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> Notably, the Church of Greece has announced that "the virus cannot be spread through Communion" (where everyone drinks wine from the same cup). Catholics in

> Notably, the Church of Greece has announced that "the virus cannot be spread through Communion" (where everyone drinks wine from the same cup). Catholics in Greece are overwhelmingly Orthodox. The Orthodox Catholic church distributes holy communion differently, with a spoon (there is a particular term for it, but I don't know it) that doesn't touch the communicant's mouth. So, they're not drinking from a communal cup. It's entirely possible for the communicant to exhale / cough / sneeze on the spoon. I don't know what the priest would do if this were to happen. As an aside, it's widespread right now (but maybe not universal) in Catholic dioceses to not even provide the cup to the congregation during Communion (which is perfectly fine according to Catholic theology btw). edit: additionally, I recently heard about a dispensation in at least one diocese for people who are in any of the COVID-19 risk categories that they don't need to receive Communion for now. I don't know whether this also dispenses them from attending Mass on Sundays (which is otherwise an obligation for all Catholics).

StavrosK 7y ago
Do you mean "Christians"? There are very few Catholics here. The spoon very much touches the communicant's mouth, and the priest dips it back in the cup afterwards. You're getting spoon-fed wine, essentially, with a whole lot of contact.
- philsnow 7y ago
  I'll take your word for it, I've been to Divine Liturgy exactly once. Do Orthodox folks not use the term "Catholic" for themselves? I just don't know very many.
  - StavrosK 7y ago
    No, it's "Orthodox Christian" and "Catholic Christian", to differentiate.
    - philsnow 7y ago
      Conversely, the Catholics I know prefer (if they have a preference, many don't) the bare term "Catholic" rather than "Catholic Christian". This is likely because I live in the US.
      - StavrosK 7y ago
        Now that you mention it, I've only heard them called "Catholics" here as well, not "Catholic Christian", so it's "Orthodox" or "Orthodox Christian" and "Catholic", you're right.
- harrier 7y ago
  > All of the three main branches of Christianity in the East (Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church and Church of the East) had always identified themselves as Catholic in accordance with Apostolic traditions and the Nicene Creed. Anglicans, Lutherans, and some Methodists also believe that their churches are "Catholic" in the sense that they too are in continuity with the original universal church founded by the Apostles. However, each church defines the scope of the "Catholic Church" differently. For instance, the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox churches, and Church of the East, each maintain that their own denomination is identical with the original universal church, from which all other denominations broke away. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_(term) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_(term) Greek Orthodox are "Catholic" but they are not "Roman Catholic".
  - StavrosK 7y ago
    In Christian dogma terms, sure, but if you call an (edit) Orthodox Greek Catholic, they will quite disagree.
    - harrier 7y ago
      Unless they are a Greek Catholic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Catholic_Church https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Catholic_Church
      - StavrosK 7y ago
        Or Roman Catholic, yes.
  - zentiggr 7y ago
    Sounds like the only visual analogy is the branching of a broccoli head, or something equally dense and fractal.
    - flukus 7y ago
      The tree of life works better, there were many branches even earlier that died off and the ones that survive did so through evolutionary pressure. The ones that required circumcision for instance weren't great at attracting converts.
michaelt 7y ago
I was curious about how you would reliably spoon-feed someone without the spoon touching their mouth, so I looked it up online, and from what I've seen [1] it doesn't look like they avoid touching the mouth. [1] https://youtu.be/WPj7z72VgT0?t=130 https://youtu.be/WPj7z72VgT0?t=130
Thorrez 7y ago
The Diocese of San Jose gave a dispensation from attending Mass to people in the various risk categories[1]. That means they don't have to attend Mass on Sunday. > don't need to receive Communion for now Regardless of the virus you only need to receive Communion once per year, not at every Mass[2]. [1] https://www.dsj.org/decree-of-special-dispensation-coronavirus/ https://www.dsj.org/decree-of-special-dispensation-coronavir... [2] https://forums.catholic.com/t/receive-holy-communion-at-least-once-a-year/395070 https://forums.catholic.com/t/receive-holy-communion-at-leas...

StavrosK 7y ago

Do you mean "Christians"? There are very few Catholics here. The spoon very much touches the communicant's mouth, and the priest dips it back in the cup afterwards. You're getting spoon-fed wine, essentially, with a whole lot of contact.

philsnow 7y ago
I'll take your word for it, I've been to Divine Liturgy exactly once. Do Orthodox folks not use the term "Catholic" for themselves? I just don't know very many.
- StavrosK 7y ago
  No, it's "Orthodox Christian" and "Catholic Christian", to differentiate.
  - philsnow 7y ago
    Conversely, the Catholics I know prefer (if they have a preference, many don't) the bare term "Catholic" rather than "Catholic Christian". This is likely because I live in the US.
    - StavrosK 7y ago
      Now that you mention it, I've only heard them called "Catholics" here as well, not "Catholic Christian", so it's "Orthodox" or "Orthodox Christian" and "Catholic", you're right.
harrier 7y ago
> All of the three main branches of Christianity in the East (Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church and Church of the East) had always identified themselves as Catholic in accordance with Apostolic traditions and the Nicene Creed. Anglicans, Lutherans, and some Methodists also believe that their churches are "Catholic" in the sense that they too are in continuity with the original universal church founded by the Apostles. However, each church defines the scope of the "Catholic Church" differently. For instance, the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox churches, and Church of the East, each maintain that their own denomination is identical with the original universal church, from which all other denominations broke away. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_(term) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_(term) Greek Orthodox are "Catholic" but they are not "Roman Catholic".
- StavrosK 7y ago
  In Christian dogma terms, sure, but if you call an (edit) Orthodox Greek Catholic, they will quite disagree.
  - harrier 7y ago
    Unless they are a Greek Catholic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Catholic_Church https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Catholic_Church
    - StavrosK 7y ago
      Or Roman Catholic, yes.
- zentiggr 7y ago
  Sounds like the only visual analogy is the branching of a broccoli head, or something equally dense and fractal.
  - flukus 7y ago
    The tree of life works better, there were many branches even earlier that died off and the ones that survive did so through evolutionary pressure. The ones that required circumcision for instance weren't great at attracting converts.

michaelt 7y ago

I was curious about how you would reliably spoon-feed someone without the spoon touching their mouth, so I looked it up online, and from what I've seen [1] it doesn't look like they avoid touching the mouth. [1] https://youtu.be/WPj7z72VgT0?t=130 https://youtu.be/WPj7z72VgT0?t=130

Thorrez 7y ago

The Diocese of San Jose gave a dispensation from attending Mass to people in the various risk categories[1]. That means they don't have to attend Mass on Sunday. > don't need to receive Communion for now Regardless of the virus you only need to receive Communion once per year, not at every Mass[2]. [1] https://www.dsj.org/decree-of-special-dispensation-coronavirus/ https://www.dsj.org/decree-of-special-dispensation-coronavir... [2] https://forums.catholic.com/t/receive-holy-communion-at-least-once-a-year/395070 https://forums.catholic.com/t/receive-holy-communion-at-leas...