Flu Pandemic and Holy Communion

Following the letter from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and the subsequent ad clerum from Bishop Tom concerning Holy Communion during the current flu pandemic, it has been decided that at the Cathedral we will adopt the following practice.

Communion will, until further notice, be administered in one kind only.  Therefore, only the President of the Eucharist will receive the chalice.  No other member of the congregation will receive the cup and will be given only the bread (the host).

This is in accordance with section 8 of the Sacrament Act 1547, which provides that

‘... the... most blessed Sacrament be hereafter commonly delivered and ministered unto the people... under both the kinds, that is to say of bread and wine, except necessity otherwise require...’.

The clergy should emphasize that while communion in both kinds is the norm in the Church of England, in faithfulness to Christ’s institution, when it is received only in one kind, the fullness of the Sacrament is received nonetheless.

The Legal Advisory Commission has advised that ‘The practice of intinction may be regarded as lawful where a communicant or the congregation as a whole is fearful of contracting or communicating a contagious disease through drinking from the cup.’ (Legal Opinions Concerning the Church of England [8th edition: 2007], pp. 345-348). However, if the consecrated wine is administered to communicants, they cannot be required to receive it by intinction. The use of individual communion cups is not lawful in the Church of England and would, in any event, also involve hygiene risks in the present circumstances.

In addition, the Dean and Chapter have decided, in the light of advice received, that the exchange of the Peace will be suspended during this current pandemic.

The practical implications of this are as follows:

1. At all Eucharists, either in the notices or after the Greeting and before the Penitentail Rite, the President explains what will happen at communion. A suggested text will be on the lectern.
2. At all Eucharists, only one chalice will be on the altar.
3. At the Peace, the President or Deacon does not say ‘Let us offer one another a sign of peace’.
4. At a Said Eucharist, after the Peace the President washes their hands with alcohol handwash.
   At a Choral Eucharist, the President washes ther hands with the handwash after the Lavabo (ie after censing the altar).
5. At the offertory, the President or Deacon will put only sufficient wine and water into the chalice for one person to receive.
6. The texts of the Eucharist and the invitation to communion should NOT be amended i.e. if you are using the text ‘Draw near with faith....’ the President will still say ‘receive the body and blood’ for the reason that the fullness of the sacrament is received when we receive in one kind.
7. After the invitation to Communion, the President receives the bread and the cup and drinks all of the precious blood in the chalice.
8. Those administering the hosts then use alcohol handwash, which will be available on the credence table, before collecting the ciborium and going to their communion station.  NB it is not necessary for the President to do this as long as there has been no possibility of the contamination of their hands during the Eucharistic Prayer etc.
9. Communion is then given to all others at the Eucharist in one kind.  The host is to be placed in the communicant’s hands and not on the tongue.  If a communicant has their mouth open ready to receive, please pause and say ‘I must give you the host in your hand’.
10. Any of the sacrament to be reserved will be put into the ciborium in the tabernacle by a minister who has used alcohol handwash before doing so.
11. The chalice should be abluted by the President and by no other minister.  This will be done at the credence table on a Sunday or whenever the Eucharist is at the nave altar.  The consumption and reservation of the hosts will take place as usual in the Harvard Chapel.

When the sacrament is being taken to the housebound or those in hospitals, the minister must take alcohol handwash with them which they will use immediately before administering the host to those present.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are we doing this?
So that there is no anxiety around the receiving of the common cup which may cause some not to receive their communion.

Surely God would never allow people to be infected through receiving the Sacrament?
God works through nature and infection is part of the natural order.  The Sacrament of the Lord’s body and blood, though divinely instituted and the source of daily grace and feeding for the faithful, operates through the sacramental signs of bread and wine, which in their accidental rather than their substantial form, may transmit infection.

We didn’t do this in response to HIV/AIDS so why with Swine Flu?
The instructions issued in 1987 by the Archbishops was on the basis of professional advice that the risk of transmission of the HIV virus through the chalice was extremely low.  Advice with regard to the transmission of flu is otherwise, as the virus is contained in saliva and though silver and alcohol are an aseptic environment we are told that this is not sufficient in these circumstances.

Isn’t the lavabo sufficient – why bother with alcohol handwash?
The lavabo – the washing of the President’s hands in the Eucharist – though important and significant liturgically, remains symbolic and would not be sufficient to guard against transmission of infection.

Why can’t I receive on the tongue?
Because the chance of the administrator’s hands being contaminated are high in such circumstances. The danger of cross-contamination is correspondingly high if they are moving from person to person.

Why can’t we intinct as we understand that the Archbishops provide for another option – the President dipping each wafer into the chalice and placing into the communicants hands?
Intinction by each communicant risks infection as hands tend to be infectious in these circumstances.  We believe that the better and more seemly option in the Cathedral setting is to administer in one kind.

When will the Dean and Chapter reintroduce the chalice to the congregation?
In this matter we will wait for advice from the Archbishops and our Diocesan Bishop.

Why have we stopped sharing the Peace?
The advice suggested that there is a real possibility of infection through the sharing of the Peace.  In these circumstances, it would be strange to remove the chalice and not the Peace.

When did this last happen in the Church of England?
During the bubonic plague in the 16th century.

Please also see the Dean's sermon of 26 July - Seventh Sunday after Trinity 2009 - for a full explanation

The Dean and Chapter