Communion Cup.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 September 1922, Page 4

Communion Cup.

DANGER OF DISEASE. SYDNEY. September 20. The dinger of disease in connexion with the use of the common Communion Cup lias been emphasised during the past week, which has been a period of propaganda to draw public attention to health matters generally. After dealing with the number of diseases known to lie communicated through the lips and mouth. Dr Read pointed out that it was an extraordinary anomaly that people ill churches, when they used a common Communion Cup, did what was forbidden in bars and refreshment rooms. It was possib-

!y true that no case of infection had ever been traced to a Communion Cup, but this did not. mean that such had never boon the case. He had not made a bacteriological examination of a Communion Cup, but the “cleansing eipth” had been examined and had boon found to Ik* swarming with bacteria. Many of the clergymen said that no harm could come to anyone taking pari, in siioli a holy service. That was all very well for those who held that view but what of .the others? It was admitted Unit faith was necessary, hut why put obstacles in the way of its exercise? •

It was quite time that our well-mean-ing clergy were educated in vital qtn s lions. They liad yet to learn that the investigator who used his brain fur humanity was the Almighty’s only agent in disease prevention and Hint it must ho wrong to disregard his warn ings. Quite apart from the risk cf infection, many people disliked the use of the common cup front a sense u f cleanliness. Giving the arguments on the other side, the Lambeth Conference of 1908. said the doctor, had obtained an opinion from “a high medical authority,” who stated that no case of infections disease had been traced to the common Communion Cup, and that lhe danger of its use was negligible. Many of H’e clergy, however, knew that persons wore prevented from taking communion by the fear of infection and for this reason they were opposed to the use of a common cup. Dr Read urged that the Church authorities should lie approached to devise some alternative method more in accord with the dictates of modern hygiene.