Q382 – Is a “Gluten-Free” Host a Valid Transubstantiation?

Interview Organization: Confraternity of Our Lady of Fatima
Interviewer Name: Christopher P. Wendt
Date: July 13, 2025
After Transubstantiation, the consecrated bread and wine keep their natural qualities, like taste or poison, which historically harmed clergy. For those with health issues, the Church permits gluten-free hosts, which resemble regular ones but may differ slightly in color, maintaining the substance necessary for valid Communion.
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This is the theme, because the species, I mean, of the consecrated bread and wine, continue after the Transubstantiation to keep their natural qualities. For example, when we consecrate wine that has a special taste, the consecrated wine will keep this taste, whether it is sweet or not so sweet, and so on.

Also, there were cases where the wine was poisoned. In history, there were situations where someone put poison in the wine before it was consecrated. The poison still had its effect after the wine was consecrated and consumed. As a result, there were priests or bishops who died or suffered health damage.

So it is possible that, in a similar way, when people cannot consume normal wheat bread for physical or health reasons, the Church allows the use of what are called gluten free hosts.

Actually, they look the same as regular hosts. I think they have a slightly different color, but they are still bright in some way, substantially. Therefore, the Church allows them to be used in this case.