am hungry for pita bread. =/

 

[christianmomof3]

Pita is unleavened bread. If it's made with only wheat and water and is unleaved (you know, being made only of wheat and water) then it's fine.

In fact the unleavened bread of the Last Supper, you know when Jesus first started this whole Eucharist gig---was pretty much pita bread.

It was probably more dense and may not have been wheat, but could have been barley or some other grain or a mix of grains possibly couldn't it have been? Perhaps sprouted grain like ezekiel bread? It was most likely not wafer thin.

 

[_Shannon_]

The wafers are stupid. They are so ridiculously unbread-like, it completely divorces Holy Communion from it's Biblical roots. Unleavened bread which resembles.....bread, make so much more sense.

 

[_Shannon_]

Now I am hungry for pita bread. =/

WIth chicken salad in it. Or some falafel. I've had falafel on the brain since we passed a newly opened Falafel King yesterday.

 

[_Shannon_]

I must be lucky.

The parish I visit in Sedona does this. There's also a parish I used to attend that uses pita as well as the parish I just visited in Montana.

The parish in Montana was so stripped down, and the people so irreverent I'm wondering if that's a result of having an invalid sacrament.

I think it's the result of really, really poor region-wide catechesis. Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah.....every parish I went to in any of the states was a disaster. There is a serious priest shortage. It's so heavily Mormon there, I think we ought to declare it mission territory.