‘Faithful must refrain from kissing or touching images of saints’

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga — Parishioners may not hold hands or stick out their tongues in the house of God.

This was a directive issued yesterday by Archbishop Paciano Aniceto in a circular addressed to "the reverend members of the clergy, women religious and laity" of the Archdiocese of San Fernando to address the threat posed by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

"It is not recommended to hold hands during the praying of the Our Father and to offer the sign of peace by handshake (during masses)," the circular signed by Aniceto and Rev. Msgr. Edgardo Pangan said.

"Bowing is a sufficient liturgical gesture" in lieu of holding hands while praying the Our Father and offering the sign of peace during Mass, they said.

Communicants were also asked not to stick out their tongues to receive the consecrated host orally for "precautionary health reasons."

The San Fernando archbishop asked "all reverend members of the clergy, deacons and extraordinary ministers for the distribution of Holy Communion (EDMCs)" to "distribute Holy Communion to the communicants only through the hand."

Aniceto also said "the faithful must refrain from kissing or touching with handkerchiefs the images of saints."

"Our health is God’s personal gift to us for the service of upbuilding the Christian community," Aniceto said.

He urged Catholics to "be vigilant and pray that God, the source of all power and healing, enlighten our medical researchers to discover soon the cure for SARS."

The circular did not touch on the measures covering confessionals. In Quiapo, Manila, it was reported that screens, or thin layers of foam, will be placed on confessional windows. They would regularly be sprayed with disinfectant to prevent the spread of SARS.

Aniceto issued the circular after a two-day meeting of priests in the neighboring province of Zambales.

Meanwhile, Department of Health (DOH) assistant director in Central Luzon and epidemiologist Eric Tayag told The STAR that SARS is now "contained" in his region.

"We were able to cut any possibility of transmission of SARS," he said. Tayag was at a meeting of all DOH regional directors at the DOH central office in Manila for the creation of a "SARS dragnet."

According to Tayag, all the 600 guests at a wedding reception in the town of Moncada, Tarlac province who came into contact with SARS fatality Adela Catalon, have passed the 14-day quarantine period without falling ill.

Catalon died on April 14, after she arrived from Toronto, Canada.

The 47-year-old nursing aide was based in Toronto and was and a native of Barangay Vacante, Alcala town, Pangasinan.

The Canadian province of Ontario and its capital city, Toronto, were the areas hardest-hit by SARS outside Asia.

Tayag added that, "as of now, we have no reported new SARS cases in Central Luzon."

He also debunked reports that a golf caddy exhibited SARS symptoms after assisting a Chinese national from Hong Kong, who played golf at the Mimosa golf and country club at Clark Field. — Ding Cervantes with Katherine Adraneda and Bong Fabe.