Anglicans alter communion ritual

LONDON (AP) — Two Anglican dioceses in Britain are changing how they handle communion to reduce the spread of swine flu.

Church of England parishes in Blackburn, northern England, and in Southwell and Nottingham, central England, made the switch in recent days, officials said Wednesday. The measures are seen as precautionary, although a high number of swine-flu cases have been recorded in Nottingham, said Ben Wilson, a spokesman for the church.

“Particularly where vulnerable groups are involved, we think it’s important that reasonable steps are taken to minimize the risk of church worship activity facilitating the spread of the disease,” Wilson said.

During the communion service, Anglican worshippers normally drink from a communal cup of wine that is wiped with a cloth after each person sips.

However, worshippers in these two dioceses will no longer share the cup of wine. Instead, the faithful will forgo the communal cup and participate in communion only by eating wafers consecrated during the service.