BREAD, Sacramental, in the Protestant churches, is common leavened bread, in conformity to the ancient practice. In the Roman Catholic mass, azymous or unleavened bread is used, particularly in the Gallican church, where there is provided for this purpose what is called pain à chanter, made of the purest wheaten flour pressed between two iron plates graven like wafer-moulds, and rubbed with white wax to prevent the paste from sticking. The Greeks observe various ceremonies in making the eucharistic bread. In the Abyssinian churches there is a kind of sacrificial allotment for this service. Sirmond, in his disquisition on azymous bread, shows, that there were as many ceremonies used in the ancient Latin church in the preparation of the unleavened bread as are still retained in the Eastern churches.
Ecclesiastical writers enumerate other species of bread allotted for purposes of religion; as, Kalendarius, that anciently offered to the priest at the kalends; Prebendarius, the same with capitularis, that distributed daily to each prebendary or canon; Benedictus, that usually given to catechumens before baptism, instead of the eucharist bread, which they were incapable of partaking of. The panis benedictus was called also panagium and eulogium, being a sort of bread blessed and consecrated by the priest, by which the catechumens were prepared for the reception of the body of Christ. The same was used afterwards, not only by catechumens, but by believers themselves, as a token of their mutual communion and friendship. Its origin is dated from the council of Nantes in the seventh century. In the Gallican church we still find panis benedictus, pain bénit, used for that offered for benediction, and afterwards distributed to pious persons who attend divine service in chapels. Consecrated bread is a piece of wax, paste, or even earth, over which several ceremonies have been performed with benedictions and other rites, to be sent in an Agnus Dei or relic-book, and presented for veneration. The use of Unleavened bread alone during the Jewish passover is commanded by the Mosaic law. The usage was introduced
in memory of the hasty departure of Israel from Egypt, when they had not leisure to bake leavened bread. Show-bread was that offered to God every sabbath-day on the golden table in the holy of holies.