Monday, November 02, 2009 10:30 AM

Some local Catholic churches have suspended segments of holy mass that require physical contact between parishioners

Chairman of the Catholic Media Services Limited and head of the Catholic News Monsignor Cuthbert Alexander said the move was in the hope of making parishioners more comfortable in light of the H1N1 virus

According to a daily newspaper, an article in the latest issue of the Catholic News explained that acting medical chief of staff at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex Dr Neil Peters encouraged parishioners to follow basic health guidelines and "respiratory etiquette".

The article reportedly continued by saying that Dr Peters, a parishioner of St John's, St Augustine, said he has advised priests-who have approached him on the subject-to do away with the sipping of wine from the same goblet by all parishioners during communion

Instead he said communion should be offered only in the form of bread

He also urged worshippers with flu-like symptoms to stay away from church and priests to wash and sanitise their hands before and after the sharing of communion.

Monsignor Alexander explained individual parish priests were free to make their own adjustments to the way things are done at the church especially under the circumstances

Among the suggested amendments to the status quo was the doing away with the Greeting, and the holding of hands during the Our Father prayer.