Refuse to give the host in the mouths of the communicants, " empty the holy water fonts ": in Paris, Rennes, Lille, Lyon or Marseille, the archbishops asked the priests of their parishes to take measures against the spread of the new coronavirus.
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In the Oise, one of the main centers of spread of the virus in France and where all collective gatherings are prohibited, the celebration of masses is suspended until further notice in the 41 parishes of the department. " The bishop (of Beauvais, Mgr Jacques Benoit-Gonnin) and the prefect Louis le Franc have spoken, we assume this well-founded request and we apply it, with the objective of the common good , " AFP said. communication from the diocese, which will inform the hundred priests and the twenty deacons who officiate.
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Preventive measures have also been taken in Paris, where a priest of the diocese, "who returned in mid-February from Italy, was diagnosed positively on Friday, " according to a diocese press release. This priest resided in Rome and joined France by crossing Italy by car. Aged 43, he was taken care of at the Bichat hospital in Paris and his condition was deemed " very reassuring " on Saturday.
The Archbishop of Paris, Mgr Michel Aupetit, asks the priests of the parishes of the capital to respect several measures during masses and in churches "in order to contribute to the fight against the epidemic and to follow the latest recommendations " of the Ministry of health.
The faithful are asked " not to exchange handshakes as a sign of peace during Mass ", and they will no longer be able to dip their fingers in holy water to make the sign of the cross when they enter the churches, the instruction having been given in the dioceses to " empty the holy water fonts ".