I can still remember the first time my Parish in Ohio held hands for the Our Father, I was under age 10, mid- 80s. I have no idea whose idea it was, but all the sudden the everyone was crossing the aisle holding hands, it was a shock, but I went with the flow. Over the years I have found it, at times, nice to be holding hands with my parents, husband and children, but must admit it has been a real distraction when it is a stranger, which makes me feel a little guilty and then I think about how we are about to take communion and that I should not do something that will embarrass or provoke them to anger right before communion. I can take or leave hand-holding, but I do think it interrupts the flow, I first learned of the debate this year. After reading this thread I can see there is a real need for a formal statement. Until then, I will bow my head and fold my hands unless I think it will cause someone to go to communion feeling frazzled. I have seen liturgical abuses that could knock your socks off, and as a lay person I want to protect the liturgy. It all begins with individuals trying to make unnecessary,small innovations, and ends with severe violations. Over 3 decades at the same parish we had a female director of RE do the homily, a decon give commuinion at a teen retreat by saying “Wanna hit?” instead of “Body of Christ” and showing film strips right before communion, this is just to name a few. We once had an openly Pro- choice, Pro -Clinton priest. When my pre-Catholic husband and I went through Pre-Cana, the deacon was so impressed with his belief in the true presence that he sneakily told him he could take communion as long as the parish priest didn’t know he wasn’t Catholic!! (No one could imagine the consequences this had when we both realized it was WRONG.)
I am a product of the Catechism-starved generation. I went through 5 yrs of Catholic school and the required amt. of CCD and youth ministry. I just bought my first copy of the Catechism 5 yrs ago and LOVE it. I can sympathize with lay people who don’t know the correct norms. How humbling it is to find out my “old fasioned” Grandmother was right about so many things!
Apologetics and teaching the Catechism are crucial to our local parishes. Being harsh and judgemental won’t go over very far. Teach with love and charity and please don’t bash our separated brothers… They could be tomorrow’s Catholics if they are taught the Truth in the Catholic Chuch with love, patience and compassion. If a person feels so strongly about this topic they should try to change it through the proper channels.
I don’t think anyone joined this forum to read mean statements about fellow Christians or rude comments about typing errors. I am proud to be Catholic, and feel called to apologetics toward my protestant friends, but refuse to spread hate.