www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News The liturgy & SARS fears

Well so far over here we do not seem to be too badly affected as yet, by this SARS outbreak.

Having said this, in England they have set up 'study camps' for the many students from China, Hong Kong and other badly affected areas who attend the many Private Shcools there. These students will remain there for 10 days following their arrival back in the UK.

As to Communion safeguards/practices at present - I think sensible precautions should be taken whilst it is necessary but each area should be looked at on an individual basis - and certainly from what I read over here Toronto is very badly affected.

I remember my training as an EEM - the young Priest then said that he never wiped the Chalice, after he had given It the the faithful, before he consumed what remained. He regarded this as an act of Faith - but thinking of those Receiving he did wipe It after each person had Communed being sensible to their feelings.

As to the veneration of the Icons - I have to say that since it is not the practice in the RC Church to do this - it would make me ponder a little. After all if a surface is smooth and polished then the chances of infection lingering are remote - but I understand that despite SARS being believed to be spread by droplet infection , questions about it's transmission have still to be answered.

What is the answer - I don't know - do any of us ?

Dear Friends,

SARS has truly impacted the Eastern Catholic churches here in Toronto . . .

At St Nicholas parish, we received Communion yesterday, Palm Sunday, in the hand for the first time ever!

The icons on the tetrapod were taken away, no anointing of the faithful, no kissing the priests' hands, and there will be NO kissing the Epitaphion on Holy Friday this week . . .

On the other hand, the whole experience suggested to me what our Church would look like had WE adoped a form of the Novus Ordo . . .

St Roch of Montpellier, pray unto God for us!

Alex

Thanks Alex,

I have now lost all respect for Saint Nicholas Parish.
What would Archpriest Bohdan Lypsky (forgive me if I misspelled his name) say if he were around?

THIS HAS BEEN COMPLETELY BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION.
The only reason why this is so big a deal is because the media has nothing else to talk about.

I know of some modern (ukrainian)parishes that are not even in the Toronto area that have used all of this as an excuse to switch to roman hosts. I am sure they have been waiting for this for a long time and are absolutely loving it (roman wannabes). But the fact that Saint Nicholas church, which is supposedly a traditional church (looks can be deceiving) is doing this makes me sick.

IF YOU ARE SICK STAY HOME, it's that simple.

Fogive me but I have had enough of this stupidity.

Dear Ilya,

Yes, I don't know about any of this, but I do know that it all felt rather, well, strange . . .

And not kissing the Epitaphion - it just won't feel like Pascha, let me tell you.

A blessed Pascha to you and your entire family!!

Alex

Come to brampton and you can still do it right, or are you to scared, ooooooooooooooooohhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

i

Does anyone know what the Orthodox parishes in Toronto are doing in light of the SARS situation?

Brendan

Both the ROCOR and OCA parishes that I regularly attend are doing nothing out of the ordinary. An exaple to follow.
The ROCOR choir directors wife is a doctor at one of the downtown hospitals and she said that it is simply too blown out of proportion.

ilya

Dear Ilya and Brendan,

But could not a parish be held liable in any legal way if it did NOT take any precautions when their bishops told them to and someone contracted or was exposed to SARS in the parish - and this could be proven?

It seems rather easy to trace where one was exposed to the SARS virus . . .

And, Ilya, what do you say or would you say if someone from the ROCOR parish you regularly attend asked you if you were Orthodox?

Alex

Alex,

get real.

The priest alway tells me to "give my regards to your Papa" when I go up for antidoron. Re-read my post on praying together.

they know who I am.

ilya

Yeah, I would have suspected something more dramatic like "Depart, thou Uniate!" especially from ROCOR.

But thankfully, we may be progressing out of those stupidities. I hope so!!

Dear Ilya,

I hope I am real, I was once told to depart.

It is good you are on such good relations with ROCOR.

And as long as you have your Papa's blessing, what the heck?

I take it you attend ROCOR when you are in Toronto.

Would you ever consider attending the UGCC parishes - or are they too Latinized for you?

I hope I'm not trying to provoke you.

Alex

I go to church where I can pray. At the ukrainian churches I am usually to distracted by what the priest is doing wrong and what the cantor is leaving out. I also like to venerate icons and lite candles and not stand in a pew.

I realize that some of my comments above could be used against me, the good people of the ROCOR and my father. I pray that in the spririt of christian love you will refrain from doing so.

Ilya

Dear Ilya,

That is a fair and honest response!

I too refrain from going where I would be similarly distracted, although I am not nearly as well versed in Eastern liturgical rubrics as you.

Use anything against you or . . .?

Why would anyone do that? I know our people can be cruel. May God forbid anything like this!

I've obviously stumbled onto a sore spot - I apologise and will refrain from further comment on it.

God bless you!

Alex

Nothing for us :-)

Of the Orthodox Churches in my area I know of several responses:

the ROCOR would gladly welcome Tsars,
the OCA would be indiferent,
and the UOC would guard themselves against them.

Us Greek Catholics would only have to worry about outbreaks of Emperors and Popes.

Have a Blessed Holy Week and Pascha!

Daniil