Eucharist cold and flu season precautions

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Well, the search thing tells me this was discussed in 2005, but I wasn’t even Catholic then (not even Christian, for that matter.) So, here it is again.

My parish just put a notice in our bulletin saying that if you have a cold or flu and go to mass, that you should refrain from taking the precious blood, and that you should receive the body in your hand instead of your mouth. I have been Catholic since May 2015, and so far I have always received communion on the tongue. One local parish even did away with the cup altogether for parishioners for the duration of cold and flu season. I do understand that the church teaches communion under one species is still full communion, but I also thought, from discussions on this forum, that it was believed that the Eucharistic cup couldn’t transmit illness.

Anyway, are your parishes taking similar precautions? What are your thoughts on this? This cold and flu season has been particularly nasty. I’ve mostly just stayed home while sick. However, yesterday I went because I thought I was over my cold, and realized after I got there that I wasn’t. I live an hour from the parish, so I just stayed. Then, after the mass, I was practically made to feel guilty for showing up, and especially for receiving communion under both species and receiving the host on the tongue, like I always have. I know communion in the hand is licit, but it has been my relationship with the Eucharist to receive on the tongue.

It makes me hesitant to go back to mass until well into Lent, when cold and flu season should be mostly over. I am scheduled to read next week, and I have my OFS meeting at the beginning of February (going to finally be discussing profession.) So, if I’m well enough, I’ll at least go then. I’m so torn about taking the Eucharist after that little lecture I got yesterday though. The Eucharist means so much to me, I’ll probably just deal with people being upset with me for taking it if I’m still coughing at all (I also cough from allergies, so good chance I’ll be coughing.) It sure is an uncomfortable situation though.
 
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I think Jesus would understand because of the sickness, why one would take it in the hand. (I can understand your dilemma though.) Do you fear that you would not be as reverant internally if you recieved it in the hand?
 
Many parishes do this, nothing new.
I personally don’t believe you can get cooties form the Real Presence, but hey.
If the sneezing, coughing, and sputtering keep the other people from receiving? No bueno.
 
I pray and don’t worry about it. And wash my hands after I get home.

I do see other people using hand sanitizer before they go up to Communion, and skipping the cup, which is fine with me if it works for them.

I’m also seeing a lot more upraised hands and less handshaking during the Sign of Peace.
 
I have not lived in the US for over sixteen years, but never once during my residency there (30+ years) did any parish I belonged to make such a declaration. Since moving to France, no parish I’ve been in here has done so. Communion under both species at every Mass is rare.

I receive on the tongue year round. No one has ever criticized me for it, and I’m appalled that such criticism would happen anywhere. However, if I were to attend Mass in a parish that does encourage those who are ill to abstain from the Precious Blood and receive the host in one’s hand, I would respect that. Like the OP, I only receive on the tongue because that is the relationship I have with Jesus in the Eucharist. In my case it has nothing to do with a misguided belief that COTT is better than CITH. I don’t have a problem with other people receiving in the hand - I simply don’t do so myself. I would abstain rather than receive in the hand. I would not, however, stop attending Mass as long as I were healthy enough for my presence not to pose an unreasonable risk to myself or others. To do so would suggest there’s no point in going to Mass if one isn’t going to receive Communion, and nothing could be farther from the truth.
 
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People here who say illness can’t be transmitted from the Cup are wrong.
 
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My weekday parish has stopped distributing the Precious Blood (with the exception of the priest choosing Blood during Mass, of course). My Sunday parish celebrates the EF Mass, so no issue there. Both parishes do quite well at distributing the Precious Body without touching the communicant’s tongue.
 
The main thing is to realize it is an act of charity to STAY HOME if you have reason to believe you have influenza. Do NOT drag yourself to Mass (or to work or to the grocery store, for that matter) as if you are some hero because you’re willing to put some older person’s life in danger. There is no obligation to attend Mass when there is a reason to believe that doing so could put an innocent person’s life in danger. (The same thing goes for trying to drive to Mass when your vehicle is clearly not safe, given the weather conditions. Use your common sense!)

The influenza viruses are very serious this season and many serious strains were not covered by the vaccine. Worse yet, the hurricane that hit Puerto Rico also wiped out facilities that produce intravenous fluids used to treat dehydrated patients. It is important to do our best to try to stop the spread of this illness and keep as many people out of the hospitals as possible.
 
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I don’t care what they say about it. I’ve only received from the Cup twice or so, and was one of the first ones to receive. If i ever receive the Cup again, same thing. I’d have to be among the first ones.

Right now I have a crack in my lip from being chapped, and it just won’t heal. It periodically bleeds. I wouldn’t take the Cup now for that reason, either, and I don’t have anything contagious.
 
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Re: reception of the Eucharist – Yes, people who are sick should avoid the common cup, but it’s silly to think receiving on the tongue is spreading anything that receiving on the hand isn’t. It’s also very rude to make people feel uncomfortable about coming to Mass or receiving the Eucharist.

If the OP were being offered a chance to receive separately when sick, or being encouraged to stay home, rest up, and get well soon, the tone would have been different!

Re: germ transmission – Actually, in a study of various kinds of bacteria (like Salmonella), and what their rate of survival was in several common drinks, it was found that red wine had one of the most intense actibacterial actions, even though it wasn’t anywhere near the highest amount of alcohol or acid in the tested drinks. Nobody seems to know what’s going on there, other than The Magic of Grape Compounds.

(Vodka, oddly enough, is not very good at killing germs. Maybe a lot of the organic things are being filtered out in highly distilled drinks. Coke has a reputation for germ killing, but it also has a pH that can clean toilets.)

There is some evidence that whisky is also pretty good at killing bacteria, but that was another study. Other studies have shown that, actually, all that alcohol they used to put into cough syrups was of medicinal value; but it’s also not as straightforward as just killing things by a high proof. It may stimulate the immune system in the body somehow. The studies I’ve seen didn’t do anything with viruses.

Obviously, this all would only apply to the accidents of wine; but it is of interest.
 
newcalling said:
It makes me hesitant to go back to mass until well into Lent, when cold and flu season should be mostly over.
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If you come to my parish church in Pittsburgh, you can sit a considerable distance from the other folks. The population in the neighborhood has been pretty well decimated so you don’t have to breathe on anyone if you don’t care to.
 
The parish I attend, suspends communion from the cup during the flu season and brings it back at the Easter Vigil Mass. As others have mentioned, to abstain when one feels ill is an act of charity and concern for the well being of others. Our Lord knows and appreciates that act of kindness toward others.
At consecration, only the wine is transformed into the blood of Christ. Any other organisms on or in the cup remain. But like one other poster said, I personally believe that the contents of the cup will never bring harm to me. Not scientific, but a matter of faith.
 
UpUpAndAway said:
I have not lived in the US for over sixteen years, but never once during my residency there (30+ years) did any parish I belonged to make such a declaration.
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The flu this year is scaring people. The flu shot formula for this year has turned out to be ineffective, and the bug going around can be serious. I know one person younger than me who died from complications from this year’s flu, suddenly, 2 days after Christmas (very sad situation, he left a bunch of kids and an elderly person for whom he’d been caregiver) and another lady my age who was in the hospital for a couple weeks. A lot of folks have the jitters and perhaps rightly so.
 
Mintaka said:
Re: reception of the Eucharist – Yes, people who are sick should avoid the common cup, but it’s silly to think receiving on the tongue is spreading anything that receiving on the hand isn’t. It’s also very rude to make people feel uncomfortable about coming to Mass or receiving the Eucharist.

If the OP were being offered a chance to receive separately when sick, or being encouraged to stay home, rest up, and get well soon, the tone would have been different!

Re: germ transmission – Actually, in a study of various kinds of bacteria (like Salmonella), and what their rate of survival was in several common drinks, it was found that red wine had one of the most intense actibacterial actions, even though it wasn’t anywhere near the highest amount of alcohol or acid in the tested drinks. Nobody seems to know what’s going on there, other than The Magic of Grape Compounds.

(Vodka, oddly enough, is not very good at killing germs. Maybe a lot of the organic things are being filtered out in highly distilled drinks. Coke has a reputation for germ killing, but it also has a pH that can clean toilets.)

There is some evidence that whisky is also pretty good at killing bacteria, but that was another study. Other studies have shown that, actually, all that alcohol they used to put into cough syrups was of medicinal value; but it’s also not as straightforward as just killing things by a high proof. It may stimulate the immune system in the body somehow. The studies I’ve seen didn’t do anything with viruses.

Obviously, this all would only apply to the accidents of wine; but it is of interest.
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I think the problem with receiving communion on the tongue is that extraordinary ministers don’t have the experience priests do to avoid getting “snapped” 100% of the time. When the communicable diseases going around are serious, there is extra caution about touching saliva.

Yes, wine is bad at carrying disease (which is a good thing) but the common cup allows someone to get germs on the rim of the cup without any wine touching it. It is common sense that anyone who has a good reason to believe that their bodily fluids pose a threat to others ought to avoid getting their saliva on anything that someone else may come in contact with. Those with no particular health concerns, though, shouldn’t be concerned.

It is rude to go out and have intimate contact with others when you have a serious communicable disease. Mind you, I’m not talking about a common cold. I’m talking about honest-to-goodness influenza, which is what this seasonal change in policy is about.

If you are really sick, as an act of charity for others, please stay home. Don’t go to work, don’t go to school, don’t go grocery shopping and don’t drag yourself to Mass. Stay home and be as careful as possible to avoid infecting your family, too. It is not rude to say that.
 
No doubt. I was not criticizing the move, only making an observation. I assume that if parishes are now taking these measures, they certainly see a need for it.
 
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newcalling said:
that it was believed that the Eucharistic cup couldn’t transmit illness.
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Believed by whom?

The Church has no such teaching. We know how germs pass, and a shared cup is certainly one way.
newcalling said:
Anyway, are your parishes taking similar precautions?
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This is a non issue at my parish because we do not give communion under both species, just the Body.
newcalling said:
It makes me hesitant to go back to mass until well into Lent, when cold and flu season should be mostly over. I am scheduled to read next week
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The obligation is to attend mass, not to receive the Eucharist. If you are well, attend mass.
newcalling said:
The Eucharist means so much to me, I’ll probably just deal with people being upset with me for taking it if I’m still coughing at all (I also cough from allergies, so good chance I’ll be coughing.) It sure is an uncomfortable situation though
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Have some consideration for the rest of the world! This is one of the more selfish attitudes I’ve come across. The pastor has issued a directive for the good of all, be humble enough to follow it.
 
There is no evidence whatsoever, that I am aware of, that Christ had the 11 kneel and receive on the tongue. That is man’s romanticizing, pious though it may be, of a historical incident.

Cognition is a wonderful ability, but we all too often over-think things. I think that our Lord prefers for us to receive Him rather than not to; to receive Him reverently than not to; to be as grateful as possible for the divine gift we have received and then to be as gracious as humanly possible to those around us.

We have been given many gifts, including that of prudence. At such a time that infectious diseases are rampant, the elderly and young in our midst more at risk than ever, it is prudent that we modify our religious routine out of love of neighbor.

I have an intentionally compromised, transplanted immune system. It is suppressed out of necessity, so that it will not attack my body - that is the cost of living for those who had incurable cancers. Even when healthy, I wear a mask and gloves at mass. This makes me the freak and some avoid me as though I was radioactive.

As much as the precious Blood speaks to me - and it brings me to tears - I have had to focus on the Blood’s presence in the Host. There is a very small chance that I would be infected by taking the Blood - but certain infections might very well prove fatal at this stage of my life.

At the same time, I have a new respect for, and consideration of the frailties of my fellow parishioners. As I do not desire infection, neither do I desire to infect them. Love demands sacrifice. I am willing to make the changes necessary, and not stress out about a temporary situation.
 
The last time my parish suspended Communion from the Chalice at the weekend Masses was during the H1N1 outbreak several years ago. No need to ask people to receive in the hand since there is only one person who receives on the tongue and he’s generally last in line.

While everyone mentions the rim of the Cup and how it’s cleaned after each person, nobody seems to think about how people have been coughing in their hands, blowing their noses and then coming up and holding the chalice leaving any number of microorganisms on its exterior. There are probably many more viruses exchanged that way than from the actual drinking.
 
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newcalling said:
I’m so torn about taking the Eucharist after that little lecture I got yesterday though.
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Were you lectured or did you just read something in the bulletin?

My parish takes away the cup this time of year. The stated reason is the flu season. I rarely receive the cup so it doesn’t really impact me.

It sounds like the bulletin said if you are sick then receive in the hand. I think if you are sick, definitely if you are sick with the flu, don’t go to Mass. Personally I too always receive on the tongue. If you are sick maybe just make sure you are the last person to receive.
PetraG said:
The epidemiological evidence is that receiving from a common cup does not statistically increase your chance of illness. That is probably because most Christians have enough charity and common sense to avoid receiving from a common cup when they know they are sick or know they are particularly vulnerable to illness.
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That is interesting. Maybe folks do not receive when sick. But some people likely receive when being contagious and not knowing it.
 
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