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Do Catholics ever use leavened bread now days, or just the flat wafers for the Eucharist, in the Latin rite?
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The Byzantine Catholic churches, such as the Melkite, and some others use leavened bread all the time.Do Catholics ever use leavened bread now days, or just the flat wafers for the Eucharist, in the Latin rite?
He specifically asked about the Latin rite.The Byzantine Catholic churches, such as the Melkite, and some others use leavened bread all the time.
I can see the theology behind both forms. The Roman Church changed when they started envisioning the Eucharistic meal as a continuation of the Passover meal, where unleavened matza bread would have been used. Obviously though, the Eucharist is celebrated at all times of the year, not just at Passover. So leavened bread would have traditionally been used during most of the year. I do find it odd that this was a point of contention during the Great Schism. In fact Cardinal Humbert was sent to Patriarch Michael Cerularius to talk about this very fact.Code of Canon Law - IntraText
Can. 926 According to the ancient tradition of the Latin Church, the priest is to use unleavened bread in the eucharistic celebration whenever he offers it.
It is odd, however, because the ancient tradition of the Church in Rome was to use leavened bread just as the eastern Churches do, and it wasn't until the 6th-8th century that they began to change to unleavened.
I can see the theology behind both forms. The Roman Church changed when they started envisioning the Eucharistic meal as a continuation of the Passover meal, where unleavened matza bread would have been used. Obviously though, the Eucharist is celebrated at all times of the year, not just at Passover. So leavened bread would have traditionally been used during most of the year. I do find it odd that this was a point of contention during the Great Schism. In fact Cardinal Humbert was sent to Patriarch Michael Cerularius to talk about this very fact.
That is a good thought. The theology might have followed the practical.I think unleavened bread was used simply because it's less crumbly. Both churches were and are conscientious about the sacrament falling on the floor.
Actually, in my experience, wafers are less common. The first prayer book actually made it explicitly clear that it was to be leavened bread, and in my experience, which is probably different than yours, it's mostly the Anglo-Catholics or the small congregations that use wafers.In my own congregation, we have started to use leavened bread most of the year . It was a recent change. It is apparently very common in our religious denomination (ELCA) now days, based on videos I've seen.
I'm not sure where this trend came from. I suppose I should be asking, "Have Lutherans generally always used unleavened bread?"
I know in Episcopalianism, you generally only see this sort of thing (leavened bread) in relatively low churchmanship. Though the Episcopal church I went to, when I lived with my parents, had a wednesdays service that distributed leavened bread- I think they were doing so because it was a less traditional service and was somewhat experimental (darkened sanctuary, icons, etc.).
That is a good thought. The theology might have followed the practical.
In the Latin Rite flat wafers are used.Do Catholics ever use leavened bread now days, or just the flat wafers for the Eucharist, in the Latin rite?
Prosforo keeps forever if it is stored dry, wrapped in paper or fabric until it dries, then it can be sealed in plastic (or any other kind of container or wrapping).Wafers can also be reserved as they have less moisture content, and that might have had practical significance as well.
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