Finally, The Anglican Communion, Nigeria, Bows To Coronavirus

By Charles Igbo

To the relief of millions of Nigerians who are of the Anglican faith, the Anglican Communion, in Nigeria, has finally done away with one of its most intimate, but unknown to its Leadership, the most dreaded ritual for its adherents.

The Holy Communion is the bedrock of the Christian faith. It is the most intimate relationship adherents have with Jesus Christ. It brings to fore, His last supper with His Disciples, before he was betrayed by one of them, Judas Iscariot, crucified, and nailed to the cross.

That last Supper is a ritual Christians, particularly of the Roman Catholic and Protestant Faith take seriously. It’s solemn. Surreal. Gives a sense if belonging, and oneness with our Saviour Christ Jesus.

The Anglicans ( a member of the Protestant family ), in particular, go the whole hog. They, at once, eat the Bread (referred to as the body of Christ), and  drink the Wine (referred to as the blood of Christ)

It is with the drinking of Wine that most people, without having the courage to say it publicly, have a problem with.

Here is why?

Everybody drinks from the same Chalice. Not even the outbreak of communicable diseases – Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and Ebola –   would sway most of the Churches, under the Anglican Church, to find a way of getting around everybody drinking from the same cup.

The strong belief is: It is the blood of God, so we are covered. Very good. But at the back of one’s mind is the saying that: God helps those who help themselves.

But now, all that fear is over. Thanks to the outbreak of this God-cursed Virus called Coronavirus, the Leadership of the Anglican Communion, in Nigeria, has banned the drinking of wine during Holy Communion from one Chalice. In its place, it has introduced the use of small Communion cups, each for an individual – something a number of other Churches had since been using.

This heart-warming ban was ordered on Friday, by the outgoing Primate, His Grace, the Most Rev’d. Nicholas Okoh.

This, among other measures, introduced by the Church, aimed at checkmating the  possible spread of Coronavirus, was contained in a letter, written to all Archbishops and Bishops, on behalf of the Primate, by the General Secretary of the Church, Gershinen Dajur.

The letter reads: “His Grace, The Most Rev’d Nicholas D. Okoh, has directed that certain steps be taken as guides against contacting and communicating the virus among our people.

“Let the Church be encouraged to trust God who is well able to help us in our times of trouble (Psalms 46:1). This is the time to trust and obey God than to be anxious and panic (Phil 4: 6-7).

“Since this virus is communicable, the Church is to, prayerfully, put on hold the sharing of one Chalice to all during Holy Communion. Other smaller individual cups should be used for individual communication.

“Also, handshakes and hugs during the exchange of peace should be substituted with non-contagious gestures such as hand waving, mutual bowing or making the sign of the Cross, etc”.

It will be recalled that the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, His Grace, The Most Rev’d Adewale Martins, had, since, in the wake of the Coronavirus, banned a couple of Church rituals, including shaking of hands, and Priests putting the Bread in the mouths of Communicants. He, also, cut down on the number of times to congregate in Churches for prayers, especially, during the Lenten season.