Pastoral care can be provided over the telephone/skype if resources permit, says HSE calling on priests not to make visits to those at risk of carrying the COVID-19 virus.
Do not use holy water fonts and do not shake hands during and after religious services, says new guidance…
The guidance is more stringent than the advice issued by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin to his parish priests at the start of February.
The key to preventing the spread of the disease is good hand hygiene. As a result, the HSE advises that Ministers of the Eucharist should wash their hands or use alcohol-based hand gels before distributing Holy Communion. Holy Communion should only be administered into the hands of communicants “and NOT onto the tongue”.
The Archbishop has also said that only the priest at Mass should receive the consecrated wine.
The instructions of both the HSE and the Archbishop seem reasonable.
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