Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese suspends communion wine as coronavirus spreads

As fears over the coronavirus grow, the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced Monday it will suspend the distribution of wine during communion.

Bishop David Zubik announced precautions in the diocese Monday, to take effect immediately.

Across the diocese, the distribution of wine is temporarily suspended. Additional precautions include the halting of handshakes and physical contact during the exchange of the Sign of the Peace. Holy water fonts will be cleaned and drained on a weekly basis, and those who feel ill are not obligated to attend Sunday Mass.

“I am instituting precautions that will serve as preventative steps to help our faith community, and the region as a whole, stay healthy,” Zubik said in a statement. “That is my primary focus.”

Zubik said the precautions will remain in place for as long as he deems necessary. He also advised parishioners to be consistent with basic hygiene practices, including hand-washing, regularly cleaning surfaces and covering coughs with elbows instead of hands.

Officials from Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania said they understood the precautions.

“Because of the way that Roman Catholics receive the chalice by sharing a common cup, in it makes sense,” said the Rev. Liddy Barlow, executive minister of the Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania. “I think a primary duty of the church is to protect the flock, to care for the worshippers.”

Barlow said the modified approach to communion my feel like a loss to some parishioners, as any change in liturgy may be. But, she said, it has always been a theological understanding of the entire Christian Church that to receive one part of communion—the bread—will still provide the same benefit to worshippers.

“It’s wise to modify that practice until we can understand the risks,” Barlow said.

The Catholic Diocese of Greensburg said it is leaving the decision of “suspending distribution of Holy Communion from the chalice up to the pastor.”

The Greensburg Diocese is advising parishioners not to receive the cup of wine if they are ill or fear they might become ill. Those parishioners who are sick or experiencing symptoms of sickness “are not obliged to attend Mass, and out of charity, they ought not to attend,” the Greensburg Diocese said in a statement.