WASHINGTON — The worship office for the nation’s Roman Catholic bishops says there is no need yet for “widespread liturgical adaptations” to Communion practices to help stem the spread of the flu. The bishops’ secretariat for liturgy said in a December memo that officials, after consulting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will “continue to closely monitor the situation” but saw no need to impose national changes.
The memo did say those who distribute communion should “practice good hygiene” by washing their hands with anti-bacterial soap before handling the bread or wine.
Several bishops in California have issued guidelines for changes in the communion rite to help stop the spread of the flu. They urged parishioners not to shake hands during the passing of the peace, and not to hold hands during the Lord’s Prayer. They also recommended the communion wafer be placed in worshipers’ hands, not on their tongues, and that parishioners not share a common chalice of wine.
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