Churches try to balance Communion with sanitary practices during flu season

From the Boston Globe-

Houses of worship around the region are continuing to grapple with how to balance efforts to contain the spread of swine flu with traditional practices that involve building community by sharing a cup or embracing a neighbor.

The latest to weigh in is the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, whose bishops last week issued a lengthy set of guidelines to parishes, prefaced by the declaration that, “While God’s will for us is to live and thrive in community and in celebration of God’s gifts to us, it is also God’s will that no unnecessary risks be taken that might complicate or compromise the health of our people.’’

The Episcopal bishops joined many other religious leaders in advising a discontinuation of the practice of worshipers shaking hands, or holding hands, at any point during services. But Episcopal guidelines differ from others in some significant respect - unlike the advice from many Catholic bishops, the Episcopal bishops are not recommending against the use of a common cup for Communion, but rather state, “Drinking from the common cup is a treasured symbol of unity in the life of the church and it may be continued, although scientists disagree as to whether the wine carries enough disinfectant power to kill the virus.’’

More here-

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/11/08/churches_try_to_balance_communion_with_sanitary_practices_during_flu_season/