A host is a small, thin, round wafer used for Holy Communion in many Christian churches. The word, which means victim, is often used to refer to the wafer both before and after consecration, although it is more correctly used only after consecration, "altar breads" being preferred before consecration.
In the Catholic Church, altar breads are usually made by nuns, as a means of supporting themselves. It is required that the hosts be made from wheat flour and water only. (Code of Canon Law, Canon 924.) The Church teaches that at the words of consecration, the bread is changed into the Body of Christ, through transubstantiation. For the consecration to be valid, the host must be made from wheat; otherwise, transubtantiation will not take place. The Eastern Catholic rites and the Orthodox Churches use leavened bread, while still insisting that the altar breads be made from wheat.
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