You may remember Cardinal Burke's recent comments about circumstances under which Mass may undermine faith. He said (as related here by Voris): "If we err by thinking we are the center of the liturgy, the Mass will lead to a loss of faith." Cardinal Burke's remarks were apparently offered at a book launch on a new work entitled, How to Go to Mass and Not Lose Your Faith, so far available only in Italian.
Now it comes to our attention that a blogger has written a post, "Novus Ordo not just bad for your soul, but your body too!" (Introibo ad altare Dei, January 17, 2011), arguing that the mode of administering Communion under both species in Novus Ordo liturgies has let to the spread of Hepatitis A in New York: "Health officials say more people may have been exposed to hepatitis A while receiving communion at a Long Island church.... Health officials will return to the church on Friday, offering vaccines to anyone who may have been exposed."
loidesThere is another way to distribute the cup without the risk of spreading anything.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I'm so pleased with the new missal and can't wait for it to be instituted. Some priests have fed into their egos and have made the Mass more about themselves than Jesus. The new wording helps to correct that.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Seems I have heard this argument come from different sides of the table now. "People shouldn't receive on the tongue because they will spread swine flu!!!" -- "People should not receive on the hand, or from the cup because it will spread hepatitis."
ReplyDeleteI have heard a number of priests mention that they see it as more "sanitary" to place the Eucharist on a communicant's tongue that it is to touch the communicant's mouth. Honestly.. the arguments could go back and forth.... but the real discussions for posture and method of reception of our Lord have little to do with how the flu is spread around.
Arguments about how sanitary one mode of distribution is compared to another may have, at best, medical merit. Liturgically, however, they have no relevance whatsoever. More to the point are concerns over reverence and respect for our Lord in the Blessed Host, not only in terms of posture of the recipient (a significant word here), but in terms of seeing that the entire Host is consumed without loss of fragments the Sacred Body.
ReplyDeletebut in terms of seeing that the entire Host is consumed without loss of fragments the Sacred Body.
ReplyDeleteyes, and I'll add to seeing that the host is in fact consumed. I say that because at our sacramental preparation class for first communion, a mother asked about what happens while a child who is not old enough to receive is given a host and she discovers it when she is back in the pew. She admitted to slipping it in her pocketbook. There were a bunch of jaws on the floor. (Mine included)
Apart from the obvious catechumenical problems here, I'd say that one form of reception is better at preventing things like this than another. (No points of guessing which)
+1 on what George said. (Way more succinct and clear than any attempt I might have made.)
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have read of any panic about the Orthodox who give communion via a spoon - the same spoon to everyone.
ReplyDeleteAndonia said:
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have read of any panic about the Orthodox who give communion via a spoon - the same spoon to everyone.
The faithful, however, are instructed never to close their lips upon the soon, which, thus, never touches the recipient's mouth or lips.