Vatican Outlaws Gluten-Free Bread For Holy Communion

Catholics who follow gluten-free diets may have a very awkward Sunday in front of them, because the Roman Catholic Church issued a new guidance outlawing the use of gluten-free bread during Holy Communion.

According to the BBC, Cardinal Robert Sarah wrote a letter to the Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church, instructing them that the bread used for the Eucharist cannot be completely gluten-free. He said in the letter that he was writing at the request of Pope Francis.

"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," the letter said. "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 said low-gluten options could be made available to people who can't consume gluten, but that even those must contain some gluten.

"Hosts that are completely gluten-free are invalid matter for the celebration of the Eucharist," the letter explained. "Low-gluten hosts (partially gluten-free) are valid matter, provided they contain a sufficient amount of gluten to obtain the confection of bread without the addition of foreign materials and without the use of procedures that would alter the nature of bread."

This ruling does not sound like good news for Catholics with Celiac disease, who cannot eat even small amounts of gluten without negative effects.

Click here to see six things you should know before going gluten-free.