Receive Communion by hand, Cardinal urges churchgoers

(Updated 2:20 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines - The rise in the number of A(H1N1) cases in the country has prompted the Archdiocese of Manila to disallow hand-to-mouth contact during the Communion. 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. Excerpts of the advisory were posted on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines' (CBCP) Web site. Diwa said other forms of close contact like the holding of hands would be discouraged inside churches "to avoid the further inadvertent spread of the virus." Well attended But despite the A(H1N1) threat, Filipinos still flocked a church in downtown Manila on Sunday - even if the priest made no mention of a directive from the Manila Archdiocese reminding the faithful to take proper precautions against the disease. In a church in Sta. Cruz area, no reminder to take precautions against A(H1N1) was mentioned at a Mass scheduled shortly before noon. The mass had included the baptism of several infants, who are deemed susceptible to A(H1N1). The priest also made no warning about A(H1N1) when praying the “Ama Namin (Our Father)" where churchgoers usually linked hands. Likewise, there was no reminder from the priest that the Communion would be by hand only. Modified prayer Manila Archdiocese minister for liturgical affairs Fr. Genaro Diwa meanwhile said Rosales had order a slight modification of the Oratio Imperata (obligatory prayer), this time to seek divine intervention against the A(H1N1) disease. The modification of the prayer was sought after local health authorities noted a spike in the number of confirmed A(H1N1) cases in the Philippines. “We ask you to continue to guide the hands and minds of the people who are studying the nature and cause of this disease and who are working hard to prevent its spread to more areas in the world. Grant all those in the medical profession who must treat and care for those who contract the disease, the grace and determination to minister to the sick with competence and compassion. Grant those in the health agencies of the government a sense of responsibility to act with only the good and the well-being of the people in mind. May their expert advice on proper health practices be heeded and followed," an excerpt of the prayer went. CHED order The threat of A(H1N1) has also prompted the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to move the scheduled opening of classes in colleges and universities from June 8 to 15, 2009. CHED Chairman Emmanuel Angeles said the one-week period would give enough time for students who came from abroad to quarantine themselves. “Ang dahilan dito ay marami tayong foreign students na nag-aaral sa ating bansa na nanggagaling sa iba't ibang bansa na merong mga swine flu victims (The reason for this is that there are many foreign students and students who came from countries that are exposed to swine flu)," Angeles had said in an interview on government-run dzRB radio. Earlier, De La Salle University suspended classes for one week after three students tested positive for A(H1N1). The threat also prompted other universities to postpone classes. In the case of private elementary and high schools, the Department of Education (DepEd) said it was giving school administrators the leeway to decide when to begin classes, so long as they complete the required number of school days. Public elementary and high schools, on the other hand, started classes on June 1 as the Department of Health (DOH) rejected calls for a postponement of school opening, warning that it would only cause unnecessary panic. - GMANews.TV