By David Klassen
The Catholic Archdiocese of Winnipeg has taken preventative measures to ensure church-goers do not come in contact with the H1N1 flu virus.
Taking a similar approach to Howie Mandel‘s fear of germs, all city Catholic churches have banned handshaking. Hand sanitizer has also been brought in to replace holy water fonts at church entrances.
Archdiocese spokesman James Buchok said the changes are not permanent, and will only be put in place at the beginning of cold and flu season.
To replace handshaking during the Rite of Peace, a simple ‘bow of the head’ is now considered acceptable.
The changes made were completely voluntary and not suggested by Manitoba Health, said Dr. Joel Kettner.
