Swine flu scare leads to Churches in Burnley Communion wine ban
The Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt. Rev. Nicholas Reade has asked all Church of England clergy in Lancashire not to distribute consecrated wine during Holy Communion during the swine flu pandemic.
In a letter addressed to the diocese’s 230 parishes the Bishop stated: “For the time being, I must ask that we do not use the chalice or any other common vessel for the distribution of the consecrated wine. I have been advised that the time has now come to enter a new phase of infection control, especially around the administration of Holy Communion.”
Consecrated bread should only be placed directly in people’s hands, and not on the tongue, the Bishop said. He also called for the use of intinction, the dipping of the consecrated bread into the chalice, to be suspended.
The restrictions will remain in force until further notice.
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