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The Bread that is used at the Melkite church I attend seems sweetened. Is this licit and/or valid?

I have seen many different recipes to make it and most of them say to use sugar and/or salt.

Does adding sugar make it invalid?

I could not find a anything on this. Is it written in the Code of Canons for Eastern Catholic Churches?

Do the recipes vary? Are they allowed to?

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Not being a Melkite myself I won't pretend to be able to answer this, but I found a site with four different prosphora recipes of Melkite origin here... [mliles.com]

I did notice at least one includes the addition of sugar. It is conceivable that not all of the sugar will be consumed by the yeast.

I have no idea whether this conforms to every traditions idea of a proper prosphora recipe or does not. I did happen to run across a web page [prosphora.org] that has advice about prosphora baking and recommends against sugar, but does not actually condemn the practice.

+T+
Michael

Traditionally the only ingredients are wheat flour, yeast, water and salt - nothing else. I'm not sure if this is a canonical requirement. You may be able to find out at www.prosphora.org [prosphora.org]

As for the bread being 'sweet' I have been told that some Middle Eastern Churches often add things like honey to their recipe. Perhaps this is what you encountered?

One other place you might find variation from the traditional recipe is for the preparation of lytia loaves for vigils. I use a recipe from the above website which includes vanilla, oranges and cinnamon. So far they've been used in two churches. I love the looks on people's faces the first time they try it.

Σώσον, Κύριε, καί διαφύλαξον η�άς από τών Βασιλιάνικων τάξεων!

The addition of "extras" to prosphora is interesting.

I've heard of some Middle Eastern Greek Orthodox AND Greek Catholics adding sugar or oil to their prosphora; as far as I know, this is something that people just do, and it's not technically "kosher." :-) I seem to recall the Syriac Orthodox including a bit of olive oil in their bread, but I'm not 100% sure about this one, or how it relates to adding extra ingredients to prosphora.

Among Slavs, the addition of salt is by no means standard. I've always been taught to not include it, although it is customary among Greeks and others. As it says in the ROCOR's English Service Book from Jordanville, "The material of the Sacrament of the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ is bread of pure wheat flour, mixed with plain natural water, and leaven, unsalted..."

Dave, prosfornik

I copied the specifications for altar bread from the Syrian (Oriental)Orthodox website. It appears that they use a tradition comparable to those who bake sourdough bread: saving a portion of the dough prepared for the next baking.

_____________________________________________
In accordance with our ecclesiastical tradition, the bread to be consecrated for Holy Liturgy is a flat cake made of wheat dough mixed with a small portion of leaven and salt and is imprinted with a special seal. On preparing the dough, the priest, in keeping with the ancient tradition of our Church, uses as yeast a part of the dough used for baking the bread for Liturgy the previous time. This is another expression of the oneness and unity of the sacrament of Communion offered in our churches all over the world from the apostolic times.

Ha. A certain Melkite parish (I shan't say where) administered by a Maronite priest (which may explain a lot of strange goings-on there), adds a bit of rosewater and cumin to their weekly prosphora. The Diaconissa there tells me that this is not unusual in the Middle East.

Yes, prosphora recipes do vary slightly - monasteries naturally tend to be stricter (with, among other things, the practice of setting aside an oven to be used only for prosphora). Small quantities of sugar and a tiny pinch of salt are not uncommon (the sugar is to feed the yeast; I have no idea what the salt does). Rosewater and cummin are likelier in the Middle East.
None of these ingredients are added in sufficient quantity to affect the validity of the Eucharist. But clergy from the Slav Churches are often startled when serving in one or another of the Mediterranean Churches and finding that the prosphora has rather more flavor than they are accustomed to.
De gustibus non est disputandum!

Incognitus

Salt can act as a retardant against over-rising, and add flavor.

I'm still not a fan of salty prosphora, though.

Dave

If you check out the official site for the Melkites you will find three recipes. Two use sugar the second one doesn't. This statement is on there which could explain the use of sugar, "Yeast

Do not use "active" yeast. Use "normal" yeast. "Active" yeast causes the dough to rise too much. Then, the seal from the stamp is not clear on the bread."

http://www.mliles.com/melkite/qurban.shtml
http://www.mliles.com/melkite/qurbanrecipe1.shtml
http://www.mliles.com/melkite/qurbanrecipe2.shtml
http://www.mliles.com/melkite/qurbanrecipe3.shtml
http://www.mliles.com/melkite/qurbanrecipehints.shtml

I know nothing about the baking of prosphora, but I do make "wild sourdough" bread using milk and cumin with rye flour to make a puddle on the counter. The cumin seems to really help the dough -- I never get a bum batch when I use it.

Some places are easier to make sourdough in, the natural yeasts in the air are better for sourdough making. Cumin might be one of those things that helps dough make the best of whatever yeasts ar there.

Sorry if it is OT -- but I wanted to contribute that cumin might not just be a tasty spice.

The only things that talk about the Eucharistic bread in the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches are Canons 706 and 707:

Canon 706
1. In the Divine Liturgy the sacred gifts which are offered are bread made of wheat alone and recently made so that there is no danger of corruption and natural wine of the grape and not corrupt.

Canon 707
1. The preparation of the Eucharistic bread, the prayers performed by the priests before the Divine Liturgy, the observance of the Eucharistic fast, liturgical vestments, the time and place
of the celebration and other like matters must be precisely established by the norms of each Church sui iuris.

2.For a just cause and having removed any astonishment on the part of the Christian faithful, it is permissible to use the liturgical vestments and bread of another Church sui iuris."


"Applying the Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches" says in regard to these:

67. The preparation of the bread and the wine

Can. 706 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches reminds us that "the sacred gifts which are offered are bread made of wheat alone (...) and natural wine of the grape."

Can. 707 � 1 is concerned with the "preparation of the Eucharistic bread." Since the Christian Churches know different ways of preparing the bread destined for Eucharist, the Code requires the observation of the prescriptions of the various particular laws. The most notable difference in this regard is that which exists between leavened bread, traditionally used by most of the Eastern Churches, and unleavened bread, used by the Armenians and Latins. About the symbolism of one or the other use, much has been discussed in the past, often in polemic tones, sometimes attributing theological

interpretations to them. Since in this arena each usage has its value, the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches prescribes that each Church <sui iuris> preserve that which it has inherited from its Fathers, because in such a way the complementary aspects of the eucharistic Mystery are expressed in symbolic form.

Other differentiations are noted in the form given to the bread destined for eucharistic celebrations and to the mark stamped on it, in the prayers which accompany the preparation, in the names with which it is designated, etc. Each one of these particulars is to be regulated according to the directions in the liturgical books.

As to the wine, it is necessary to point out that the rule presented by the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches differs from that of can. 924 � 1 of the Code of Canon Law which specifies that the wine is to be mixed with a small quantity of water. This mixing has not been mentioned in the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches because it is not in use in the Armenian Church and thus is not to be considered as a valid law for all the Eastern Churches.

The rite of Zeon (the supplemental addition of hot water in the cup before Communion), present in the Churches coming from the Constantinopolitan branch and unfortunately forsaken in some Greek Catholic Churches, should be recovered. The same applies for other numerous celebrative elements if they have fallen into disuse.

68. The liturgical vestments and bread from the particular rite are to be used

Regarding the preparation of the bread and the liturgical vestments, can. 707 � 2 states that "for a just cause and having removed any astonishment on the part of the Christian faithful, it is permissible to use the liturgical vestments and bread of another Church <sui iuris.>" Two limits to this permission must be noted. The concession is granted so that the impossibility of procuring the bread or vestments should not impede the eucharistic celebration for the good of the faithful, which surpasses the necessary norms under normal circumstances. This permission should only be used in exceptional situations which cannot be generalized, such as the case of persecution and thus of clandestine celebration. It certainly does not dispense the obligation to do all that is possible so that such irregularity be avoided, and bread and vestments be according to the proper liturgical usage. It is meant even more for the case of the bread, in as much as the preparation of the bread for Eucharist is an integral part of the celebration and cannot be omitted without truly serious reasons. Therefore, excluding the Armenian liturgy, when prosphora is lacking, normal fermented bread is to be used in the exceptional cases mentioned.

The second constraint is for any astonishment to be removed on the part of the Christian faithful. It is necessary to avoid innovation which risks being misunderstood because of its contrast with the traditional use known by the faithful. Such attention extends also to the sensitivity of the non-Catholic faithful, in particular of those belonging to the same Tradition.

69. The reference to the particular law does not imply minor importance

The whole of the prescriptions listed by can. 707 is relatively secondary with respect to the totality of the eucharistic sacrament. Nonetheless, it is laden with spiritual meanings belonging to a coherent system, enabling an optimal introduction to full knowledge of the eucharistic Mystery.

To remove some of these entails the risk of impoverishing the general framework. Their importance is reiterated in can. 713 � 2 which insists that "the Christian faithful are to observe faithfully the norms of the Church <sui iuris> in which they are enrolled, not only within the territorial boundaries of the same Church, but, inasmuch as it is possible, everywhere."

Note how can. 707 refers to the particular law of each Church <sui iuris>, which must establish accurate norms concerning the eucharistic celebrations. This does not mean to belittle the importance, but to express the desire that the specificity and diversity of the different authentic traditions be protected. It is fitting that the particular liturgical law express and guarantee the proper physiognomy and authenticity of each particular liturgical family or tradition.


Maybe there's an answer somewhere in there.

Dave