England’s Catholics take precaution against swine flu

(July 20, 2009) Like the Anglicans, the English Catholics too decided to take some precautions to reduce the spreading of swine flu, that in the country has affected about 100 thousand people. One of the first measures is the suspension of the administration of the chalice during Communion, but there are also priests, in the areas most affected by the pandemic, such as Birmingham, Plymouth and London, who have decided not to administer Communion any longer, in any form. Other parish churches decided to administer Communion only on the hand, not directly into the devotee’s mouth. “When the dioceses find that a high number of devotees have been affected by swine flu, it is prudent to suspend Communion in the two forms of wine and bread”, confirms Jim McManus, health consultant to the Bishops Conference of England and Wales. “Sharing the chalice is not safe during an epidemic of swine flu,” he said.