- Irish Roman Catholics have been warned that churchgoing
could pose a threat to their health because incense contains potentially
dangerous chemicals.
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- A minister in the Dublin government has said that altar
boys and girls could be particularly at risk.
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- Dr Jim McDaid, a transport minister, highlighted the
threat in the context of plans to ban smoking in the workplace from the
start of next year, which he supports.
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- Dr McDaid, who once ran a medical practice, said he was
not against the use of incense but added: "We all know that carbon
is a carcinogenic agent and, wherever you have smoke, you are actually
looking at carbon molecules. And wherever you have carbon molecules and
happen to be inhaling them, then there is that chance that you will be
doing damage.
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- "This [incense burning] is something I have mentioned
in the past to a number of clergy."
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- A spokesman for the Dublin archdiocese said: "Obviously
anything that sends a cloud of smoke into a child's face is something we
would be concerned about."
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- She added, however, that while incense had been widely
used in the past during Benediction and High Mass, nowadays it was most
often used at funerals.
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- Fr John McCann, the Master of Ceremonies to the Archbishop
of Dublin, said he believed there was growing awareness about the potential
effects of incense. He added: "In a small church building you have
to be aware, particularly if there are servers suffering from asthma."
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