From this Sunday, the coronavirus will have very concrete consequences for Catholics who will go to mass. The Archbishop of Paris asked the priests to take measures "in order to contribute to the fight against the epidemic and to follow the latest recommendations" from the Ministry of Health. Instructions have also been distilled in all the dioceses of Hauts-de-Seine.
Even more restrictive: the offices are all abolished "until further notice" in the Oise, where a large number of cases have been declared. A decision made in accordance with the ban on "collective gatherings" after the meeting between the bishop of Beauvais, Mgr Jacques Benoit-Gonnin and the prefect Louis le Franc. "The objective is the common good", indicates the communication from the diocese, which will inform the hundred priests and the twenty deacons who officiate in the 41 parishes of the department. The first concerned are those who were to be held this Saturday at 6 p.m.
An infected priest
In Paris, the holy water fonts were emptied to avoid any risk of contamination when the faithful plunged their fingers into the holy water before making the sign of the cross when entering a church. Priests must also "offer communion only in the hands of the faithful and refuse to give it in the mouth". Priests must no longer drink the mass wine from the chalice. Finally, people should not "exchange handshakes as a sign of peace during Masses". In the Hauts-de-Seine, this will be limited to "a smiling greeting without physical contact"
These measures came when a 43-year-old priest, living in Rome and returned in Italy by car in mid-February, "was diagnosed positively on Friday (Editor's note: February 28) ". He was taken care of at Bichat hospital (Paris, 18th century). His condition is considered "very reassuring".
VIDEO. "Gatherings of more than 5000 people prohibited"