The Eucharist

The words of institution at the Last Supper, recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and 1 Corinthians; the discourse in John 6, where many followers leave over the teaching; and continuous witness in the earliest Christian writings outside the New Testament.

The ordinary rule is that Catholics in communion with the Church, properly disposed, receive Communion: that is, not conscious of grave unconfessed sin, and having kept the fast of one hour from food and drink apart from water and medicine.

Christians who are not Catholic are ordinarily asked not to receive, not as an insult but because Communion expresses a unity that is not yet fully there. Everyone is welcome to be present.

Church law does provide narrow exceptions rather than a blanket prohibition. Canon 844 permits Catholic ministers to administer the sacraments to members of Eastern Churches not in full communion with the Catholic Church who ask of their own accord and are properly disposed, and it permits administration to other baptised Christians in danger of death or, in the judgement of the diocesan bishop or the conference of bishops, in another case of grave necessity, when they cannot approach a minister of their own community, ask of their own accord, manifest Catholic faith in the sacrament, and are properly disposed.

These are judgements for the Church to make, not for a website and not for a reader deciding alone in a pew. Nothing on this page tells you whether you may receive. If you are uncertain, ask the celebrant or a priest of the parish before Mass, and you will get an answer specific to your situation.

There is no such thing as a fully gluten-free host in Catholic practice. The bread must be made of wheat, so hosts approved for use are low-gluten rather than gluten-free. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in its 2003 letter on the use of low-gluten hosts and mustum, set out that low-gluten hosts containing sufficient gluten to obtain the confection of bread are valid matter, and that those who cannot receive under the form of bread may receive under the form of wine alone.

If celiac disease, an eating disorder, alcohol recovery, a swallowing difficulty, or any medical condition affects how you can receive, speak with the celebrant or the parish priest. Arrangements exist, and they are made pastorally, person by person.

Being unable to receive right now: because of a marriage situation, a long absence, or something unresolved: is painful, and it does not mean God has withdrawn from you.

Many people find it helpful to speak to a priest known to be kind. If a priest has treated you harshly, that was his failure; you may ask someone else.

Because Catholics believe Christ is truly present, consecrated bread reserved in the tabernacle can be honoured and prayed before outside of Mass. This is called Eucharistic Adoration, and many parishes hold it regularly.

It is simply quiet time in a church, in front of the tabernacle or an exposed host, with no words required. It suits people who find spoken prayer difficult.