With corona virus on the moveā¦i have been watching internet mass. I hear different visions of it ā¦but everytine i am sitting in church people are sneezing and coughing continuously and just not feel the sane way and makes me very uncomfortableā¦Strickly has been said and professionally said We should avoid large crowds so sounds like i would stay homeā¦any views?
There are a number of steps you can take to reduce odds of getting sick at mass.
FIRST: If possible, go to mass at times/churches where it isnāt particularly crowded so you donāt have to sit next to many peopleāor possibly any people at all. Some masses are far more packed than others.
If you donāt mind foreign languages, foreign masses can, depending on the church, also be sparsely attended. Several churches in my area have Spanish masses, and while one of them apparently has a lot of people go to it, another church that has Spanish masses is fairly sparsely attended (their English masses get a lot of people, though), making it really easy to not have to sit near anyone.
Beyond the times and churches themselves, there are also places in churches that tend to be less crowded also. In my experience, people tend to avoid the rows closest to the altar. Balconies (if the church has them) also often donāt get used much. Indeed, balconies that are set up for the musicians/singers normally have some seats for massgoersābut outside of the super-popular times like Christmas or Easter, I notice they normally go completely unused, meaning there arenāt other people there (well, except the musicians), so youāre not packed in with other people.
So there are definitely ways to go to mass while minimizing contact with people.
SECOND: People have talked about changes in communion taking as a result of this (e.g. keeping the cup away), but hereās something to remember: You donāt
have to take communion each time! According to the Code of Canon Law,
920.1-2:
After being initiated into the Most Holy Eucharist, each of the faithful is obliged to receive holy communion at least once a year.
This precept must be fulfilled during the Easter season unless it is fulfilled for a just cause at another time during the year.
āEaster Seasonā, from my understanding, is from Ash Wednesday to Pentecost, so if youāve already taken communion sometime since Ash Wednesday youāre in the clear. If you havenātā¦ Iām not sure if āworry about the coronavirusā qualifies as a ājust causeā but even if it doesnāt, taking it just once sometime between now and Pentecost fulfills the requirement for the rest of the year, and if youāre really concerned you can try to sit at the front so youāre the first to get communion, minimizing any risk of communion contagion.
THIRD: You donāt have to shake hands during the sign of peace. Just making a gesture, like holding up your hand in greeting, is sufficient. (some dioceses have suspended the usage of the Sign of Peace due to the coronavirus anyway)
Just some considerations.
