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Subscribe to RSSSome Catholic parishes are changing communion and other Mass rituals in an effort to avoid spreading flu germs. WJAR's Mario Hilario reports.
Even Holy Communion is not immune from the flu.
Some Catholic Churches across the country have stopped offering parishioners wine from a shared chalice to prevent germs from spreading as the flu continues to plague most of the nation.
And that's not the only change worshippers may see at Mass.
"To refrain from shaking hands during rite of peace, I invited them to just turn and verbally exchange a greeting," Msgr. John Darcy of St. Sebastian Church in Providence, R.I., told WJAR.
The New York Archdiocese sent out its annual flu-season reminder Monday, asking pastors in its 400 parishes to take "common-sense precautions" such as frequent hand-washing or holding back the chalice as they see fit, spokesman Joseph Zwilling said.
In Abilene, Texas, the pastor of Holy Family Church announced last weekend that there would be no drinking from the cup or hand-shaking.
Without prompting, parishioners who normally hold hands during the singing of the Lord's Prayer chose not to, said church business manager Gail Wheeler.
"People are very understanding," she said. "We have a lot of elderly people in our parish and a lot of families with young children."
Some religious leaders said they make adjustments for the flu every year. Others said that this year's particularly bad outbreak had led them to tinker with the rituals -- much like sports teams abandoned post-game handshakes during the H1N1 pandemic in 2009.
The virus has already killed 20 children this season and put thousands of people in the hospital. Federal officials have said they are optimistic the number of cases will drop off soon, but noted that the flu is unpredictable and could spike again this winter.
While many churches received directives from their diocesan leaders, at least one priest got advice from a more secular source.
Father Brian Kaskie of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in McComb, Miss., said he was at a routine medical appointment three weeks ago when his doctor suggested he take steps to protect his flock.
"We were on the front end of it," said Kaskie, who won't offer the chalice until the outbreak is over. "We didn't wait on the bishop."
The flu has shown up in just about every state and many hospitals are overloaded with sick patients. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the virus's ability to morph into new forms makes it difficult to develop full immunity. NBC's Tom Costello reports.
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Let me get this right - their God isn't powerful enough to protect them, even when they're drinking the blood of Christ?
Let me get this right - you know that little about broken, sinful humans that you would make a statement like that?
No, he was just trying to be a condescending Ahole and attacking the church like all libs do. The church is doing something to protect people, and yet jackoffs like edgar will still attack it because he is a douchebag.
In other words, "my post" and "truda" - NO. And truda, you're attitude is totally out of line with the teachings of Christ. How very Catholic of you.
truda - comment 1.2 - just remember, Jesus was a liberal, too. Do you also refer to Him as an Ahole?
After reading that first comment, I think it really is true, the Devil loves more atheists. Good thing God still loves them too.
Personally, I am pretty sure that if Jesus were walking the earth now, he would not be a Catholic, Orthodox anything, Protestant anything, Liberal, Conservative, Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or any other divisive human distinction. He would probably do a facepalm in disgust at the whole system and then start over from scratch. And all of the Christians would hate him because he questioned all of their traditions and told them most of their teachings were a load of manure. Then someone would kill him - again. After all, look at all the money churches would lose as all of their paritioners started leaving to follow the *real* Jesus.
Jesus was far more than a liberal - he was promoting ideas that were earth-shakingly radical for when and where he was. Much like most churches today, the Jewish people of 2000 years ago were steeped in traditions and rituals that had lost their meaning centuries before. They had a law code, but missed the point of its commandments entirely - to love God and love one's neighbor (even if they were a Samaritan, and sinner, a Liberal, non-white, a homosexual, a Democrat, etc. - you know, all the things conservative "Christians" HATE today.)
So much for having faith in their invisible man in the sky that is suppose to save them and protect them from harm.
bottom line here is, no invisible man in the sky saves a soul, doctors, science and meds does that for you. and if they really believed in their god and heaven, then why are they always running to science and doctors for cure to heal them a keep them from dying. I thought these charlatans and sheeple would be eager to meet their invisible man in the sky? Or deep down, they know god and religion is bs.
Me thinks that trudat just made the case against himself as to what a "Xtian" really is.
Laffy Taffy, and yet you took the time to not only read the article but to comment. If you don't believe, then that's fine. But what do you hope to gain by insulting something that so many people hold to be sacred. If you TRULY did not believe you would skip stories like this, and certainly skip making incendiary comments that will just cause people to pay even less attention to your beliefs and cling to theirs even more. I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I do not go to Santa sights and read Santa stories then comment deriding those who do. This just shows that you sincerely HOPE there is no God and you are doing everything in your power to convince yourself of this. Furthermore, you comments reveal that you know nothing of how God operates or how free will plays into his divine purpose. You really are pathetic.
Some people are so nasty. And then the non believing insulters want the believers (who called them out on being rude) to just eat it or they're "un Catholic like". That would be convenient for you Burt's Dog, et al!
It's a first step, acknowledgement of germ theory by the Catholic Church. Woot woot! Flu is bad, but apparently AIDS, not so bad. No protection on that front.
unbelievable-3571258. Isn't that exactly what Jesus taught--to turn the other cheek? Why is is that most Christians don't really follow Jesus. They follow an aggressive mass-market religion that was weaponised ever since the Roman Empire took over. There is no Jesus in modern-day Christianity.
Sorry, not that kind of Catholic. That would be too convenient for the haters. My mother taught me otherwise.
OneOfTheSane,
You misspelled Xian. X in your context is used to replace Christ, as in Xmas. It's not Xtmas. You make the rest of us look like idiots.
ShadyJ,
You make yourself look like an idiot. No credit is due to me.
Do you police all misspellings? lol
Get a f'ning life.
Vince-545056
Keep on telling yourself that BS. This is just one example in which atheists point out to you how ridiculous some of your beliefs come across. Not to make you change, but to hopefully make some of you realize why we do not want you to force your beliefs onto us.
All knowing? All powerful? Yeah, right. Like the kid bitten by a shark in Florida and whose life was saved. "God was with us." Atheists ask why your god wasn't with the kid and kept the shark from biting him in the first place. If I knew a shark was near someone I loved, as your god is supposed to do to all people, I would do everything in my power to keep the shark away.
Freedom of religion also means freedom FROM religion. Yes. It does. No matter how loud you want to scream.
P E R F E C T
Expressing about the way I feel about religion and the con job all these charlatans are playing on their sheeple is no insult. It's a fact.
Religion is nothing more than a huge PONZI scheme taking advantage of the ignorant that fall into their bs beliefs.
Religions is about profits and control of their sheeple and nothing more.
All this to-do about a God or no God. I find it so much easier going through life (I'm 82 years old now) believing that there was and is a God as I have been taught. A God who loves us all and who prepares a place for us after worldly death. If we live our life as he has instructed us he has promised that we will live in peace and happiness after that worldly death. If we stray from that path he has laid for us, but in the end we ask forgiveness we WILL be permitted to live in His heaven for eternity.
I believe my earthly life is easier for me if I believe in these promises. If they do not come to pass, what have I lost by following these paths. I have lost nothing of value here on earth and I have lived with love and peace while I was on this earth, always knowing (believing) in what I had to look forward to after death.
What does a non-believer have to look forward to after his time is up? NOTHING.. I pity him. He has lost very much. It was always there for him to take but he just ignored it. Too bad.
But, you know... I think God will still eventually take him into heaven If he asks for it. For our God is a forgiving God. And it costs absolutely nothing to be believer and if it is true that person has so very much to gain for his belief.
Why would anybody refuse to believe it there is so much to gain for eternity. And, if it is not true, what has one lost because he has believed?
'Nuff said. May God Bless each and every one of you, even if you don't believe in Him
Amen. Very well said.
Ole-Ed said, "I have lost nothing of value here on earth and I have lived with love and peace while I was on this earth, always knowing (believing) in what I had to look forward to after death."
Actually Ed, you have lost everything since you wasted your one and only life in deference to an imaginary being that someone in your upbringing "taught" you about. Instead of doing your own research, instead of doing your own thinking, you lived your empty life based on some lie someone taught you.
You also mention "God" over and over again, but you never specify which one. There are thousands of gods, you know. Assuming you are right about a heaven, how can you be sure the god you worship is there? What if you worshipped the wrong god? I mean, every god says they are the one true god. What are you going to do when you get to heaven and you find out you should have been worshipping Osiris, or Thor, or Zeus, or Ra or Mithra?
My point is, the whole idea of gods is ridiculous and unprovable. Just because it makes you feel good, doesn't make it right. All of these gods and religions can't all be right, however, they can all be wrong.
I'm sorry someone lied to you when you were young. I hope you can salvage what's left of your 82-year old life and make something positive out of it.
Ole Ed, there is no polite way to tell someone that they've devoted their entire life to a delusion.
Ole Ed - Your post says much that is true and valuable. It costs me nothing and benefits me everything to live a life of kindness and spirituality...and hope.
Captain Jack - I think the "lies" are mostly based in that kindness and spirituality and you make my point exactly.
What really hurts us is our unwillingness to see these opposing ideas as the same thing. My feeling is that each of our beliefs are like spokes on a wheel. Each one of us matters, and without all of us, we fail. That goes for you, too, atheist. Thank you.
BYOB
They should take the shaking of hands out of the mass completely- all year round, very un-hygenic.
The article addressed that.
Only those without true faith could ever get the flu this way. This means that an overwhelming majority of churchgoers will be sniffling and sneezing.
trudat6445
And you react as all right wing extremist bigots and start with the name-calling that all of you seem to think makes you sound so intelligent. It makes you sound obnoxiously "holier-than-thou" and very ignorant. Does the God you worship whisper those words of wisdom in your ear?
Seriously pig?
I think the article got it right - 'rituals' - empty and superstitious. Useless, and imaginary. If it spreads disease then its not worth it since its not worth anything anyway, except for some placebo feel good that wears away as soon as you get in your car.
If you dont believe me try driving by a church when its time to go home. Those suckers will pull out in front of you and flip you off!
I was Catholic and experienced this.
They used to tell us that no diseases were ever transmitted when the priest gave you communion on your tongue with his hands full of the slobber from all the people who got communion before you.
Some priests seemed to reach in extra deep to reload with your slobber to pass it on to the next person.
I remember having very long term persistent colds and runny noses and congestion all the time.
I repeat -- I WAS Catholic.
I don't get colds and runny noses and congestion now.
They haven't put it on the tongue for a long time dude!
Neither have I
Are you serious?
Do you really mean your god (male) have no way to handle a little tiny winy mother nature (female)?
And, that is your GOD?
And who is Your God?
bicfj
Right on!
I guess jesus needs to buy "virus cleaner software".
I thought the church had prayer to protect them from things like this? LOL
It's not the flu virus they should worry about, it's the gay germs that get left all over the place when they sneak in and touch things. VERY hard to remove.
The "gay germs" are the problem? Really?
And here I was thinking it was the "pedophile germs" that the congregation had to worry about.
Silly me.
@OneOfTheSane:
Pedophile germs are what you think we have to worry about. However, 97% of all victims of priestly pedophilia were male. So you think the 3% are the most important sector?
Wow, typical atheistic Rules by Exception. What's the matter, you can't figure out that someone who literally defines themselves as a homosexual entity isn't totally consumed by their vice? They DEFINE themselves as gay because they are TOTALLY CONSUMED by their perverse sexual nature, much as we heterosexuals are consumed by persistent, unavoidable, saturatingly ever-present female forms on the street, on the internet, in the grocery store magazine covers and in the never escapable lyrics in the music we hear in stores. Its a tsunami of temptation spread by the Evil one.
Google Josepha Menendez in Hell and see what the demons were telling her. Then start praying the Rosary in an ultra serious manner and see what God shows you about your soul.
@peter1589-2514158
Heh-heh, a tsunami of poon.
I think Doug Stanhope coined that phrase.
Anyway, you're insane, peter. Get help.
DELETED
How does anyone know that the priest or other church members helping dispense the bread/wafers have clean hands? And drinking from the same chalice that dozens of other parishioners have drunk from with it only being given a quick wipe between parishioners? No thanks. Not during cold/flu season or any other time of year. That's just gross. Surely churches could dispense the wine in individual small cups and find a more hygienic way of dispensing the bread or wafers.
Why don't they just ask Jebus or God to protect them from the flu? If they have faith (gullibility), their god will protect them, right? God can just miracle them if they get the flu and they will be healed, right?
No, God does not exist, so he will not protect them.
Okay, so they can modify rules to prevent the spreading of the flu, but they can't modify their rules to allow their missionaries, etc in Africa to allow condoms to prevent the spread of HIV?
PS- call me an icky, Godless libtard (not that there is anything wrong with that! ha!), but I went to 16 years of Catholic school. I teach Catechism and counsel young adults. I might even teach your kids love and acceptance! *bwahaha*
too late....the churches busy season is over. maybe they can start anew before Easter.
My question is.....Is it real wine they are sharing from the chalice? We didnt do that when I was a kid. All we got was the wafer. So if it is real, does that mean you have to be legal drinking age to accept communion?
My parents raised us Roman Catholic. While my Dad was still mobile I took him to Mass. They had to wrestle that goblet out of his hands. haha !! He is with His God now=probably asking if they can sub beer for the wine.