So much for holy water!

[jake-the-peg]

There was a time when holy water cured you - now it gives you swine flu!

http://news.bbc.co.uk...ld/europe/8356019.stm

Apparently people are now "dunking" communion wafers in the wine rather than risk using the cup communally.

But surely this is the Catholic Church - the wafer becomes the actual body of Christ !

Is this is a sign that nobody really believes this?

Or am I hopelessly outdated? - did they stop beliving in the transmogrification of the host years ago?

[naomi24]

They've actually been doing this for a while now, Jake - even our Anglican church has stopped offering the goblet for fear of Swine Flu. You'd think they'd have more faith that their Lord would protect them, wouldn't you - especially in those circumstances.

[Ankou]

lol a coleague here told me that the shaking of hands (sign of peace ???) during mass is also discouraged, or posibly banned.

[jake-the-peg]

But do Catholics (ostensibly) still believe that the bread and wine actually, really, physically change?

[naomi24]

Yes, I believe they do, Jake.

[Ankou]

they would probably argue that they are reuniting the blood with the body or something. give it a symbolic meaning.

[naomi24]

It comes from the Last Supper when Jesus broke bread and said 'This is my body', and of the wine, 'this is my blood', and told his disciples to do this in remembrance of him. I've always thought he meant them to gather around a table and have supper together whilst remembering him, rather than actually eat and drink his body.

[hc4361]

Where does it say they are dunking the wafer?

[naomi24]

Jake's link doesn't talk about dunking wafers in the wine, but this one does. (It's the first I came across when I googled, but there are more).

http://www.thisisstaf...5-detail/article.html

[jake-the-peg]

Sorry - saw it on a BBC news report this morning - it's not repeated in this actual article

Here's the Arch-bish on the matter
http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/2498

[puzzfuzz]

I am a Catholic Jake and I just believe that the body and blood represent what Christ did for us. I think I am supposed to believe that it changes but I don't.