Article II: On Bread in Particular

S. Th. III, q. 74, a. 3 and 4.

216. Principle I. For the validity of the sacrament there is required usual wheat bread. - It is proved:

1. From the practice of the Church, which is already indicated in the Didache IX, 3-4; St. Justin, Apol. I, 65-66; Dial. 41 and 117; St. Irenaeus, Adv. haer. IV, 17-18; Tertullian, Ad ux. II, 5; Adv. Marc. I, 14; Cyprian, De laps. 25; ep. 63; Clement of Alexandria, Strom. I, 9; Paed. 11; Origen, hom. 19 on Jer., 4, 18; C. Cels. VIII, 33.

2. From the declaration of the Council of Florence, of the Missal, and of can. 815.

3. By reason of fittingness.

Thus it is fitting, both a) because wheat bread is more commonly in use among men, for other breads seem to have been introduced in defect of this, and b) because it strengthens more, and thus more fittingly signifies the effect of this sacrament.

217. Principle II. For wheat bread four things are required: 1. that it be from the grain of wheat, 2. made with natural water, 3. baked by fire, and 4. substantially uncorrupted. - It must be:

1. From the grain of wheat, which is not any grain whatever, but the noblest.

Hence: a) Insufficient matter is bread made from barley, oats, panic-grain, maize or Turkish wheat, rice, millet, or from beans, peas, chestnuts, almonds, potatoes, or other legumes and fruits of trees: for by common estimation they are distinguished from wheat, nor do men use them for making usual bread except on account of a defect of wheat. - b) Doubtfully sufficient is bread from far, spelt,¹ rye or siligo,² starch (which is made from corrupted wheat), gluten. - c) But if other grains are mixed with wheat in small quantity, although this of itself is gravely illicit, sufficient matter would remain and the whole would pass into the body of Christ, because the whole by moral estimation is wheat bread; but if the mixture were great, for example equally or almost equally, it would be insufficient matter; whence wafers dyed with various colors, with which letters are usually sealed, are unsuitable matter or at least doubtful, because through the mixture they are notably altered and are not usual bread.

¹ Spelt among some seems to signify a species of wheat, namely Suevian; in which case it would be valid matter.

² Siligo in its classical signification is the most excellent species of true wheat; but in St. Thomas and others it seems to be the same as rye, or a certain imperfect species of wheat, in which case it is doubtful matter.

2. Made with natural water: namely, the grain reduced into flour, or at least crushed and compressed,³ must be prepared with natural water, because generally by common use usual bread is made thus.

³ According to the decree of the Holy Office, June 23, 1852, for validity it is not required that the bread be made from milled flour; but from grains crushed and compressed down to the white matter it is valid, and sometimes licit. But care must be taken, if it can be done, "that the wheat not merely be crushed, but by a suitable instrument be reduced into flour, which is carefully purified by a sieve."

Whence: a) Bread kneaded with milk, eggs, oil, butter, is not apt matter, even if somewhere it is customary to be made thus, unless the quantity of these is slight and water is the principal part in the mass to be formed. - b) Bread made with rose-water or water of another distillation, or even with sea water, is doubtful, because perhaps it is not usual bread.

3. Baked by fire: namely, the mass must be toasted by fire, whether in an oven or on a hot iron.

Hence raw flour does not suffice, even when kneaded with water, or boiled after the manner of a cake or loaf, or dried by the sun.

4. Substantially uncorrupted (can. 815): for if the corruption is so great that the species of bread is dissolved, as if the taste and color and other accidents are changed, from such matter the body of Christ cannot be confected.

Sometimes, however, the corruption is not so great that it dissolves the species, but there is some disposition toward corruption, which some change of taste declares; and from such bread the body of Christ can validly be confected; but the one confecting sins because of irreverence toward the sacrament, unless necessity urges. This sin is mortal from its genus.

218. Principle III. For liceity it is required that the host be 1. recently made, 2. clean, whole, and pure, and 3. of a determined figure and quality according to the rite and custom of the Churches. - The host-bread must be:

1. Recently made, so that there be no danger of corruption (can. 815 and 1272).

To use bread somewhat moldy of itself is a grave sin; yet if true necessity were present, it would not be illicit.

2. Clean, whole, and altogether pure: so that the bread be merely wheat (can. 813).

Scandal always being excluded, it seems only venial without a reasonable cause to consecrate a broken or stained host, and there is no sin if it is discovered after the oblation.

3. In the Latin Church it must be of a round figure, and for the celebrant larger, in which the image of the Crucified is expressed according to the constant custom which is to be observed (S.C.R., April 26, 1834); and made from unleavened bread.

If a larger host is lacking, the priest can, even for the sake of devotion alone, celebrate with a smaller host, provided scandal is absent; this generally can be forestalled by warning the people about the lack of a larger host.

The Greeks employ a square host, and for the particles to be distributed, triangular ones, and they use leavened bread, which many Orientals also do.

219. The diverse custom of using unleavened or leavened bread for the diverse Churches is most ancient⁴ and was confirmed by the Council of Florence.

⁴ From the sixth century the use of leavened bread is historically established; for the Latin Church testimonies concerning unleavened bread rise to the eighth century.

The custom of the Latin Church is more reasonable: 1. because Christ instituted this sacrament when nothing leavened had to be in the houses of the Jews; 2. because bread is properly the sacrament of the body of Christ, which was conceived without corruption; 3. because it signifies more the purity and integrity of heart with which it must be received (I Cor. V, 7, 8); 4. because the species are more easily kept uncorrupted. - Yet the custom of the Greeks has some reason: 1. on account of signification: a) because the Word was clothed with flesh as leaven is mixed with bread; b) because Christ assumed our sins as bread assumes the corruption of wheat; c) because leaven has a penetrating force and makes bread more savory, and therefore suitably designates the fervor of charity and the sweetness given by this sacrament; 2. in detestation of the heresy of the Nazarenes, who mixed the rites of the Jews with the Gospel.

It was defined in the Council of Florence, decree of union, that it makes no difference for the value of the sacrament whether leavened or unleavened bread is consecrated: for each is usual wheat bread, nor did Christ determine the matter in the individual but only as to substance. Nevertheless every priest is bound in the celebration of Mass to observe the rite of his own Church, and indeed "wherever he offers the Sacred Sacrifice," as is now altogether certain from can. 816. This precept, because of reverence toward the sacrament in observing this most ancient rite, which is most useful for the whole Church, is urged by ecclesiastical custom to such a degree that neither for communicating the sick nor that the people on a feast day may hear Mass is it lawful to change this rite, but only in the case of making the sacrifice whole, namely if the priest after the second consecration discovers that the bread is defective and cannot have what is prescribed.

According to the new discipline of the Code, from can. 851: "The priest shall distribute holy communion with unleavened or leavened bread, according to his own rite. But where necessity urges and a priest of a different rite is not present, it is lawful for an oriental priest who uses leavened bread to minister the Eucharist in unleavened bread, and conversely for a Latin or an oriental who uses unleavened bread to minister in leavened bread; but each must observe his own rite of ministering" (cf. can. 733, § 2).

The faithful of themselves also are bound in communion to observe the rite of their own church; but from a more recent concession (S.C.P.F., August 18, 1893; November 30, 1894), if they cannot conveniently communicate in their own rite, the faculty is now given to them that, for the sake of piety, they may receive the sacrament in any rite. This is now consecrated by can. 866; but the Code advises that each satisfy the precept of paschal communion in his own rite; but it commands this for viaticum: "Holy Viaticum is to be received by the dying in their own rite, but, when necessity urges, it is lawful to receive it in any rite."