Coronavirus Mass Changes - Communion in Hand?

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OraLabora said:
This supposes that everyone will do it right. If the risk of touching saliva is real if one doesn’t do it right, and is a vector to transmit the virus, then this is a very risky assumption to make. We are all humans after all and subject to failure.
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I’m sure priests are careful when placing the host on the communicants tongue not only to ensure the Blessed Sacrament doesn’t fall, but to avoid contact with the tongue - and will be especially more careful when doing so during this outbreak of covid-19.

Either in this thread or another, someone posted a comment from an immunologist (iirc) that there isn’t really any difference between COTT and CITH regarding the transfer of germs/ unsanitariness.
 
CRV said:
Either in this thread or another, someone posted a comment from an immunologist (iirc) that there isn’t really any difference between COTT and CITH regarding the transfer of germs/ unsanitariness.
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That’s probably true. Just being in a large crowd with one or more infected people is a big risk factor. The infected person will be touching pews, hymnals and door handles. Possibly inadvertently as (s)he may not know (s)he’s infected, as sometimes the symptoms are mild.

I think one measure the bishops could take would be to dispense from the obligation at this time especially for the elderly or immune-compromised. I know if you’re in one who is at risk the obligation is probably de facto waived but some folks are scrupulous and probably need the Bishop to say to them that it’s OK to miss Mass at this time if you’re elderly or have underlying medical conditions that increase your risk.

I myself am 61 and diabetic and may start to give Mass a miss if this gets any worse. Today the local news reported that an confirmed infected person rode the subway and suburban busses and they’re asking anyone on the routes she used to contact the Public Health authorities.
 
OraLabora said:
This supposes that everyone will do it right. If the risk of touching saliva is real if one doesn’t do it right, and is a vector to transmit the virus, then this is a very risky assumption to make. We are all humans after all and subject to failure.
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We must remember also that a person may have saliva or any germ on their hands that can also go from the priest to the next person, if the priest should happen to touch that person’s hand.
 
Agree 100% completely. I too have chronic illnesses including lung.

But one part of me says, if this is the death that God has destined for me (contracting COVID-19 and its complications), then nothing I do is going to prevent it from happening. That doesn’t mean I am not going to take all the recommended precautions either!

There used to be a prayer once said (remember it being said at one Mass around 2010, but cannot remember what liturgical day it was) about acceptance of death. Actually I have this prayer in one of my prayer books. I pray for a Happy Death daily. I know we are not supposed to be attached to this world, but instead we are to look forward to going home to heaven and God.
 
CRV said:
I know we are not supposed to be attached to this world, but instead we are to look forward to going home to heaven and God.
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Yes, but please Lord, not just yet 😃
MagdalenaRita said:
We must remember also that a person may have saliva or any germ on their hands that can also go from the priest to the next person, if the priest should happen to touch that person’s hand.
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Personally as I said above I think just being at Mass in an affected area is the primary risk. If a parishioner has risk factors he or she should probably not go to Mass. And if a priest has risk factors, I think this is one instance where EMHCs are fully justified. He probably shouldn’t be distributing communion at all, staying at a safe distance in the sanctuary.

As pandemics grow exponentially I suspect there will simply be many cancelled Masses in the coming year.
 
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I’m also just thinking - the sacristan usually is the one who fills the ciborium of hosts to be consecrated at Mass, so it isn’t just Father who is touching the hosts, or sacristan → Father → EMHC → communicant. And we know the virus can survive on surfaces for up to 9 days. There are people who have no symptoms or only mild symptoms too. So I honestly cannot see how communion in the hand is any safer than communion on the tongue. I can see Masses being cancelled in the future if and when this spreads/worsens as it has in Italy.
 
peter26 said:
You have this the wrong way round. Documents issued by Rome provide that a person always has the option to recieve on the tongue. A bishop or even a conference of bishops is a lesser authority than Rome. Therefore, in order to contradict Rome, a bishop would need to have authority from Rome.
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Amen

As they say “Rome has spoken, the case is closed”.

We are safeguarded by the Holy Mother Church. Thank goodness for the papacy
 
@billwiz,

I posted the following a few days ago as to why I choose to receive on the tongue. I am not saying all of the reasons are common to others who receive on the tongue, but still it may lend some insight to your question:

There are several reasons I receive on the tongue, any one if which reasonable people can disagree with or not understand, but taken together it becomes, for me, an important decision.
  1. it is in communion with centuries of our ancestors in the faith.
  2. it is the way I was taught as a child by a very sincere and holy nun
  3. to me it reenforces the how sacred and holy the Eucharist is
  4. it is important to my wife
  5. people who I know, who I consider very devout and good Catholics, predominantly receive on the toungue
  6. a couple of priests I know well and respect recommend it
  7. I continue to be uncomfortable with the way communion in the hand was started back in the 70s
  8. I do not want to hold the Blessed Sacrament
  9. it worked do well in my younger days when I was holding a baby
I could probably list half a dozen more reasons without giving it much thought. All of these likely seem trivial to many, none of them are to me.
 
I truly appreciate these answers. Again, I am not trying to degrade anyone’s belief and have the utmost respect for the Catholic faith. I just found this a confusing thing. Thank you for your honest answers. I continue to pray for an end to this crisis so all may worship fully.
 
CRV said:
I’m sure priests are careful when placing the host on the communicants tongue not only to ensure the Blessed Sacrament doesn’t fall, but to avoid contact with the tongue
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I’m receiving all week on the tongue for non-virus related reasons and I already had the priest bump my tongue with his thumb once. Despite the fact that he said he prefers to give COTT. I’m not bothered about this, but it happens sometimes. Let’s own it.
 
billwiz said:
Again, I am not trying to degrade anyone’s belief and have the utmost respect for the Catholic faith. I just found this a confusing thing
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Don’t feel bad, many Catholics who do not have a strong feeling in favor of Communion on the tongue also find it confusing, although we try to respect and understand our Catholic siblings in Christ who do have this strong feeling.
 
SPONP4US said:
I attend a few different parishes, the parish priest where I attend regular implied the “Advice” for COTH was an Order, apparently it is an encouragement and a guideline. When I attended my own Parish on Sunday , the Parish Priest said he didn’t mind if people receive COTT and said the reason the priest often catches Saliva is when people don’t keep their head still. If the recipient keeps their head still, tongue extended and head back (maybe hold breath too) then they should not make contact with the priest.

I am not feeling great about COTH but I may receive this way when I am outside of Parishes where I know the Priest allows it. I also will be licking my hand as the two times I have received there has been visible particles.

I also wanted to share this video, and ask everyone to please check the floor and that you don’t drop Our Lord or leave a residue on your hands. Please take a look:

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I honestly feel that this type of intense focus on particles interferes with the sacred mystery. Of course we must treat the consecrated Host with proper respect but the Communion is between the person and a Person. Christ has come under our roof in a great mystery and we have Him outside of the material world.
 
Of course it happens sometimes - but I think they’ll be more careful now to ensure it doesn’t happen. I think there’ll be less concern of hands “bumping” at communion time.
 
anon72678967 said:
That’s one of the reasons why I love Communion on the tongue, I can completely forget about particles falling off and just focus on receiving Christ full and entire under my roof to love and adore Him.
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I think that the distortion is revealed in videos like the above and people like Taylor Marshall recently lauding a woman who declared on his Twitter that “I’d rather get corona virus than receive Communion in the hand!”. It brings to mind how the Pharisees rejected Jesus because he wasn’t clean and kingly enough for them. . . .
 
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I’m supposed to skip Catholic Communion because a Protestant Episcopalian minister screwed up?
I don’t think so!

You do know that’s the third time someone has posted that article here, and it’s not about a Catholic priest or Catholic church?
 
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Tis_Bearself said:
I’m supposed to skip Catholic Communion because a Protestant Episcopalian minister screwed up?
I don’t think so!
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What difference does the denomination of the priest make? Do you think that a Catholic priest can’t also infect communicants?

I’m not saying that you are “supposed” to skip Communion. I’m saying that it’s an option to possibly slow the spread of the virus. Go ahead and do whatever you are comfortable with.
 
As I’ve stated before when this was posted twice before, the priests in my diocese are not shaking hands. They are also omitting the sign of peace during which people shake hands. This was announced at Mass. So the article, which is about possible transmission through handshaking, is irrelevant to me and my parishes.

If someone is immunocompromised or uncomfortable, they can skip Mass or any other activity with groups of people, but it wouldn’t make sense to skip it on the basis of what happened at some Protestant church when the Catholic priests and bishops are generally trying to take precautions that this minister apparently ignored.
 
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