Is anyone changing the way they receive communion because of the swine flu?

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Here in Baltimore, news reports indicate that Archbishop O’Brien has suggested that Holy Communion be distributed only under the form of bread, and in the hand. He also asked that the people no longer hold or shake hands and give the Sign of Peace with a nod.

He did not require any of this, acknowledging that pastors have final responsibility for the care of their parishioners. It was implied that if things get worse, he might make these suggestions mandatory.

Betsy
 
The Letter from Archbishop Mansell of Hartford, CT

April 30, 2009
Dear Monsignor/Father:
As you are aware, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has expressed concern about the spread of the swine flu virus in the United States. Because of the risks associated with the virus, I ask that you take the following temporary precautions for the celebration of Mass:
· The faithful should be encouraged to share the sign of peace without physical contact.
A smile, a wave or a nod of the head would be appropriate.
· Communion should preferably be given only under the species of the consecrated host,
and communicants should be encouraged to receive in their hands rather than on the
tongue. If, however, there are communicants in your parish who have Celiac disease
and can receive Communion only from the cup, they should be allowed to decide for
themselves whether to receive from the cup despite potential health risks.
· The faithful should be encouraged not to hold hands during the Our Father.

I ask that you announce these precautions at the beginning of Mass and, if appropriate because of late arrivals, during the homily or immediately before the Our Father. It would be helpful to reassure the faithful that the traditional method of sharing the sign of peace and means of distributing Communion will be restored as soon as the risk of swine flu has passed.
In addition to these measures, I suggest that priests, deacons and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion carefully wash their hands before and after Mass.
If future conditions suggest that more stringent health measures need be taken, I will supplement these requests. Meanwhile, I ask that you implement these measures with a pastoral sensitivity that assures the faithful access to the Eucharist.
Thank you for your cooperation with these efforts to make the spiritual nourishment of the
Eucharist available to parishioners in a way that does not undermine the physical health of the community.
Be assured of my continued prayers and grateful best wishes.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Henry J. Mansell
Archbishop of Hartford
 
I live in Comal County just to the NE of San Antonio, as of this past Wed, all public and private schools & most all day care centers have been closed until at least May 11.
Most churches will not be having services also.
There will be no Sunday Masses this weekend at my Church , And I have been informed that when Masses start again there will only be recepton under one species (Host), at least for the month of May.( I am a EMHC )
 
I looked on the Dallas Diocese website, and found this. It seems to indicate they won’t be restricting the distribution of the Holy Blood:

cathdal.org/default.asp?contentid=137&newsid=73
Reception of Holy Communion: It is the teaching of the Church that the Fullness of the Body and Blood of Christ are contained in the Holy Eucharist, under the form of the Host that is distributed at the Mass. The Church has extended the privilege to receive at communion the Blood of Christ in the form of wine. We highly encourage the following practices during this time. If you are feeling sick, please receive communion in the hand, and refrain from receiving communion under the form of the Blood of Christ.
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Does the OP have a link to the original letter?
 
Risky or not, I will continue to receive communion on the tongue. I think this whole thing about swine flu has been severely exaggerated- like so many things the mainstream media gets ahold of.
 
baltobetsy said:
Here in Baltimore, news reports indicate that Archbishop O’Brien has suggested that Holy Communion be distributed only under the form of bread, and in the hand. He also asked that the people no longer hold or shake hands and give the Sign of Peace with a nod.

He did not require any of this, acknowledging that pastors have final responsibility for the care of their parishioners. It was implied that if things get worse, he might make these suggestions mandatory. Betsy
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We had First Friday Mass at school today and the principal read these guidelines from the Archbishop. We don’t have Communion under both species, but all were asked to reveive on the hand and there was no sign of peace.
 
This it the link someone asked for on the letter from the Bishop;

cathdal.org/img/Flash/BishopSwineLtr.pdf

Our pastor spoke the other morning before Mass and said precautions are being taken for proper hygiene, by placing it in the hand not in the mouth and no cup. If someone wants to receive by mouth, that he would be very careful in doing so. I would say we do not have many, if any that receive on the tongue so this may not be a problem.
I have a problem with the holding and shaking of hands, and how not to offend people when they all start sticking their hands out.🤷

We have a few schools closed down from confirmed cases of the flu , so it might be good to nip this thing early on and not have it kick in higher gear come summer and fall.

Blessings
 
Melissa said:
Still, with 100 cases in a population of over 300,000,000 … no, I’m not going to allow the media’s reporting to change my behavior.
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I think the problem, too, is that the general public thinks that “emergent” and “gravely important” are the same thing.

An emergency is simply something that needs immediate attention. The likelihood that this flu will turn into a gravely serious pandemic is not high at all.

This is a health emergency not because of there is a high likelihood of a high toll of deaths and serious injury, but because of there is a high likelihood that immediate action, taken now, will have been needed to prevent an unnecessarily high death and injury toll in the event that a pandemic does take place. The strain in the US currently does not carry the markers typical of a deadly pandemic, but it also isn’t an ordinary flu bug. In the type of flu being tracked, a transformation into a strain that would prove deadly to those with healthy immune systems is possible. We know how fast and how widely a normal flu can spread. Health officials are only saying that it is prudent to be particularly careful with this strain.

If you ignore the dictates of prudence, and wait to take cover during an earthquake until the roof actually collapses, you put the care of your life entirely with the same Providence that provided that prudence for your protection. Guardian angels aren’t to be given all the work of protecting us!

Yes, this means that if you live in a seismicly active area, you are going to find yourself under your desk, feeling foolish, most of the times when the earth moves. What of it? When the big one hits, you’re less likely to be dead. And how hard is it, really, to spend a minute or two under a desk? How bad is it, to have bothered with little “foolish” steps, for the sake of prudent care of life?

As a health issue, this is a little rumble of the ground. The ground is moving a little, but it is probably nothing. There is no reason to panic. Still, you’d do well to get away from the plate glass windows and a little closer to a doorway or something you can dive under, anyway. If the situation turns out badly, it is likely to do so very quickly.

In response to questions about the matter, the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon directed parishes that, on a temporary basis, the Eucharist not be offered to the faithful under the species of wine, that the recitation of the Our Father and the Sign of Peace not include touching, and that the faithful receive the Eucharist in the hand, rather than on the tongue. This is *not *meant to imply that a deadly pandemic is expected, but only that prudence calls for these steps when such a pandemic may be imminent.
 
Hmm, we weren’t offered the Precious Blood today, but nothing else changed. Weird. (I’m in the Dallas area)
 
Charioteer said:
My bishop just announced communion only under one kind and communion only in hand (even for the EF Mass) until we get a handle on this swine flu situation.
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Our bishop did that too – communion only one form and only receiving communion in the hand (not a problem for me since I already receive in the hand).

there are cases of the swine flu here in MD so the bishop is disencouraging holding hands during the Our Father and not offering the sign of peace.
 
I just came from Mass and am absolutely heartsick after discussing this with my pastor. I converted from Protestant to Catholic late in life, and the reason I did so was because it seems the Catholic Church is the only one which refuses to compromise on its principles despite public opinion. At the time I decided to convert, and still to this day–a few years later–I regard our church as the truest and final authority on matters of faith and on living the Faith.

I arrived at Mass ready to serve the Cup as a Eucharistic Minister and learned from my pastor that we are not offering the Cup to the congregation “for a few weeks” due to “public fears” about the swine flu. I love and respect this priest and have never challenged/questioned him on matters of Faith. But I was so shocked at his words that I came right out and told him so (privately). I said I could not believe that Catholics, who are supposed to believe that Cup is truly the blood of Christ, would believe they can become ill by drinking the Holy Blood of our Lord! How could the Blood be anything but healing?! I added that the Church is compromising its beliefs in order “to cater” to the fear of those who lack the Faith to drink from the Cup, and I asked him why should those who are willing to take the Cup be denied because of those who are afraid?

He replied that no one was being deprived, since the Cup was not traditionally offered to the congregation until recent times, and he said again that this is only for a few weeks and it’s only for the purpose of calming down people’s fears. He confirmed that he agreed with this decision (made by our Bishop). At that point I could say nothing more to him except to voluntarily assure him that I would not discuss this with others in our Parish, as I did not want to create any disrespect among those who know him (and our Bishop).

But here, anonymously, I’m speaking out. Throughout Mass I could hardly concentrate because of my deep disappointment over this decision not to offer the Cup. Somehow I just cannot let go of this, because withholding the Cup:

(1) Sends the wrong message about the contents of that Cup–i.e., that it is harmful rather than healing and supernatural;

(2) Sends the wrong message about the Church’s willingness to compromise due to public fears/opinion. What will be the nature of the next compromise the Church is willing to make in order to “please” the public?

(3) Sends the wrong message about the nature of contagion. By that I mean that while at Mass, people touched bulletins, pews, hymnals, offering baskets, etc. We simple cannot isolate ourselves from this virus without living totally in a bubble, which few of us are able or willing to do.

If we are going to get sick and die, what better way that by celebrating the Eucharist!? The entire problem could be avoided by offering the Cup, as usual, and allow people to decide for themselves whether to partake. This already happens weekly–especially during cold and flu season. So IMO the Church is compromising and sending wrong messages for reasons that could easily be avoided.

If we’re not being “deprived” by this decision, then why continue to offer the Cup after the swine flu runs it course, since some priests, deacons and other Catholics seem to think it’s unimportant whether we have the Cup or not?

Please understand that I almost never post here, and hate “flame wars” but I feel so strongly about this issue that I just felt compelled to speak out. Probably I will say more (privately) to my pastor as well, when the opportunity arises. Personally, with all the economic woes and the health scares, and national security worries–this is NOT a time when I want to pass up an opportunity to take both the Body and Blood, and if I declined either one, I would feel convicted of showing disrespect for those sacred substances.
 
I understand your frustration, but there’s a difference between “pleasing” the public and being cautious because of a pandemic.

Don’t let it bother you. Once this mess is over, everything will go back to normal. Be happy that your bishops and priests care for your health.
 
I received an email from a priest on Friday evening that Archbishop Vlazny of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon has ask that we refrain from receiving from the Cup. The priest went on to say that he was going to follow our Archbishop’s suggestion.

There have been three confirmed cases in Oregon with two of them in the Portland Oregon metro area, another one at a college. One of those cases is currently in critical condition and in intensive care. There are 22 suspected cases, most in the Portland area.

The parish where I now normally attend does not generally offer communion from the Cup except for those who request it.

I am not sure what to make of all this. I certainly do not want to over-react, yet this seems different from the regular seasonal flu somehow. I cannot put my finger on it

I have made arrangements that if I get sick, I can get my mom on a plane to my brother in Anchorage.
 
Joyful_Convert said:
…I was so shocked at his words that I came right out and told him so (privately). I said I could not believe that Catholics, who are supposed to believe that Cup is truly the blood of Christ, would believe they can become ill by drinking the Holy Blood of our Lord! How could the Blood be anything but healing?! I added that the Church is compromising its beliefs in order “to cater” to the fear of those who lack the Faith to drink from the Cup, and I asked him why should those who are willing to take the Cup be denied because of those who are afraid?

He replied that no one was being deprived, since the Cup was not traditionally offered to the congregation until recent times, and he said again that this is only for a few weeks and it’s only for the purpose of calming down people’s fears. He confirmed that he agreed with this decision (made by our Bishop). At that point I could say nothing more to him except to voluntarily assure him that I would not discuss this with others in our Parish, as I did not want to create any disrespect among those who know him (and our Bishop).

But here, anonymously, I’m speaking out. Throughout Mass I could hardly concentrate because of my deep disappointment over this decision not to offer the Cup. Somehow I just cannot let go of this, because withholding the Cup:

(1) Sends the wrong message about the contents of that Cup–i.e., that it is harmful rather than healing and supernatural;

(2) Sends the wrong message about the Church’s willingness to compromise due to public fears/opinion. What will be the nature of the next compromise the Church is willing to make in order to “please” the public?

(3) Sends the wrong message about the nature of contagion. By that I mean that while at Mass, people touched bulletins, pews, hymnals, offering baskets, etc. We simple cannot isolate ourselves from this virus without living totally in a bubble, which few of us are able or willing to do.

If we are going to get sick and die, what better way that by celebrating the Eucharist!? …
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You must remember that the accidents of the wine are not lost or added to when it is transformed into the Precious Blood of Christ.

In other words, if sharing that wine by the means used at Mass could spread germs before consecration, then it could do so afterwards.

I do not believe that the bishops are responding to public pressure. They are responding to a low but grave risk that will be ineffectively dealt with if they wait to act until the threat is proven to be deadly. It is along the lines of not shooting guns into abandoned buildings not absolutely known to be empty when the shot is fired.

In other words, if a swine flu virus unknowingly in my body were to make a small change of a type commonly seen in these viruses, making it into a deadly strain, I could spread it to a substantial portion of the parish via direct person-to-person contact (sneezing into hands just before shaking, sharing a common cup, and so on) before I exhibited symptoms and well before I presented to a doctor and had a culture of my virus confirmed to have a genome in common with the deadly types. (The activities that are being curtailed all have to do with possible contact with microscopic amounts of wet saliva.)

Again, this is akin to being in California and feeling a substantial tremor in the earth. You don’t panic, but you also don’t wait for the ceiling to start cracking before you get away from the plate glass windows.

This is particularly true of the Mass, because
a) there are Catholics who don’t know that staying home from Sunday Mass due to a sickness that doesn’t literally immobilize you is NOT a sin, while coming to Mass when you aren’t feeling well COULD be a sin.
b) a typical Mass includes very young children whose parents can only do so much to keep the church out of their mouths and the very old and the frail, who need to be able to know everyone is doing their best to allow them to live a long time AND attend Mass faithfully.
c) we may all be given to know that Our Lord is fully present under both species, so that we are not being deprived of truly and fully recieving Him in a form that is par excellence when we are only allowed to consume one of the two species that are always consecrated at each Mass.

The bishops in the US aren’t evacuating the building (suspending Masses) but just requiring the faithful to get away from the big windows.

Having said that, temporarily suspending public celebration of the Mass in order to prevent the spread of pandemic is something that bishops may have a duty to do, under some circumstances. If it gets to the point that you could die from touching a bulletin, they will do that.

As for
Joyful_Convert said:
“If we are going to get sick and die, what better way that by celebrating the Eucharist!?”…
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imagine using that thought to comfort the mother of a small child who died because we wouldn’t be obedient to a short period of common-sense precautions that nevertheless allowed us to receive the full Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Lord. Your disappointment is understandable, but the objection doesn’t wash.
 
Receiving the chalice is unnecessary to receive the body and blood of Christ. That is the message sent by the fact that the chalice can not be offered. Also, that the Church operates on Faith, but not superstition. One can get sick from the chalice. The substance of the wine changes, but not any viruses or bacteria contained therein.
 
I don’t want to get the flu…I am not worrying about dying, with the flu you wish you could…😛

I am not going to put myself in harms way just to look like a hero… All people are not considerate when it comes to giving others colds and flu germs, and you can be contageous before you are givng off symptoms

There is absolutely no reason to spread this virus by risky behavior, and you might in turn spread it to someone who can ill afford to get the flu, because of the financial ramifications of being sick, or the fact they are in fields like law enforcement that is vital to our well being, or they could have delicate family members that might become gravely ill

The Bishop’s are being pastoral, and responsible
 
No I am still receiving on the tongue, and will continue to do so, Flu or no Flu. Under no circumstances whatsoever will I receive on the hand and I have never received under both Species in my life (not offered here anyway) so I can’t change that.
 
rpp said:
I received an email from a priest on Friday evening that Archbishop Vlazny of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon has ask that we refrain from receiving from the Cup. The priest went on to say that he was going to follow our Archbishop’s suggestion.

There have been three confirmed cases in Oregon with two of them in the Portland Oregon metro area, another one at a college. One of those cases is currently in critical condition and in intensive care. There are 22 suspected cases, most in the Portland area.

The parish where I now normally attend does not generally offer communion from the Cup except for those who request it.

I am not sure what to make of all this. I certainly do not want to over-react, yet this seems different from the regular seasonal flu somehow. I cannot put my finger on it

I have made arrangements that if I get sick, I can get my mom on a plane to my brother in Anchorage.
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If it gets to the point you’re suggesting, air travel may be temporarily suspended for public safety; at least, people living in the same home with a flu victim may not be allowed to travel. You probably ought to find someone closer to home to take her (or you) in.

Speaking of, I should probably check the pantry and make sure I’m ready for a bit of quarantine, if it should come to that. I’ve seen the computer models of how morbidity and mortality drop if a public quarantine is used for urban pandemics. It is little short of astonishing how many lives can be saved, but it means shutting down all the schools and all but shutting down commerce. Still, the article (Science? Nature? I forget which) used the Portland metro area as one of its models. The governments won’t be able to ignore those numbers.
 
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