Holding hands during and after the “Our Father..”

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anrmenchaca47

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Good morning I have a question. My wife and I had a discussion about the holding of hands during the “Our Father…” the thing of it is, is that everyone steps out of their pews to hold hands during this prayer instead of staying in the pews. Is this allowed?

Another question is this. After the priest finishes with the doxology “for th kingdom and the power…” Are we to continue holding the hands up with the priest afterwards as he continues saying the prayers during the Liturgy of the Eucharist?

I understand that the GIRM is silent on the topic so some clarification as to what is proper would be great. Thanks
 
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We’ve had the discussion on here many, many times about holding hands during the Our Father. It is a common practice all over USA and is allowed there. There is no required posture for the Our Father, churches can do whatever the priest permits or suggests or allows.

Some of us do not like to hold hands, so we dont.

Some of us don’t like the orans posture, so at churches where they do that, we refrain.

Some of us don’t like the lifting of hands at the doxology, so we refrain from that too.

Bottom line is there is no “correct” way, just a lot of preferences.
 
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In the last several years I have never seen so much hand holding, hugging, and what-not, and with that goes a lot of talking. The fact that the GIRM is silent doesn’t seem to be a green light for dancing, shouting, clapping hands, etc., does it? I think the silence of the GIRM is an indication for silence in the Mass.

Has nobody out there never had a college class in microbiology? If one person has soiled hands the germs could be spread to a lot of people. I never shake hands if I can possibly avoid it.

I’ve had two priests “inform” me that there are germs everywhere. Yes, I saw the article that there are trillions of bacteria and viruses in every cubic meter of air. Exactly why the less contact the better.
 
We shouldn’t be trying to imitate the priest. I’ve recently begun holding hands with my wife at our side, not lifted at all. I feel like hands folded in prayer is more normal, but I have personal reasons for changing.

Remember that the unity of the Church is expressed in Communion itself, and the peace between its members at the Sign of Peace.
 
Found in Catholic Answers: Holding hands during the our Father is oddly widespread in the United States but it’s an illicit addition to the liturgy. The official publication of the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship, Notitiae (11 [1975] 226), states the practice “must be repudiated… it is a liturgical gesture introduced spontaneously but on a personal initiative; it is not in the rubrics.” And anything not in the rubrics is unlawful, again because “no other person… may add… anything [to} the liturgy on his own authority” (ibid).
 
And from EWTN:
Concerning holding hands in the Eucharistic Liturgy the Congregation for Divine Worship in Rome responded as follows:
QUERY: In some places there is a current practice whereby those taking part in the Mass replace the giving of the sign of peace at the deacon’s invitation by holding hands during the singing of the Lord’s Prayer. Is this acceptable? REPLY: The prolonged holding of hands is of itself a sign of communion rather than of peace. Further, it is a liturgical gesture introduced spontaneously but on personal initiative; it is not in the rubrics. Nor is there any clear explanation of why the sign of peace at the invitation: “Let us offer each other the sign of peace” should be supplanted in order to bring a different gesture with less meaning into another part of the Mass: the sign of peace is filled with meaning, graciousness, and Christian inspiration. Any substitution for it must be repudiated: Notitiae 11 (1975) 226. [ Notitiae is the journal of the Congregation in which its official interpretations of the rubrics are published.]
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While this addresses the holding of hands at the Sign of Peace the reasons given apply also elsewhere in the Mass, including at the Our Father.
  1. It is an inappropriate “sign,” since Communion is the sign of intimacy. Thus, a gesture of intimacy is introduced both before the sign of reconciliation (the Sign of Peace), but more importantly, before Holy Communion, the sacramental sign of communion/intimacy within the People of God.
  2. It is introduced on personal initiative. The Holy See has authority over the liturgy according to Vatican II’s “Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy” #22 and canon 838 of the Code of Canon Law .
This gesture has come into widespread use, often leaving bishops and pastors at a loss as to how to reverse the situation. For individuals, I would recommend closed eyes and a prayerful posture as sufficient response, rather than belligerence. Most laity, and probably many priests, are blind to the liturgical significance of interrupting the flow of the Mass in this way. It is not necessary to lose one’s peace over this or be an irritation to others. Some proportion is required. If asked why you don’t participate, simply, plainly and charitably tell the questioner of your discovery. If some chance of changing the practice is possible talk to the pastor or work with other laity through the parish council. You can also write the bishop, as is your right in the case of any liturgical abuse not resolved at the parish level. If your judgment is that no change is possible then I believe you are excused from further fraternal correction.
 
Seems it goes like this:
GIRM is silent, therefore hand holding is prohibited.
GIRM is silent and doesn’t prohibit hand holding.
 
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A retired priest said that in California, they not only hold hands but also sit and catch up over cocktails.

I suspect he was being sarcastic.
 
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It simply boils down to Catholics wanting to do whatever they want rather than what the Church asks of us. Some years ago our Pastor told the congregation not to hold hands during Our Father, he said it was an immature gesture that’s not Catholic, and the people continued holding hands. Except for some of us.
 
Hold hands. Don’t hold hands.

Doesn’t matter how many times we rehash this topic here at CAF. Unless and until our bishops make a definitive statement, and our priests enforce said statement, all of this is just pointless discussion.

I never hold hands, not even with my son. And I’ve actually seen fewer people holding hands at the few parishes we attends – just normal OF parishes. Maybe it’s a germ thing.
 
anrmenchaca47 said:
Are we to continue holding the hands up with the priest afterwards as he continues saying the prayers during the Liturgy of the Eucharist?
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Is someone holding the priest’s hand?

This hand holding is an obvious prefigurment of the laity banding together apart from the clergy during the sexual abuse crisis. ✊
 
Doesn’t it bother you that the Bishops and Priest are silent on this?
 
With all the things wrong in the Church at the moment, this particular issue seems to be rather small. High-jumping mouse poop so to speak.
 
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