Churches across the United States have implemented changes to reduce the chances of spreading the coronavirus COVID-19, with many omitting the sharing of wine from a common cup during communion.
The Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. has released precautions for parishes, warning them to "refrain from shaking hands during the Sign of Peace" and "from holding hands during the Lord's Prayer." It also recommends that parishioners "cease distribution of the Precious Blood," the wine served during communion, and to "strongly urge the faithful to receive the Holy Eucharist only in their hands instead of on the tongue to mitigate any transmission of saliva."
Catholic dioceses in several other cities and states have made similar recommendations, as has the Episcopal Church, which suspended official travel to multiple countries to protect against the spread of the virus. An Episcopal priest in Washington recently became the first person in the district to test positive for the coronavirus.
Los Angeles Bishop Suffragan Diane Jardine Bruce sent a letter to the city's Episcopal Diocese with a list of guidelines for members of the church to follow during the outbreak. She notes that "the sacrament is complete when administered in just one kind," such as consecrated bread, so drinking wine from a communal cup is not strictly necessary. The list also warns, "no handshakes or hugging."
"All of these things are traditions that many are sentimental about," Thomas Groome, a former priest and professor of theology at Boston College, told Reuters. "But none of these symbols are essentials to the church."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.