Blessings

[Hegesippus]

How come some bishops (usually cardinals and archbishops) when giving a blessing, give the sign of the cross 3 times. For instance he will say, " I bless you in the name of the Father (gives the sign of the cross), and of the Son (gives the sign of the cross) and of the Holy Spirit (gives the sign of the cross). Is this a special authority only given to certain bishops because my bishop does not do this.

 

[Lorrie]

I think any and all bishops and priests can do this. Our bishop does it and also our priest at my parish. I’ve always believed that they do it three times to bless the whole congregation, like each sign of the cross is for a certain section. I’m sure someone will come along with a better/more accurate answer.

 

[John_Lilburne]

The priest’s blessing is always with one sign of the cross. The Bishop’s blessing at the end of Mass should always be with three crosses.

This is in the Ceremonial of Bishops, n. 169: "Then he takes the pastoral staff and says, May almighty God bless you, and then, as he makes the sign of the cross three times over the people, continues, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

It is also referred to in n. 173, 184, 206, 226, 1120-1121 of Ceremonial of Bishops, (Liturgical Press, 1989, ISBN 0-8146-1818-9). It also applies at the blessing at the end of the Liturgy of the Hours and and a “Celebration of the Word of God”.

 

[AJV]

I read something that I thought quite interesting: When the missal of St. Pius V was promulagted for the first time, priests were directed to administer the final blessing making the sign of the cross thrice, but this was later changed back to the single sign of the cross by future popes.

Also,the Pope is the only Latin prelate who can give a blessing by making the sign of the cross in the manner of the Eastern churches.

 

[introibo]

Why is this though? Why do bishops bless three times in a single unit of blessing?

 

[Sean_O_L]

On the subject of “Blessings” I would like to get some opinions on “Papal Blessings” - specifically, printed Papal Blessings.

First os all, I refer you to the web-site of the *Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem which *displays such a “Blessing” at osjmonks.com/blessing.html

This group purports to be a Catholic Organization and appears to bolster that claim with the “Papal Blessing” displayed. There is much evidence to believe that this group is bogus (at least as far as Guy Stair Sainty evidences at chivalricorders.org/orders/self-styled/selfsty3.htm shows, and at

Noel Cox, LLM(Hons) MA PhD GradDipTertTchg FRHistS FBS
Barrister of the High Court of New Zealand
Associate Professor in Law, and Discipline Chairman of Law, Faculty of Business, Auckland University of Technology
at http://www.geocities.com/noelcox/index.htm?20065

and his article on
"The sovereign authority for the creation of Orders of Chivalry
at http://www.geocities.com/noelcox/Creation.htm?20065

wherein he also quotes the “L’Osservatore Romano” article (but gives the date as 1 December 1976, and provides his source.

NOW - Papal Blessings are up for Auction on e-Bay

I would direct you to eBay, via Google, using the search references

“papal blessing” OR “papal blessings” buy OR purchase ] without the brackets and precisely as shown. One of the “hits” includes that of Saint Patrick Catholic Church which is auctioning, for example, a Papal Blessing from Pope Benedict XVI - the auction Starting bid being US $24-99, the End time for bidding being April 7, 2006.
or
cgi.ebay.com/BENEDICT-XVI-CUSTOM-Papal-Blessing-Vatican-Rome_W0QQitemZ6268672486QQcategoryZ1447QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The Condition of this item is

“The blessing will have the exact wording you request and are sent to you directly from the vatican through the vatican mail service.”

In other words: “If you pay-a-da-mon, you’ll getta-da-fun”! It is my contention that the OSJ and their associates are con-men who are attempting to draw Catholics away from the Catholic Church into their particular form of schismatic group.

Any comments?

 

[jbuck919]

There are ceremonials pertaining to a bishop that seem rather incidental to us but do help distinguish his office and order. For instance, a bishop is (or was) supposed to say “Pax vobiscum” instead of “Dominus vobiscum” in certain contexts.

Any bishop is also a priest and may do anything a priest may do, just as any priest may do anything a deacon may do and on special occasions sometimes does (wearing the stole over one shoulder, bowing and asking for the blessing before the Gospel)… But it doesn’t work in the other direction.

 

[introibo]

I was at the Vatican during last year’s sede vacante and although they sell those ‘blessings’ in the tripe shops across the street from St Peter’s, they at least had the good sense not to sell a papal blessing while there was no Pope! (I’m not sure if this was because they realized the absurdity of such a situation, or if the blessing was legitimate and, of course, there was no pope to give it)

 

[jbuck919]

introibo:

I was at the Vatican during last year’s sede vacante and although they sell those ‘blessings’ in the tripe shops across the street from St Peter’s, they at least had the good sense not to sell a papal blessing while there was no Pope! (I’m not sure if this was because they realized the absurdity of such a situation, or if the blessing was legitimate and, of course, there was no pope to give it)

A true blessing, even given by the pope, is a prayer that God may guide a person or group of persons or thing or group of things to a good end. The ceremonial blessing of people as a bishop leaves the church is only at best a sacramental, though one hopes a valuable one.

When I was a boy, I presented a new missal to the young curate of my parish for a blessing. Just in the previous year, I had been in a very different parish where the blessing of objects used for devotional purposes was routine and always done devoutly by the priest. This priest offhandedly waved the sign of the cross over my book and thus crushed me with disappointment. (I grew to respect the man and rely on his counsel, and he is still a priest (long since a pastor) in nattery-nattery archdiocese, but at that moment he was succumbing to what one might call the Vatican II overreaction that has caused so much grief.)