At times in the past they have suspended the “Sign of Peace” handshake when the flu was going around. Not much new here I think.
“.. the faithful are instructed not to receive the cup if they feel ill”.
The problem with this is that the flu doesn’t sort of just creep up on you. I have felt fine at 1 in the afternoon... folding laundry and doing what I need to do. I have then been on the couch at 3... shivering, sick to my stomach. Personally, I haven’t received the cup since I was a child for this very same reason. I don’t want to get sick and I wouldn’t want to make anyone else sick.
Intinction is one of the most blatantly unbiblical practices to begin with since Jesus clearly had them eat and THEN later drink, so let’s hope it stays that way for good.
Personally I always thought that was a little gross. In the mainline Protestant churches I used to go to they always used individual cups.
We grew up receiving the host from the Priest. We NEVER passed a Chalice around until all the changes began to take place. We NEVER drank from the Chalice. Drinking after someone is NOT and NEVER HAS BEEN HEALTHY in my opinion. The very thought of it makes me ill.
Despite the notions of sharing and community, the whole common cup thing has always bothered me for health reasons. Many Protestant churches use small glass cups filled from the common chalice and the Catholic Church at least used to allow intinction where the host was dipped in the chalice before being distributed on the tongue. Both options would be better for health reasons especially during a flu epidemic.
They might want to look at things like this too:
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is holding a young immigrant from Asia who officials say is infected with a rare drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis.
I dislike the “sign of peace” immensely....people coughing into their hands, sneezing, wiping their noses and then they want to shake your hand...