Q: Now that the lockdown measures are easing and soon Masses will resume. And thus with social distancing continuing, what would you advise on distributing Holy Communion? Should the priest be masked besides the extraordinary ministers? Need there be sanitizers nearby just in case? And would you suggest communion only by hand ie only one species without the blood of Christ? Is there any other issues to take note of?
Finally, the question of exposition of the Blessed Sacrament . At the Urbi and Orbi celebration this year by Pope Francis, the hymn Divine Praises was sung after reposition of the Blessed Sacrament, however the rubrics in the document that I have says that the Divine Praises is sung while the Blessed Sacrament is reposed. Do I take it that there is no hard and fast rule on this matter?
Appreciate your indulgence and patience in answering all our queries. Keep safe and take care.
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A: Many dioceses are issuing rules for the sacraments during the pandemic. For example, here is a link to the ones from the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph: https://kcsjcatholic.org/coronavirus-updates/liturgical-guidelines/.
You can find more on the FDLC web site: https://fdlc.org/covid.
Regarding exposition, paragraph 100 of the rite envisions a final acclamation such as the Divine Praises, if appropriate, while the Blessed Sacrament is being reposed. There are many variations in practice.