Posted on 05/02/2009 11:14:02 PM PDT by Salvation
Q. 1. I have been told that the Catholic Church has made some changes because of Swine Flu. Can you please expand on this matter?
A. 1. Because of the Swine Flu outbreak, some Dioceses in Canada (Edmonton, Alberta & Kingston Ontario), in the United States (Baltimore, Maryland) and in New Zealand have implemented new practices that are related to the celebration of the Holy Mass. These, while being temporarily, are a precaution against the spread of Swine Flu.
Basically, when attending Holy Mass, Catholics are asked to refrain from personal contact with each other. The following list has been compiled to represent some of the precautionary measures that have been adopted by some Dioceses.
1. The Sign of Peace.
Parishioners are no longer allowed to shake hands during the Sign of Peace. Instead, they are being asked to either nod or bow to those on their right and on their left.
This also means no more embracing.
2. The Lord's Prayer.
Parishioners are no longer allowed to hold hands during the Lord's Prayer.
3. Communion from the Cup.
That the practice of allowing people to drink consecrated wine out of a common cup be stopped.
4. Communion on the tongue.
People who normally have the priest place a communion host on their tongues will now receive it in their hands.
5. Expectation of the priests.
The priests are to practise good hygiene while distributing communion hosts.
6. Hand cleaning.
Each Parish should consider making hand-sanitizing liquid available in its Church.
7. The Holy Water at the entrance of the Church.
It is suggested that the containers of holy water typically located at the Church entrances be emptied and disinfected while the flu is spreading.
8. Those who are sick.
"It is not sinful to miss Mass if you are sick and unable to attend; it is an act of charity," says Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien of Baltimore, Maryland, US. Parishes have an obligation to advise parishioners with flu symptoms to stay home. Parishioners who experience flu like symptoms should stay home from Mass, especially in a health-threatening situation.
"I believe these steps are an appropriate response to the current alert level,” stated Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in a letter sent to all the parish priests during the end of April, 2009.
Conclusion
Catholics are asked to pray for all who have been impacted by the Swine Flu, especially our sisters and brothers in Mexico, as well as the many medical professionals providing care and assistance to the sick throughout the world.
Note
Every year, in every country of the world, thousands and thousands of the weak, the sick, the young and the old, die from the regular flu during the flu season. And nobody seems to care. The Catholic Church does not implement any preventive measures that could save lives during such times.
The sick continue to go to Church to infect other parish members. The sick continue to share the cup to infect those who will receive after them. The sick continue to shake hands with those around them, spreading their infection. And the list goes on, all in love and in the Name of Jesus.
Truly, where is charity in these actions? Should it not begin in the Church leadership? It is no wonder that for over 1,000 years, prior to Vatican II, the Church, in its wisdom, had done away with practices that literally kill others... no more touching each other, no more hand shakes, no more embracing, hugging and kissing. And no more sharing of the Cup, an unnecessary action. In the early days of the Church, the Fathers proclaimed that the fullness of Jesus is found in both, the Consecrated Wine and Bread. If by receiving the Body of Christ, you receive the fullness of Him, then, why is it necessary to also receive the Blood, by the sharing of the Cup, in a manner that can kill others?
This is certainly something to reflect upon.
It pained me also today to have to go back to received Jesus in my hands this morning, but also at the same time, I do not want to end up being responsible for spreading any sickness around.
Amen to your comments. I despise that hand holding during the Pater Noster, also, although, in my parish this is not common, and I especially despise the sign of peace nonsense. If one must have that stupid sign of peace, why would it not be at the very beginning of the Mass?
BTW, I stopped shaking people’s hands about 2 years ago. I have been getting surprised looks when they extend their hands to me, but, recently, I have begun a new practice, which I am copying from another woman whom I observed — a little wave. This makes it much less awkward for the other person, who now knows in advance not to stick his hand out.
That's what happened where I went (Franciscan Friary in the Arch. of Chicago).
If I feel the “need” to hug someone, I’ll do so OUTSIDE of church!
&&
Amen! And I suspect that, like me, you reserve your hugs for those who are your loved ones.
It was very strange yesterday in the fact that they did note even DO the sign of peace, they completely skipped it,....
***
That sounds like a great improvement.
They should have eliminated the handshaking “sign of peace” anyway a long time ago.
Have you seen the cool little bottles of Purrell that have a rubber hook over the top to hang on the strap of your purse?
We have those.
So, in my parish, none of this was mentioned at all. We went along just as usual. Well, except for the tenors and basses...one of the basses has been on vacation in Mexico and was supposed to be back today, so the left side of the choir wore gloves and masks during rehearsal.
Let me explain.
First of all, I worked banquets and cleaning rooms in hotels in college. We washed glasses with industrial cleaner before machine washing. The reason being was lipstick. A syphilis virus can live through two machine washings living in lipstick. I’m sure the flu virus is no different.
Second, I wash altar linens. They must be pretreated because of the amount of lipstick on them. An EMCH wipes the rim of a cup with a dry cloth. This spreads any germs around that rim.
So lets look at this scenario. Congregant A drinks from a communial cup and puts her lipstick smear on the rim. EMHC wipes the rim, sending lipstick around it. Congregant B walks up with the flu. His lips touch and leave the virus. The EMHC then wipes again, spreading the virus around the cup and into the lipstick while turning the cup. The virus is now at the top. Congregant C sips and the cup is wiped and turned. Congregant D now sips. The lipstick holding the virus is now on his bottom lip, to be licked. The wine will not kill what is encased in lipstick because there is no degreasing agent.
Along with that, Altar Wine has a 10% alcohol content and is not pure at that. It’s water AND wine. It takes 40% ethanol alcohol to kill a virus according to the CDC.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no03/05-0955.htm
Avoid the cup.
He had all the extraordinary ministers wash their hands with Purell prior to coming to the alter.
It occurred to me last week that I’m sunk either way. I work at a concert venue, so have contact with many people. I can’t really hide from people contact.
Even where you live, the chance of your being one of the few-dozen people infected is mighty slim. You’re more likely to be in a car accident coming or going from “LocationX” than you are to catch the Mexican flu while you’re there.
Life is fatal if you live long enough. No one (other than Enoch and Elijah) get out of here alive.
That’s doesn’t mean to be reckless but the present paranoia gains NOTHING.
Ok, back from Mass, here’s my report:
Nothing announced at the beginning of Mass about it. Prior to the Liturgy of the Eucharist priest announced that due to the current situation we were requested from handholding during the Our Father, exchanging handshakes during the SOP and there would be no chalice until further notice. Communion on the tounge still permitted in our Church. That one would be hard to stop where we are, as we have a High Mass at 10;30 and Latin Mass at 12:30. During the week we are permitted to receive on the knees at the altar. No noticable difference in number receiving on the tounge that I could see, and as I posted before Mass, the priest would have to deny me communion b/c I would NEVER take the host in my hand (personal conviction here).
I hope someone posts the 10 liturgical abuses thingy again, as I am going to print and bring to my priest the next time I see it. We don’t do any as a practice, and I want to point that out to him that we appreciate it, but I do notice they don’t discourage hand holding during the Our Father, and let him know that this is considered a liturgical abuse. I just don’t think he is aware of it, as he corrects rubrics whenever he sees one, in my experience.
****check twice, post once, sorry in a rush
it was requested that we refrain from holding hands
**tongue**
I agree. I’m not going to take up bungee-jumping or drunk driving, but honestly, people are more likely to scare themselves to death than get a fatal case of this flu.
It just doesn’t bother me a bit that I’m going to die from something one of these days.
No one said anything in our Parish. I didn’t see any notice in the bulletin, but I didn’t read it all the way through. I had read in the Diocesan newspaper, that those who are concerned could refrain from receiving from the Cup. Folks were still holding hands when we sang the Lord’s Prayer, and at the Sign of Peace.
There were no differences at my parish this morning (except for our being there - we’re usually at the Spanish service in the afternoon). There are always people, I’d estimate about 30%, who don’t receive from the cup.
Do they hold hands at the High Holy Mass?
Just wondering.
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