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It is a sign of the times, and a sign of the increasing awareness that a pandemic threat looms, when the Catholic Church begins to contemplate shutting down church services during a crisis.
This from the Catholic News
Canadian diocese to close confessionals during flu pandemic
Catholics will not be able to receive communion on the tongue and no confessions will be allowed in enclosed confessionals, according to draft influenza pandemic guidelines prepared by a Canadian diocese.
Canadian Catholic News reports that in an endeavour to be ready for a pandemic disaster the Diocese of Edmonton is working on guidelines that also stipulate that confession is to be held with the confessor and penitent sitting at least a meter apart, each wearing face masks.
In a worst case scenario, church services would be cancelled altogether.
Those are just some of the stipulations laid out in a draft of Archdiocesan Influenza Pandemic Planning Guidelines now being circulated.
"The only thing tougher than planning for a disaster is explaining why you didn't," said Rita Sandmaier, the pastoral-care minister who drew up the draft guidelines.
Sandmaier talked about the guidelines and the possibility of a pandemic with more than 30 staff at the Catholic Pastoral Centre. She plans to meet next with the archdiocesan Council of Priests before taking the draft to parish teams.
The world is currently in a pandemic alert phase for the Avian flu H5N1 virus. In 2006, there were 116 cases of the Avian flu reported around the world, resulting in 80 deaths. About half of those cases were in Indonesia, with growing numbers in Egypt and China.
The disease is still being transmitted only from animals to humans. But if it mutates and begins being spread among humans, then a pandemic will be underway, Sandmaier said.
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