Swine Flu Scare: Communion wafer banned, Saudi bans pilgrims

Religious leaders have been drawn into the ongoing swine flu debate after authorities in Jordan and health officials at a conference in Saudi Arabia recommended that people thought to be most at risk, including pregnant women and those with chronic diseases, skip the hajj pilgrimage this year.

In New Zealand, the Roman Catholic Church imposed a ban on priests placing Communion wafers on the tongues of worshippers and on the sharing of Communion wine. It also asked parishioners to avoid bodily contact at services, including shaking hands. In Chile, where 40 people have died from swine flu, authorities canceled a popular religious festival that normally draws tens of thousands of worshippers to the northern town of La Tirana, prompting protests from the faithful.


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