Catholic Faithful used to making the sign of the cross using Holy Water, usually placed at the entrance of the church, while attending mass will have to do without the water due to Coronavirus.
Not only that, but several liturgy customs will change due to the virus which was first confirmed in Kenya on the 13th of March, 2020.
For instance, during the sign of peace the Faithful will not shake hands.
“Although we recognize the importance of the hand greetings in our culture, in view of the risk posed by handshakes, we request that, while this threat is still real, we advise the Christians to wave to one another during the exchange of peace in the daily celebrations of Mass,” read a statement from the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Due to the current circumstances, you will also be required to receive the Eucharist on the hand and not in the mouth, as some Christians prefer.
“In giving Holy Communion to the sick, the Priests should also observe the highest level of hygiene, of washing of hands before and after the Holy Communion or Anointing of the Sick, to avoid to the sick or from the sick,” the statement continues to read.
Those suffering from a cold are encouraged to voluntarily abstain from the Holy Mass celebrations until they recover.
“We strongly exhort the Priests to observe the highest level of hygiene in the liturgical ceremonies. Specifically, we ask them to thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water before any liturgical celebration, and to use soap in the Lavabo rite of the Mass to ensure total cleanliness as they come in contact with the bread and wine,” the statement continues to read.
