Instructed to hold hands during Our Father?

[Brendan_64]

Can a priest instruct his congregation at a Mass to all hold hands during the Our Father? I have experienced this and have felt very uncomfortable about it as I did not wish to do so. It was so intrusive, to the point of people stepping into the aisles so a continuous chain of holding hands was formed across the aisle of the church. Is a priest allowed to do this? I’ve read that the practice in general is discouraged by the Vatican, but I can’t find anything concrete on this.

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy:

Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.

Code of Canon Law:

Can. 846 §1. In celebrating the sacraments the liturgical books approved by competent authority are to be observed faithfully; accordingly, no one is to add, omit, or alter anything in them on one’s own authority.

There is nothing in the rubrics for the Mass that calls for anyone to hold hands nor for the celebrant or deacon to instruct anyone to hold hands.