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momtokea
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Are the churches in your area making changes due to swine flu? All the Catholic churches in my area will be emptying their Holy Water fonts, there will be no wine offered for communion, and no communion offered in the mouth, just by hand. There will be no hand shaking, just a nod of the head to each other.
I really do understand that we need to be careful not to spread germs, but deep down I feel that this is an attack on our church and it makes me very sad. Does anyone else feel this way? Am I wrong to feel this way?
Maria
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JodieLyn
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No changes that we've been made aware of.
I just don't understand all this panic over the swine flu. There's more victims every year to the regular flu but it's just treated as a matter of course but this is new and even though the numbers are so much less it's being treated as such a big deal.
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Paula in MN
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No changes here. I, too, don't understand the panic.
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 Paula
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Betsy
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I believe here they are choosing to omit the sign of peace during Mass (which is allowed, as it is optional) and not offering Jesus in the Precious Blood (which is also allowed because Jesus is truly present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity under both species).
Betsy
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MicheleQ
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The only thing our pastor has to say was to please not receive from the chalice if you are sick (which we are told every year anyway), to stay home if you have flu symptoms and to please not be offended if someone doesn't want to shake your hand at the sign of peace.
I have heard recently that the swine flu is weakening and we should be more worried about whatever regular seasonal flu there is this year.
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Michaela
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All Holy Water fonts are empty. During Mass, Father said he has rec'd complaints that they are empty, but he told everyone that you don't need Holy water to bless yourself.
I asked my hubby about receiving from the Chalice, since that hasn't been stopped, and he said the alcohol is strong enough to kill any germs.
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folklaur
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JodieLyn wrote:
I just don't understand all this panic over the swine flu. |
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i agree. but i think the big deal is that it is more contagious. i don't think it is (currently) more deadly or anything - but since it is a novel strain and the general pop has no antibodies, more people will get sick. since more will get sick, more will die. the percentage of deaths may be similar to a regular flu season, but the actual numbers will be higher, and that will scare people, kwim? but, i think they are also worried about it mutating to be worse (of course, it could also mutate and get milder...)
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LucyP
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Well that explains why the holy water fonts were empty at Walsingham - I thought they'd just forgotten to refill. There was no sign of the peace, but comunion was offered under both kinds.
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ElizLeone
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I haven't heard of emptying the holy water fonts. As far as I know, we will continue to have holy water here in our diocese.
However, our diocese will only be giving Communion under one species for the foreseeable future, due to flu concerns.
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PDyer
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our diocese has only emphasized using everyday precautions against illness (handwashing, etc.) and asked those who feel ill not to receive from the cup (as in past years).
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guitarnan
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We have stopped distributing the Precious Blood and the priest, deacon and any LEMs use copious amounts of hand sanitizer right before distributing communion. Some people are not shaking hands.
We still have holy water, though.
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SeaStar
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We do not have the Precious Blood or the sign of peace, currently.
Plus anyone serving at mass who is ill is not to report for duty (that would seem like common sense...). Also, receiving communion in the hand vs on the tongue is also being encouraged.
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Paula in MN
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I just heard on the radio last night that our Diocese was stopping "distribution of wine"  until further notice.
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Cay Gibson
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Our bishop has made these changes throughout our diocese. Evidently my oldest doesn't listen very well. The first Sunday we were told, he continued shaking everybody's hands. 
We're told not to hold hands during the Our Father either...which our pastor has said we shouldn't do anyway but Mark and I do clasp Annie's hands in prayer because she likes it that way.
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Leocea
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So far, our diocese is leaving things as they are. When the H1N1 first came out, we had hosts only and no sign of peace shaking.
I sort of figure the same thing I told my husband when he worried about me reading a heavy Bible at night while nursing our daughter. If you are killed when a Bible falls on your head, it is JUST YOUR TIME, lol. So, if I were to catch the Swine flu from the Precious Blood of Christ, it would just be my time.
I will use caution with my newborn, and little ones. I am not pushing my older nursling to wean until spring at least, partly because of immunity.
Incidentally, we may have already had the Swine flu. We certainly had something that seemed like it, about 6-8 weeks ago. The symptoms and timing were right.
Your sister in Christ,
Leocea
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insegnante
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I heard at the church we attended last Sunday that beginning this Sunday, there would be no holy water bowls for dipping your fingers in to bless yourself at the entrances, that we would not be shaking hands but would be exchanging the Sign of Peace without touching, and that we are encouraged to use our option of receiving Communion in the hand. I am not sure, but I think our diocese doesn't normally offer the cup to the public at Sunday Masses anyway.
I do not think this or what you described is an attack on the church (especially since it comes from within,) just trying to contain the spread of illness. It doesn't seem particularly overboard to me. They're not telling us just not to go to Mass at all, or not to receive Holy Communion at all.
So often I still see people sneeze or cough into their hands in public. I don't know how they think this is hygienic when they are going to be touching all sorts of things with those hands, and especially at Mass when they are going to be shaking the hands of several strangers.
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Nique
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momtokea wrote:
Are the churches in your area making changes due to swine flu? All the Catholic churches in my area will be emptying their Holy Water fonts, there will be no wine offered for communion, and no communion offered in the mouth, just by hand. There will be no hand shaking, just a nod of the head to each other.
I really do understand that we need to be careful not to spread germs, but deep down I feel that this is an attack on our church and it makes me very sad. Does anyone else feel this way? Am I wrong to feel this way?
Maria |
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Maria, what you wrote is EXACTLY what the Churches in our diocese will be doing (some have already started)  I too feel it is an attack on our Church. When it begins in my Church, my children and I will be making SPIRITUAL COMMUNIONS.
As reported by Fr. George Rutler in his Good Friday sermon at St. Agnes Church, New York in 1989, when Mother Teresa of Calcutta was asked by Fr. Rutler, "What do you think is the worst problem in the world today?" She more than anyone could name any number of candidates: famine, plague, disease, the breakdown of the family, rebellion against God, the corruption of the media, world debt, nuclear threat and so on. "Without pausing a second she said, 'Wherever I go in the whole world, the thing that makes me the saddest is watching people receive Communion in the hand.'" (note: Fr. Emerson of the Fraternity of St. Peter was also a witness to this statement by Mother Teresa).
Also, the great Fr. John Hardon has spoken out against this practice. On November 1st, 1997 at the Call to Holiness Conference in Detroit, Michigan, there was a panel discussion in which Fr. John Hardon was one of the speakers who fielded various questions from the audience. One of the questions was about Communion in the hand. After explaining how the practice was illegally introduced into the United States, he concluded by saying, “Whatever you can do to stop Communion in the hand will be blessed by God.”
(And Leocea, I agree on with you and your dh's reasoning!)
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MaryM
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Just a reminder regarding this topic which has been discussed here extensively in the past. It is a sensitive as well as complicated topic. Whether one has a preference to receive on the tongue or in the hand, both are currently permitted in many countries, as there is an indult to receive Holy Communion in the hand.
General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) in the U.S. covers the reception of communion in the hand in paragraphs 160 & 161:
Quote:
160. The priest then takes the paten or ciborium and goes to the communicants, who, as a rule, approach in a procession.
The faithful are not permitted to take the consecrated bread or the sacred chalice by themselves and, still less, to hand them from one to another. The norm for reception of Holy Communion in the dioceses of the United States is standing. Communicants should not be denied Holy Communion because they kneel. Rather, such instances should be addressed pastorally, by providing the faithful with proper catechesis on the reasons for this norm.
When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister. The consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant. When Holy Communion is received under both kinds, the sign of reverence is also made before receiving the Precious Blood.
161. If Communion is given only under the species of bread, the priest raises the host slightly and shows it to each, saying, Corpus Christi (The Body of Christ). The communicant replies, Amen, and receives the Sacrament either on the tongue or, where this is allowed and if the communicant so chooses, in the hand. As soon as the communicant receives the host, he or she consumes it entirely. |
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Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum: On certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist (From Vatican's CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENT, published in 2004 )
Chapter IV addressed the "The Distribution of Holy Communion" and includes:
Quote:
| [92.] Although each of the faithful always has the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, at his choice, if any communicant should wish to receive the Sacrament in the hand, in areas where the Bishops’ Conference with the recognitio of the Apostolic See has given permission, the sacred host is to be administered to him or her. However, special care should be taken to ensure that the host is consumed by the communicant in the presence of the minister, so that no one goes away carrying the Eucharistic species in his hand. If there is a risk of profanation, then Holy Communion should not be given in the hand to the faithful. |
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It is a good idea to be cautious when quoting sources that circulate in the internet. Many times quotes circulate and are used to argue a point or support a position, yet may not be accurate or verifiable. And even if totally accurate reflect personal thought and opinions.
There is another past thread from this summer on the topic of swine flu and communion reception for anyone interested in reading that as well.
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Willa
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The former thread that Mary mentioned is here
Also, I found a couple of blog posts last spring when our bishop first denied communion by tongue:
Swine Flu and Communion on the Tongue
Father Z -- Communion in the Time of Swine Flu
From what I can understand, the question isn't really whether or not communion on the hand is approved or acceptable. Clearly, it is allowed by the Church at this time under indult conditions.
The question is more about whether a bishop is within his lawful authority to forbid communion on the tongue. The Church has expressly said that communion on the tongue is not to be forbidden -- whether these swine flu conditions add up to an exception to the general rule has yet to be clarified, so far as I know. If any have heard otherwise, please do post.
The other question, to me, is what should one do, given that many bishops (including mine) have forbidden reception on the tongue.
Does anyone know whether Tridentine Rite masses are included in this mandate? It doesn't seem to be provided for in the rubrics.
There is a list of Tridentine indult masses here. If they are not included in the provision, and you have one in your area, that might be an alternative.
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stellamaris
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It might console you to learn that the early Christians evidently received in the hand, see the link to the Catholic Encyclopedia article in this thread. It was news to me!
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Topic: Changes at Mass to avoid swine flu
