The Church of England has reaffirmed its stance on the elements used during Holy Communion, ruling that non-alcoholic wine and gluten-free bread cannot be substituted for traditional ingredients. According to newly released guidance, bread must be made with wheat flour, and wine must be fermented grape juice to be valid for consecration in the sacrament.
The ruling, detailed in papers ahead of the Church’s General Synod meeting on Monday, acknowledged the challenges faced by individuals who cannot consume wheat or alcohol. However, the Church has emphasized that any substitution, such as rice or potato flour, is not permissible as it would violate the tradition of the sacrament.
Holy Communion, a cornerstone of Christian faith, symbolizes the body and blood of Christ, with bread and wine being offered to the congregation. While wheat flour can be processed to reduce gluten and alcohol can be removed after fermentation, the Church maintains that trace amounts of both will always remain, and substitutes are prohibited.
Reverend Canon Alice Kemp, a member of the Synod, criticized the ruling, highlighting the injustice faced by those unable to partake fully due to gluten or alcohol restrictions. She questioned whether the Church could consider allowing gluten-free and alcohol-free elements to eliminate this exclusion. “Both priests and congregants who are unable to consume gluten and/or alcohol are forced to receive in one kind only or may be prohibited from receiving both elements if they are unable to consume both,” she stated.
In response, Michael Ipgrave, the Bishop of Lichfield and chairman of the Church’s Liturgical Commission, stated that such a change would require overturning two foundational principles of the Church. “First, that bread made with wheat and the fermented juice of the grape are the elements to be consecrated in holy communion; and second, that receiving holy communion in one kind in a case of necessity is not an ‘exclusion’ but full participation,” he explained.
Ipgrave further emphasized that even those unable to physically receive the sacrament are assured of their participation in the body and blood of Christ through faith. The Church has thus upheld its traditional interpretation of Holy Communion while recognizing the difficulties faced by some members of the congregation.
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