Vatican City, Jul 8, 2017 / 04:51 am
In a new letter to bishops, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments denounced abuses against the Eucharist and "lack of respect in the sacred sphere," and reiterated existing norms regarding the Eucharist at Mass.
The letter, issued at the request of Pope Francis, reminds bishops of the norms concerning the Eucharist matter indicated in the Code of Canon Law and the Roman Missal, and explained in the Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum of this Congregation of March 25, 2004.
According to those norms, "the bread used in the Holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist must be unleavened, of only wheat and made recently, so that there is no danger of it being corrupted." Therefore, "bread made with other substances" can not constitute the valid matter for the realization of the Sacrifice and the Eucharistic Sacrament.
In addition, they emphasized that "it is a serious abuse to introduce other substances such as fruit, sugar or honey in the manufacture of bread for the Eucharist."