“Shaking Hands acceptable” says Limerick priest
Fr Paul Finnerty, diocesan secretary confirms in this weeks Limerick Post that shaking hands is still acceptable in Mass. Concern had arisen amongst the mass going public that the peace sign offered in Mass could transmit Swine Flu.
Fr. Finnerty comments in the piece “I have noted the HSE’s concerns as to the dangers of persons with flu’ symptoms attending at Mass and other church services.
“This constitutes the greatest danger of all in terms of spreading disease. It is advisable that persons with symptoms of flu’ not to participate in church services during their illness”.
and urges those with Flu symptoms not to attend Mass.
One would think that the Church would be encouraging the sick to flock en Mass (pardon the pun) to regular Sunday services. Where else could you expect to find a miracle cure or a pick me up. Where would the Church be today if Jesus had asked the sick to stay away from his sermons? Somehow I can’t picture the image of St Peter on the shore of Lake Galilee proclaiming to the Blind “If you can’t see your name on the list, then you can’t come in”
Consideration must be used in deciding exactly how far you want to extend the peace thing. No comment could be found from Fr. Finnerty on the recent case of Tolu Akintepe and his wife Bunmi, who were caught in the act of having sex on the altar of the Pentecostal church in Ikeja, a suburb of Lagos, Africa.
More a case of “Bless me Father for I am sinning”. At least if she had screamed “Oh God” it would have been in the right place.