Important Catholic doctor: It makes no sense to deny Communion in the mouth
Jasjot Singh 4 days ago
A leading Catholic doctor recently pointed out that “it makes no sense at all … to refuse to give Holy Communion in the mouth” in the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an article titled “COVID dyschronies,” Dr. José María Simón Castellví, president emeritus of the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations (FIAMC), said that “the masses, the sacraments, the holy water, the publications, can be administered safely and with little inconvenience.
“It makes no sense to eliminate the holy water from our batteries, nor to continue recommending watching mass on television (except those who are very sick or infected productive), or refuse to give Holy Communion in the mouth, or eliminate the sacrament of confession (there are many imaginative solutions possible to make hearing safe), or avoid making a gesture of peace or inclination when you play”, he pointed out.
The Catholic doctor specified that “the Church attends to people one by one, personally.”
“There are community events but some are one person at a time. Communion is for one and all (if they are properly disposed), it is not a general outpouring, it is a person-to-person thing,” she noted.
As cases have been decreasing both in number and severity, various countries have been lifting restrictions imposed on their citizens. Some no longer require the use of masks in closed public spaces, and allow the use of places such as Catholic temples at full capacity.
Other countries, such as China, maintain strict confinement measures.
In his article, Dr. Simón Castellví said that “I can understand that in the first weeks of a new epidemic it is strict and it is decided to try to radically break the chain of transmission of the disease”.
“However, we already know well (everything can be improved, of course) the transmission of the virus and we should improve the quality of life of our fellow citizens“, he pointed.
This, he indicated, includes encouraging “to get vaccinated, to contact your doctor in case of symptoms, to ventilate the premises well or to live outside, not to expose yourself unnecessarily to human concentrations, to continue with the hygiene of hands and surfaces ( although not obsessively) and to use the mask in charged environments or in the case of vulnerable people”.
The health professional also expressed his surprise at “the temporal-spatial fluctuations in the measures” that various countries have implemented.
“I take a plane that requires a high-filtration mask to board, from an airport that does not require it, to get to a city where they are supposed to ask you for the vaccination certificate but they do not,” he said.
Dr. Simón Castellví then said that “for unfathomable reasons, the recommendations or obligations that the health authorities give us do not always match what the Scientific Societies or the Royal Academies determine.”
“Beneficial and adverse effects correspond to each prevention step. and you should decide the risk you want to take. And this risk should be made clear so that we adults can decide accordingly and help children have the best possible childhood,” she said.
The president emeritus of the FIAMC pointed out that “naturally I am also interested in the measures that are taken in the churches, when administering the sacraments, when proclaiming the Word and when exercising Caritas”.
“I did not like reading an article that harshly criticized the Church’s action in the so-called Spanish flu pandemic a hundred years ago. It seems that the crowds of worshipers at the prayers contributed to the spread of the virus, ”he said.
However, he stressed, “it is good to pray. And you have to count on doctors to minimize the risks”.
“The ‘pray and watch’ that Jesus Christ himself told us gives us one of the keys,” he stressed.
