Story By: Jonathan Macias, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
Churches in British holidaymaker hotspot Malaga have emptied their fonts of holy water and stopped churchgoers from shaking hands during mass to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
According to local media, the diocese of the province of Malaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain has given order the churches in the area to take certain measures to contain the spread of coronavirus, officially named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization.
Reports said that the diocese has ordered churches to empty fonts of holy water and asked priests to give the eucharist to the congregation by hand, as opposed to placing it in their mouths.
The General Secretary of the Malaga bishopric sent an email on Monday morning reading: “After the enquiries of several priests we recommend churches as a precaution against possible contagion (of COVID-19) empty the fonts with holy water, give the communion wafer by hand and avoid shaking hands as a sign of peace.”
Six cases of people with coronavirus have been reported in the province of Malaga while 120 have been reported throughout Spain.
The Malaga diocese also said that these recommendations were released after the Ministry of Health and the Public Health System agreed on a plan to contain the virus.
However, the Spanish Episcopal Conference claims the order has not been extended to all of the Spanish territory.
Reports said that a church in the city of Castellon in the Valencian Community in south-eastern Spain has also adopted the measures.
Several churches in northern Italy have reportedly started to cancel religious ceremonies as a precaution of COVID-19.
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