Health department investigating church
Video shows elderly parishioners using same spoon during communion service at St. Catharines church
Niagara’s public health department is investigating after a St. Catharines church posted a video of its service on Sunday showing several elderly parishioners using the same shared spoon as they are served sacramental wine during communion.
“A spoon that multiple would use really wouldn’t be recommended at any point in time, and during COVID-19 it’s something that certainly shouldn’t be done,” said Niagara’s acting medical officer of health, Dr. Mustafa Hirji.
“Definitely based on the information we have heard; we’re going to be following up to see what is actually happening and ensure the right practices are in place.”
Although St. Katharine Greek Orthodox Church Rev. Stavros Chatzis said the church was under the impression it was complying with public health directives, he said it will co-operate with any orders it receives from the health department.
“We are following the directive of our patriarch via our arch diocese and our archbishop,” he said in an interview.
“And whenever state law according to the directive that we receive is implemented we will be obedient to the law.”
In the video posted on the church’s Facebook page Sunday, Chatzis tells parishioners prior to communion “it is impossible that through this mystery of mysteries, any disease might be communicated through those who partake.”
“For this reason, the church remains steadfast and immovable in its teachings towards the essence of the mystery of holy communion,” he said. “No invading pathogens or disease that comes from them can be transmitted via holy communion to those who receive it with faith, with love and with peace in their hearts.”
Several elderly parishioners, some with canes, can then be seen in the video making their way to the altar to receive communion using the shared
“It wasn’t supposed to have any contact with parishioners.” MUSTAFA HIRJI MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
spoon.
Chatzis said the church has followed public health orders, including closing parishes in March. And after churches did reopen, he said social distancing protocols were put into place including temporarily not providing communion during services.
That changed, however, when the church was permitted to use multiple spoons during communion services. In late August, however, the church returned to its millennium-old practice of using one shared spoon for parishioners when giving holy communion.
In the video, Chatzis tells parishioners the church had received some complaints regarding the use of shared spoons.
Some parishioners posted links to the video on social media websites on Monday, drawing attention to concerns about the risk posed by the practice.
Chatzis, in the video, tells parishioners the health department investigated and “gave us a blessing” to continue using a shared spoon for communion.
“In essence they gave us a blessing to continue with this practice until further notice,” he said.
Hirji suspects the message may have been misunderstood when a health department official discussed the issue with the church in September.
He said public health representatives believed at the time the church was using a spoon to hand out the communal waters to parishioners — not to place spoonfuls of sacramental wine directly into their mouths.
“It wasn’t supposed to have any contact with parishioners. That’s the information we were given … The point was not to have any kind of contact,” he said.
“If a spoon was used to spoon something and drop it into people’s hands, that would be totally OK because there’s no contact with the person. But for people using a spoon in their mouth, that shouldn’t be happening from person to person.”
Although Niagara has not been as hard hit by the virus as other areas, Hirji said the number of people who have been infected here is likely higher than testing has indicated.
“If COVID-19 spreads to the elderly, of course, they are at risk of having severe illness, being hospitalized, passing way. Even if they don’t pass away, the hospitalization can be quite a trial for the families and the individual,” he said.