Kissing a Bishop's ring

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Hegesippus:
I am going to meet a Cardinal soon, what is the proper etiquette for him?
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Are you going to be formal or not?

I gave Cardinal George a hug in Chicago. I bet that surprised him a bit! Then again, you can do these kinds of things at youth conferences.
 
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AltarMan:
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ChemicalBean:
Nope, but I’ve exchanged cheek-to-cheek kisses with a bishop!
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That’s inappropriate.
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I sure hope not! He initiated the greeting (again, youth conference.) It was really cool later when we were in small groups and we came across the verse that says “…and greet each other with a holy kiss…”
 
I kiss the Bosses right and then exchange a hello hug. It just seems to be a fitting mix between tradition and contemporary praxis.
 
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brotherhrolf:
When my church parish consecrated our new church in 1967, I was chief altar boy. I went down on bended knee and kissed the ring of Apb. Hannan. Many years later as a choir member at our cathedral, I attempted to kiss the ring of Bp. Ott but he told me that he was the servant of the servants of God. Bp. Ott was a very humble man and has been an inspiration to me for years.
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Servant of the servants of God? Bp. Ott claimed to be the pope?😛
 
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mikew262:
Assuming these sources are accurate, I stand corrected, as far as, genuflecting on the left knee is concerned.
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I don’t doubt that these are traditional practice (in the case of Ms. Horvath this is certainly and radically so) and would rather follow them than newly relaxed norms, but I also know that current ceremonial rules do state that liturgical ministers do not genuflect to the tabernacle except at the beginning and end of Mass, so I was wondering if your source might represent an “official” change in protocol by way of revising liturgical praxis.
 
According to the older custom genuflections are performed in front of a bishop. Traditionally this was done on the left knee (presumably to differenciate between reverences to the Most Blessed Sacrament) although AFAIK the liturgical books never mentioned which knee one had to genuflect on. (I have also heard that within Mass left knee genuflections were/are reserved only for the Ordinary or those to whom he delegates this honour)

In the document, Pontificales ritus dealing with the simplification of the the Episcopal rites before the new Ceremonial of Bishops came out, it was mentioned that “all greet the bishop by making a bow not a genuflection” (my paraphrase). Some liturgists hold that this deals only outside the mass when one greets the bishop.

I am not sure therefore whether left knee genuflections are suppressed entirely. I also note that at Papal masses the people kneel before the Pope when presenting gifts at the Offertory.

While the bishop is not and never be Christ , many early Fathers(e.g. St. Ignatius of Antioch) often refered to them as the icons or likeness of Christ. Therefore I suppose that the signs of reverence like a genuflection would not be totally inappropriate.
 
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AJV:
I am not sure therefore whether left knee genuflections are suppressed entirely. I also note that at Papal masses the people kneel before the Pope when presenting gifts at the Offertory.QUOTE]

I saw Archbishop Burke of Saint Louis Missouri at a Tridentine Mass in October of last year. A number of people (myself included) genuflected on the left knee. Some(I guess they were unaware of the “left knee” tradition)genuflected on the right knee.

When genuflecting to the Pope, do you go down on your left knee, or right knee because the Pope is the Vicar of Christ?
If anybody knows the answer to this, please let me know.
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Traditionally this was done on the left knee
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I have seen this asserted on many occasions, but no one has ever provided a reference. I think that it’s an ecclesiastical “urban legend.”
 
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GoLatin:
I saw Archbishop Burke of Saint Louis Missouri at a Tridentine Mass in October of last year. A number of people (myself included) genuflected on the left knee. Some(I guess they were unaware of the “left knee” tradition)genuflected on the right knee.
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In a traditional setting of course, I would assume that the traditional rubrics/instructions are followed which specify a genuflection.
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pgoings:
I have seen this asserted on many occasions, but no one has ever provided a reference. I think that it’s an ecclesiastical “urban legend.”
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Are you refering to left knee genuflections? If you look for them in the old liturgical books I doubt you’ll find them ( if you do please let me know). AFAIK only a genuflection is specified.
 
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Brendan:
Several years back, our former parish had the Bishop Gumbleton come to give a talk.

I was all set to kiss his ring as a sign of my respect for the Episcopal Office, but he wasn’t wearing one :mad:
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Yeah, that’s just like Gumbleton.
–Ann
 
i always genuflect in general on my left knee. Im not wearing a sword and so i can do that…

actually, i just never thought about it, ive always done it on the left.
 
Well… Tridentine Rite here…

Whenever the Bishop of Camden comes to our chapel we genuflect on the left knee and kiss his ring. All do it. He expects that sort of thing from us anyway.

Ken
 
Personally, i dont kiss rings becuase they never offer their hands (and given the reverence i do give, see below, they would offer their hand if they expected to be kissed).
My thing is i make a point not to shake the bishops hand unless he starts it then ill go along because he is the bishop and is owed even small obediences (in fact i dont really like shaking priests hands much either, but i do it because thats how people greet each other in the US) I tend to bow (waist) to the bishop in a formal setting and nod deeply (neck) in a causal setting.

There is a delicate balance between the layman or priest (though in my diocese ive noticed priests tend to lighly hug the bishop) giving due reverence to their shepard and a price of the Church, and not embarassing the bishop or interefering with his desire for humility. I know if I were a cleric, i would be honored to be treated with the classical respect like/and having my hands kissed BUT I also know I would have to work hard to remain humble in that circumstance. I am all for being respectful and recognizing that a cleric is not just a “regular joe” but the cleric’s wishes should be considered too.
 
I was at an ordination mass and the liturgical ministers (priests, deacons, instituted acolytes and lectors genuflected on the left knee before the presiding Cardinal. It is definfitely normative in the Old Classical Roman Rite.

The old rite is definitely superior to the new.
 
By the way, there is way too much hugging of priests, much less bishops. Whatever happenned to shaking hands?
 
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Leeta:
By the way, there is way too much hugging of priests, much less bishops. Whatever happenned to shaking hands?
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Shaking hands is a uniquely American tradition in this case. The traditional greeting in the Church is an embrace which is reflected in the sign of peace at a
Solemn High Mass.
 
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Annunciata:
Bishops wear rings as a symbol of their covenant love and loyalty between them and the Church and of his marriage to his see (diocese). Kissing the ring of a bishop is a sign of one’s belief that the bishop is a successor of the Apostles and united with the Pope. It is a gesture of acceptance of the Apostolic Authority of the bishop and of willingness to obey the bishop who takes the place of Christ in his Diocese. (“New Catholic Encyclopedia,” Volume XII, “Rings”, McGraw-Hill).
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Isn’t each priest also a representative of Christ? Why wouldn’t we have to kiss their ring. I know their ring is different but its a ring nonetheless.
 
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mosher:
Shaking hands is a uniquely American tradition in this case. The traditional greeting in the Church is an embrace which is reflected in the sign of peace at a
Solemn High Mass.
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heck, even a NO mass…
If there are 2 or more clerics at the altar, i have always seen them embrace. The priest and server usually bow to eachother but rarely shake hands. this is pretty much true everywhere i have seen.

again, im not a fan of shaking hands. I tend to bow more during the sign of peace and i will hug family and friends. but whatever, im in america so when in rome…
 
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