Hand to Mouth Communion Disallowed in the Philippines Due to Flu

The Philippines, a predominantly catholic country in Asia, has been struggling to fight the spread of the A(H1N1) swine flu. As a precautionary measure, the Catholic Church has disallowed churchgoers to receive communion from priests by hand to mouth.

The Catholic Church in the Philippines has disallowed church goers from receiving communion from priests or lay ministers by hand to mouth as a precautionary measure to avoid the spread of the dreaded swine disease.

The instruction was issued by Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales as the number of confirmed A(H1N1) cases in the Philippines ballooned to 33 on Friday, earning the country the dubious distinction of having the highest incidence of infection in Southeast Asia.

“In view of detected presence of the A(H1N1) virus in our country, Cardinal Rosales has ordered that for the meantime Communion be received by the faithful only by hand," Fr. Genardo Diwa, head of the Liturgical Ministry of the Manila Archdiocese, said in an advisory.

"This is a good prevention for the virus to spread."

Source