Is hand holding during the Our Father practiced outside the United States?

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Almost everyone at my parish does it. I really don’t care for it, but my mom gave me a stern talking-to the one time I dared to refuse. :eek:
 
I know one in Nigeria that does it.

I can take it or leave it. Therefore, I always hold hands, as that is just what we do.
 
I’ve never seen it done in French Canada. I can’t say about English Canada as I so rarely attend an English Mass, and the ones I’ve attended, it wasn’t done.

What is often done though in French Canada, is the orans position during the Our Father.
 
They don’t typically do it here, actually. (Good ol’ -]corn field/-] state of Nebraska)

Although I don’t really mind it as long as they don’t raise their hands at the end.
 
Blessedwithfive said:
Our family holds hands every time we say the Our Father together. Even at church. I have also been kissed by the deacon at the sign of peace and it didn’t bother me. I think some of you just need to lighten up a little. Remember, the “good old days” weren’t always good. Change isn’t always bad, just different.
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Yes!!! I really don’t think it is a big deal either way. I didn’t hold hands growing up. It was not a custom there, but we got a new priest in the late 1980’s and he encouraged it. Some started holding hands, some didn’t. No problem either way. I went through RCIA as an adult so I could get Confirmed. The director (a nun) also encouraged the hand holding. This was in 2002. No one was forced, it didn’t matter either way. I went to my husband’s hometown in Mexico the first time in 1998. Everyone there held hands during the Our Father and kissed at the sign of peace. I was accustomed to the kissing already because growing up our family always kissed each other on the cheek too. Again, no one is ever kissed by force so does it really matter? There are so many worse things occurring
 
No holding of hands while praying the Our Father or kisses at the sign of peace at my church or any church I have attended. I’m glad that to that it doesn’t happen.I would feel uncomfortable.
 
liturgyluver said:
I believe this ghastly practice is indeed an American phenomenan. There was an American family in front of me at mass a few weeks ago and they all held hands during the Our Father and sort of lifted them up towards the end of prayer as if it was some kind of climax - I have never seen this before. At our church we also go up for communion row by row, but they sort of pushed their way to the end of the row and marched up out of sequence.
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The horror of a family holding hands together! It is so atrocious! It’s like they think they are unifying their prayer together or something.

Especially since this posture is not illicit, makes it all the more ghastly!

Oh the shame!
 
Jon_S said:
The horror of a family holding hands together! It is so atrocious! It’s like they think they are unifying their prayer together or something.
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I would say this was over the top, but probably an appropriate response to the use of the word “ghastly.”
 
Celtic_Maiden said:
Someone mentioned kissing Good Lord, dragging the Liturgy down this is not what the Liturgical Commission intended neither did it sanction holding hands and raising them up, do these people think they are at a Non Catholic Event/A Party of sorts, we are at Mass not for ourselves but to give glory to God, its not about “Me” and I am having a good time.
Holding hands is a Liturgical Abuse, Praise the Lord they don’t do this in England/Ireland when I go to Mass, to be quite honest if someone try to grab my hand, I would grab it back while saying the Our Father. I think the Bishop should be informed so the priests can say something from the Pulpit, I mean to day its holding hands at the Our Father, to morrow its kissing instead of shaking hands giving the sign of Peace, and then who knows what nut will invent more Liturgical Abuse while trying to get the Original Version of THE MASS in the Novus Ordo.

Shudder at the thoughts of what I have just read.
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Since you hold this opinion. Perhaps we should move to schedule individual mass times. One on one. I’d hate for you to in anyway acknowledge the body of believers around you. Perhaps an alternative would be little stalls with 6 foot walls. One person per stall please.

Why people are so angered by the body of Christ holding hands in unity standing as one body in prayer is absolutely beyond me.

As a former evangelical, I was used to the individualism, and it was seeing a parish of a thousand brothers and sisters in Christ standing in unison as one body physically holding hands, praying that really showed me there was something majestic, beautiful, and different about Catholicism.

It’s sad to me that there are parishes where people cringe at the thought of another human being sitting next to them.
 
Never seen this practice in Europe.

Didn’t want to discuss the merits of this act in this thread just the prevalence.
 
As a child, I was taught to fold my hands when standing and kneeling or put them on my lap while seated at Mass.

Old habits are hard to break.
 
My husband always gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek- and then I shake hands with everyone else. I don’t usually hold hands with anyone other than my spouse during the Our Father, personally don’t like holding hands with people I don’t know but that’s just me. I don’t find it distasteful though and certainly not repugnant, to each their own.
 
My parish even crosses the aisles so every hand is held…it’s quite beautiful.

The elderly with a child, the disabled with the lawyer, the doctor holding hands with the homeless man, every age shape color and difference standing as one.
 
Jon_S said:
The horror of a family holding hands together! It is so atrocious! It’s like they think they are unifying their prayer together or something.

Especially since this posture is not illicit, makes it all the more ghastly!

Oh the shame!
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:rotfl::rotfl::bowdown2:
 
ProVobis said:
FWIW, abuse doesn’t necessarily involve an illegal act.

a·buse [v. uh-byooz; n. uh-byoos]
verb (used with object), a·bused, a·bus·ing.
  1. to use wrongly or improperly; misuse: to abuse one’s authority.
  2. to treat in a harmful, injurious, or offensive way: to abuse a horse; to abuse one’s eyesight.
  3. to speak insultingly, harshly, and unjustly to or about; revile; malign.
  4. to commit sexual assault upon.
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So, into which category would you put this practic, speaking insultingly, treating harmfully or offensively, committing sexual assault?

We’re all members of the Body of Christ but heaven forbid we should actually touch one another’s body in a warm and friendly gesture. I can only imagine God’s horror at witnessing such a sign of our communal faith.

I know that some people are uncomfortable with the practice, but to insult those who do it is, to me, egregiously lacking in charity.
 
JamesTheJust said:
Almost everyone at my parish does it. I really don’t care for it, but my mom gave me a stern talking-to the one time I dared to refuse. :eek:
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Tell you mom to listen to Archbishop Sample talk about this from minute 42:00 until minute 51:40 at catholic.com/radio/shows/getting-the-liturgy-right-9475

He says that we really should not add things to the liturgy and not to subtract from the liturgy.

😃

Actually, this is good for anyone to listen to regarding the holding of hands.

God Bless.
 
phil19034 said:
Tell you mom to listen to Archbishop Sample talk about this from minute 42:00 until minute 51:40 at catholic.com/radio/shows/getting-the-liturgy-right-9475

He says that we really should not add things to the liturgy and not to subtract from the liturgy.

😃

Actually, this is good for anyone to listen to regarding the holding of hands.

God Bless.
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What about when the bishop and priests do it? Isn’t this a posture the bishop can allow if it is not condemned in the GIRM?
 
MtnDwellar said:
As a child, I was taught to fold my hands when standing and kneeling or put them on my lap while seated at Mass.

Old habits are hard to break.
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I am glad you put this in. I would note that these postures are not in the GIRM as well, yet they have always been accepted. 🤷

I cannot see any abuse unless something is put into the liturgy, as defined. proscribed. This is the line I see. If the priest (or anyone) says to do it, it is being proscribed. If nothing is said and people are free to hold or not, I can not see the problem.
 
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