Holding hands during Pater Noster — Why?

[Kindnessmatters]

I don’t know the answer to your question but am very uncomfortable with the excess gestures, hand holding and so on. I don’t know the terminology for these postures but particularly object to this new practice of raising one hand as a congregation (think Nazi salute) to bless an individual or group such as a first communion class or high school graduates or whomever. It has a cultish feel to it and is just awkward and weird.

I do not participate in these gestures.

As for hand holding, I go to mass alone and do not know these people. It’s super weird for me no matter who it is…another woman, somebody’s teenage son, someone else’s husband…even if it’s my own son or mother. In no normal circumstance would I ever hold hands with these people. I am not demonstrative and don’t hold hands normally and it’s weird. The exception is if I have a romantic partner but even still…not being demonstrative with a man in church.

I also feel this is bad precedent from a health standpoint. Way to spread colds and flu to dozens of people.

Can we just go back to respecting personal space? Particularly for those of us impacted by the priest sex scandals, this weirdness is very uncomfortable. Ove the top gesturing does not make prayers mean more. I prefer the humility of folded hands with focus on the priest, the word of the Lord and the crucifix, not myself in a nutty interpretive ballet of weird gestures

 

[7_Sorrows]

In the community I used to live in, there was only one church and hand holding during the “Our Father” was very popular. Thankfully, the new community I live in,
both churches I attend do not not hold hand which I like. I can privately clasp my hands together and pray. Maybe it is because it is a large city. The priest the other
day at noon Mass explained before the sign of the peace that we didn’t have to shake hands since we are in the middle of flu season.

 

[TomH1]

I would have re-folded my hands. I do not want to use the orans posture during the Our Father or at any other time in any liturgy. I am not a priest, I never felt a vocation to the priesthood and never wanted to be a priest. I feel I have fulfilled my God given vocation to be a husband and father. I am not at all dissatisfied with that. I feel no need to mimic the gestures that are the priest’s at the Mass and other liturgies. Forcing me to adopt a position I do not choose to adopt would not be seen as a sign of welcome by me. It would seem more to me that was a statement: this is the way we do it and you will conform.

 

[Searching1]

the theory that people just leave if they don’t get their way is kind of unsubstantiated.

I agree. The clergy are trained as PR reps, meaning they are trained not to be strict and corrective. I think they should, though. That’s what I was trying to say.

 

[Searching1]

As someone said, the hand-holding during the Our Father started in the 1960s and was supposed to be a gesture of community prayer.

I’m glad you know the actual history. I’m glad that other person knows. Most Catholics don’t, including the person who brought us to this thread - the OP who asked. The vast majority of self-described “practicing Catholics” just assume it was mandated or at least ignored because they assume the Church (and their protestant churches all repeat thus) is staunchly heirarchical.

 

[RCbkw]

We teach the children to pray with “prayer hands” in our religious ed. classes, but I notice that when they are at mass they often hold hands with parents and siblings. I guess their parents were taught to do that by their parents. The children probably wonder why we do it differently in our classes. Now if we could stop waving around the 1960s anti-war peace sign during the passing of the peace…

 

[phil19034]

The orans posture is still reserved for the clergy. Nowhere in the GIRM does it say that the laity may use it:

Just to be more specific, not “clergy” but celebrating priests and bishops. Deacons don’t do it (though I know one who does) and priest/bishops sitting in choir don’t do it either.

 

[phil19034]

Correct. Which is why it’s off putting when someone gives you the stink eye when you don’t want to hold hands or trys to force themselves upon you.

I don’t really care if the person next to me wants to use the Orans position. But I do care if the person next to me tries to grab my hand.

As an aside: I have no issue with people using the Orans position every time they pray the Our Father (whether at mass or outside of mass). But I find it curious when I see people pray the Our Father with clasps hands during Vespers and then with the Orans position during mass.

 

[Taras_Bulba]

Sniff loudly and pretend to wipe your nose - they will retract their hand.

 

[Wesrock]

You don’t see holding hands at all OF masses. Some priests (at least in the USA) have encouraged it, and some to more extremes than others. I should say that, if you’ve never been to an OF mass before, there are some that are still celebrated in a very traditional manner.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

You don’t see holding hands at all OF masses.

Speaking as one who tries to go to Mass daily, and probably attends about 50 different churches a year, mostly in the USA and mostly OF, the vast, vast majority of them do not do hand-holding any more. I have seen it at exactly 2 churches on a regular basis, and at one other church as a one-time practice at Easter Vigil.

 

[phil19034]

Wesrock:

You don’t see holding hands at all OF masses.

Speaking as one who tries to go to Mass daily, and probably attends about 50 different churches a year, mostly in the USA and mostly OF, the vast, vast majority of them do not do hand-holding any more. I have seen it at exactly 2 churches on a regular basis, and at one other church as a one-time practice at Easter Vigil.

Agreed. Today, I usually only see family members holding hands at parishes celebrating OF masses.

Though I recently was at a mass in Puerto Rico where the whole parish was holding hands. And it still seems to be pushed by some college ministries at Newman Centers and Catholic colleges around the the USA.

 

[Dovekin]

Some history on this issue.

The use of the orans posture was copied from the Maronites, who have always had the congregation extend their hands during the Lord’s prayer. (I think this is true, but welcome correction if not) The US bishops in 1995 voted to adopt the orans largely as an attempt to discourage hand holding. Many people adopted it in anticipation of approval from the Vatican.

When the new version of the Sacramentary that contained this change was sent to Rome, the whole thing was rejected, and sent back to the english speaking bishops to be retranslated. When they got to the Our Father, they decided handholding was important to some groups, so they did not recommend any posture. There is no recommendation of the orans, no rejection of handholding. Nothing is said, so all is allowed.

 

[CelticWarlord]

if the priest says to do it, it’s hard to refuse

Having spent a good portion of my life in a domineering cult, I would leave the Mass at this point.

 

[Sarcelle]

Technically the laity aren’t suppose to be in the orans posture when praying the Our Father.

My parish held a basics of the mass class and they taught us this.

 

[blackforest]

Just as an interesting aside, my former super-modern, OF, warm-fuzzy, guitar-strumming, TLM-lovers’-nightmare of a parish puts out a bulletin notice each winter asking parishioners NOT to hold hands during cold and flu season. They even discourage hugs and handshakes during the Peace and request smiles, nods, and waves instead. Mind you, everyone gets all lovey-dubby again in the spring and summer months. But there’s something practical to be said against all of that physical contact with strangers.

 

[on_the_hill]

I attend a novus ordo worship service. What’s a Pater Noster?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Our Father

 

[maryjk]

Technically the laity aren’t suppose to be in the orans posture when praying the Our Father

Technically, no posture is prescribed.

So, technically, the people and take up whatever posture they want. If they want to stand with their arms and legs spread out, they are allowed. If they want to curl up in a ball and sit on the floor, they are allowed. And if they want to hold hands, they are allowed.

 

[Fauken]

Nothing is said, so all is allowed.

No. That is not how the rubrics for Mass works. As the article posted by this site said, by that logic, there is nothing keeping me from standing on my head then during Mass.