THE COMMON CUP could soon be administered at the eucharist again, as speculation grew this week that the bishops would soften their advice, imposed in July amid fears about swine flu.

In the past week, a number of dioceses have issued the “all clear”, hedged about with warnings that the advice may change if the swine-flu pandemic worsens.

On Wednesday the Archbishops issued an update to their advice, from the College of Bishops' meeting in Oxford.

They note that advice from the Department of Health is unchanged, and say that they will review their own advice towards the end of October. They emphasise, however, that "advice given by the Archbishops is just that", as is any separate advice that Bishops may decide to give to parishes.    

While judgments about particular contexts may vary, the Archbishops say, "it remains important a) to encourage everyone to recognise that the Church has a responsibility to take public health considerations seriously, and b) to ensure that communication around the Church is good so that we don’t appear to be at sixes and sevens, and c) to remember that responsible practice in this area is not primarily about protecting ourselves, but about avoiding transmitting infection unwittingly to others".
 
If the position  has changed by October, fresh guidelines will be given, and the Archbishops urge "patience and vigilance until we have reached that point."

It emerged on Thursday that the number of new cases of swine flu has risen for the first time in weeks, after spread of the disease had slowed during the Summer holidays. There were 5000 new infections last week, up from the 3000 the previous week. To date, 75 deaths have been ascibed to the illness.
 
It is understood that at the College of Bishops' meeting in Oxford this week "the president gave each person the option of receiving the wine or not. All bar less than a handful drank from the chalice."

The Dean and Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral reinstated the use of the chalice towards the end of August, but the Bishop of Lincoln, Dr John Saxbee, and his suffragan bishops expressed caution in an e-bulletin. The precautionary measures they had called for may have been effective, they said. “Now may not be the time to lower our guard.”

www.cofe.anglican.org/info/swineflu