Paphos Life

‘Body and blood of Christ’ can’t possibly be infected, priest assures faithful

Greek Orthodox faithful concerned about catching the coronavirus through receiving Holy communion were on Tuesday reassured that the body and blood of Jesus couldn’t possibly be infected with a virus.

Following an announcement by the Church of Greece that coronavirus cannot be contracted through the Holy Communion, there was much debate about the issue also in Cyprus.

Christian Orthodox believers take the Holy Communion which is warm sweet red wine from a spoon. The priest uses the same spoon for everyone.

Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou said last night that in his personal view, people “shouldn’t receive the Holy Communion.”

However, clergymen and theologians have been doing the rounds on television reassuring people there was no risk catching the virus if they shared the same spoon as hundreds of others.

Father Paraskevas Papamichael told Sigma TV on Tuesday that if one perceives the Holy Communion as the body and blood of Jesus then there was no reason for concern.

“If it is indeed the body and blood of Jesus Christ then there is no issue. Is it possible for the body and blood of Jesus to be a carrier of microbes and diseases?” he asked.

As regards gatherings of large crowds in churches, he said Cyprus is a small country where people usually go to church for about an hour per week, except on major holidays such as Easter.

Therefore, he said, the time many people gather in churches is limited and that minimises the risk of the spread of coronavirus.

He said that if indeed the Holy Communion was dangerous for the spread of coronavirus, then the first to have reasons for concern would be priests who drink after the service, whatever is left in the Holy Chalice.

Father Paraskevas also said that on many occasions, concerns have been expressed over the Holy Communion, but there was never a problem.

He said there is no reason for panic, but that everyone ought to maintain good personal hygiene.

According to one witness, elderly people in Ayios Loucas church in Kolossi were still seen kissing the icons on Tuesday, one after the other.

https://cyprus-mail.com/2020/03/10/body ... -faithful/

This came up on facebook too.

All I have to say is this: if transubstantiation is real, why did my Mum have to have gluten-free communion wafers?

I was brought up in the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian). One used alcohol free wine in the chalice that was passed along the congregation. The bread was just ordinary sliced bread or similar cut into cubes.

Another church used very small thimble glasses for the port wine, so there was no risk of transmission of infections from that source. Whether some members of the congregation sneezed or not was another story! For the anecdote, when I was here in 1956, I was given permission to attend the Presbyterian Church service at RAF Nicosia, as there were no other nonconformist churches in the country. After showing passports and other documents I was allowed in as a civilian. I don't remember how the wine was served but I do remember that they used Commandaria! By sheer coincidence, the person I sat next to was a Flight Lieutenant who was in the same class as I was at school, years earlier!

For those of Anglican or orthodox persuasion, these ideas may be slightly difficult to understand. Presbyterians do not believe in either consubstantiation or transubstantiation but that the bread and the wine are purely symbols used as a reminder of the Last Supper and that they hold no miraculous properties.

Foolhardiness and reckless IMHO

I fully agree Les.

Cyprus needs to kick these stupid old men out before they infect great swathes of the population.

In Italy, a queue was waiting to be tested. All masked up etc. One nurse. Someone at back for frustrated, took of his mask and walked to front and spat in the face of the nurse! Both now quarantined - one should be shot!