[edow] Church House News -- swine flu information

[Church House News]

To the members of our diocese:

 

Due to the outbreak of swine flu, the diocese would like to provide some information that we hope will be helpful. We are not making specific recommendations, and ask only that our parishes use their best judgment as this situation develops. 

 

Much of the information in circulation describes common sense health practices such as frequent hand washing, covering one's nose and mouth when one sneezes or coughs, throwing away used tissues quickly and staying home from work, school or church when sick. You can find detailed information of this sort, as well as specific information about swine flu in a pew sheet prepared by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas on our Web site at:

http://www.edow.org/swineflupewsheet.pdf

 

Additional information is available here:

http://www.sleh.com/sleh/Section004/index.cfm?PageName=SwineFluFAQ&PageMD=INFLUENZA

 

We know that many of you have concerns specific to Episcopal Eucharistic worship, especially the sharing of the common cup and the passing of the peace. 

 

A paper from the Anglican Church of Canada covers the risk of infection at the Holy Communion. Information relevant to the flu is part way down the article at this address: 

http://www.anglican.ca/faith/ministry/euc-practice-infection.htm

 

The information is also available in brochure form as a pdf:

http://www.anglican.ca/faith/ministry/69_Risk_of_Infection_brochure.pdf

 

Here is perhaps the most relevant excerpt:

 

"Thus for the average communicant it would seem that the risk of drinking from the common cup is probably less than the risk of air-borne infection in using a common building.

 

Will intinction reduce the risk of transmitting infection?

 

Intinction (dipping the bread in the wine) is in use in many Episcopal Church (U.S.A) parishes and is increasingly being suggested in Canadian Anglican churches as well. There is, however, real concern that many of the modes of intinction used in parishes do not diminish the threat of infection, and some may actually increase it. Hands, children's and adult's, are at least as likely to be a source of infection (often more so) as lips. Receiving the wafer in the hands and then intincting it means that the wafer, now contaminated by the hand of the recipient, is placed in the wine―thus spreading the infection to it. Dipping the wafer into the wine also means that the wafer picks up any bacteria that might be in the wine. So this offers no protection to the communicant."

 

The North American Old Catholic Church outlined its response to the outbreak of swine flu in a press release here (we are not endorsing it, simply passing it on):

http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200904/1240928373.html

 

The relevant section reads:

 

Until the Centers for Disease Control ends the health emergency declaration with regards to the Swine Flu, the following changes to the worship experience have been instituted: 

* Physically exchanging the sign of peace by shaking hands, hugging, or other bodily contact is prohibited;
* Passing the communion chalice when non-alcoholic wine is utilized is prohibited;
* The practice of 'intinction'- dipping the communion bread into the communion wine before consumption is prohibited;
* Passing the chalice when 12% by volume alcohol wine will continue to be permitted, however the communicant will not be allowed to hold the chalice as is sometimes the practice. The chalice will need to be held by the minister.

 

Several Roman Catholic dioceses have decided not to offer the common cup and have adopted the practice of a "no contact" passing of the peace, in which parishioners keep physical distance in exchanging the peace. Some parishes in which the priest places the host into the mouth of the communicant have suspended that practice and are placing the host in the hands of the communicant. 

 

Episcopal Relief and Development maintains a section of its Web site devoted to planning for pandemic influenza here:

http://www.er-d.org/PlanningforPandemicInfluenza/

 

A general overview is available from Episcopal Life Online here: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_107136_ENG_HTM.htm

 

The federal government has made this pandemic flu preparation checklist available to faith communities:

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/pdf/faithbaseedcommunitychecklist.pdf

 

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