Kissing a Preist's Hand

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In the east, we ask the priest’s blessing when we see him. He physically makes the sign of the cross over our cupped hands and then places his hand in ours. It is then that we kiss his hand. We do not ask a priest for his blessing if the bishop is present and therefore do not kiss a priest’s hand in the bishop’s presence.

Do you not have an accompanying blessing in the west?

I prefer to call priests and bishops by their Christian names (Father Mark) and not their family names (Father Smith) as it is symbolic of which family they are now serving.
 
Pani_Rose said:
In the east we kiss his hand and often touch our foreheads to it.

I think this is a good explantion I found on the web:

Firstly, when we venerate the hand of the Priest we do not venerate the Priest; rather we are venerating the hand of Christ Himself; this is the blessing of the Priesthood. When a Priest performs any Sacrament it is not done by the power or authority of the man who is Priest, but by the hand and authority of Christ; when the Priest blesses you, it is not him, but the hand of Christ that has blessed; when the Priest absolves your sins, it is not the Priest, but Christ who has absolved; in like manner when we kiss the hand of a Priest, it is not the hand of a mere man that we have kissed, but the Hand of Christ. This being the case we should never refrain from venerating the hand of Christ through the hand of a Priest, nor should we refrain from venerating the Cross or any other Holy thing.
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This is a good thought. I’ll pray about it.
It could be a beautiful way rather than awkward way to conclude confession.
 
I have wondered before about this. How would one go about kissing the ring of a Bishop or the hand of a Priest? Would you ask for a blessing, kneel and ask to kiss the ring or hand afterward? While I have been afraid to do this for feeling awkward I think it is a beautiful practice and would like to participate at apropriate times.
 
I have never kissed a priests hand. But I do not think it is wrong to do so.
 
It would seem odd to do so, but only because it is not normally done (at least not in the US) except for a bishop or cardinal and of course the Pope.
 
Never, because the priests I know would probably be frightened or confused if I did such a thing.
 
AJV said:
So may for example, kissing of icons and holy pictures, or the use of statues in worship. But we don’t sacrifice them! More important is to teach people why we do these things and how it is not substitute or detract from the worship of God. I can’t imagine how people would construe kissing of the hand as worship! Is it not common in some parts of Europe to kiss the hands of ladies or something ( or maybe I read too many story books 😉 😛 )

But then it’s more common for me because many people do it. Like when the priest distributed blessed bread to those whose feet he washed on Holy Thursday, almost all kissed his hand. Though priests from the West who are not used to this sometimes rub their hands on the side of the habit. A bit rude, though I think they do it unwittingly.

The ring is usually kissed only for a bishop- and partly because previously it used to have a relic of the Cross. As for the priests it is more common to kiss the hand which have been anointed.
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There is a Church in the adjoining city where I live, where many daily kneel and worship Pope John Paul II. This is no joke. There is a statue of him outside the Novus Ordo Church and they place flowers and kneel by his feet, kissing them. They do this and not do the same for Jesus the Christ who is God. They worship JP2. It is not an uncommon practice.
Advice:
Worship God and God alone.
 
ThereCanBeOnly1 said:
There is a Church in the adjoining city where I live, where many daily kneel and worship Pope John Paul II. This is no joke. There is a statue of him outside the Novus Ordo Church and they place flowers and kneel by his feet, kissing them. They do this and not do the same for Jesus the Christ who is God. They worship JP2. It is not an uncommon practice.
Advice:
Worship God and God alone.
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This is a typical and frankly absurd anti-Catholic argument.

“Worship” is not synonymous with placing flowers, kneeling before a statue of a saint or holy person, and/or kissing a statue. You cannot know the motivation of these people, and most likely it is not what you think it is and they are not worshiping John Paul II. Nor can you judge whether or not they are doing the same practice to Christ. Eucharistic Adoration is a much higher form of worship than placing flowers before a statue or kissing a statue, for example.

I’m sick of the old canard that the Catholic Church is filled in great part by people who worship Mary, the Saints, or whoever else instead of the Blessed Trinity. It’s simply not true and based on old lies spread by Protestant propaganda.
 
It is hard to gauge handshakes anymore either. One priest at my church likes to give a hearty handshake. The other will barely touch the edge of one’s fingertips. I could understand this in the winter with cold and flu season…but during the summer? I guess that is his personal preference and I am used to it and I respect it. Now, I wish he would allow us the same courtesy when it comes to the Sign of Peace…during the cold and flu season…and maybe mention that another form would be ok.

:heart:Blyss
 
It’s a shame, but I think communion in the hand has made reverence for the annointed hands/fingers of a priest quite passe’. After all, what is so special about a priests hands if each one of us is permitted to touch the sacred host (not that I do any longer)? Maybe this is why Mother Teresa, when asked about the worst atrocity in the world, answered not “abortion”, but “communion in the hand.”
 
I asked before and got no response, so I’ll try again.

**Is there an accompanying blessing that is asked for or given when kissing a priest’s hand in the west?
**
 
francesco920 said:
This is a typical and frankly absurd anti-Catholic argument.

“Worship” is not synonymous with placing flowers, kneeling before a statue of a saint or holy person, and/or kissing a statue. You cannot know the motivation of these people, and most likely it is not what you think it is and they are not worshiping John Paul II. Nor can you judge whether or not they are doing the same practice to Christ. Eucharistic Adoration is a much higher form of worship than placing flowers before a statue or kissing a statue, for example.

I’m sick of the old canard that the Catholic Church is filled in great part by people who worship Mary, the Saints, or whoever else instead of the Blessed Trinity. It’s simply not true and based on old lies spread by Protestant propaganda.
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What is absurd is utter absurdities.

I know them and asked them. Simply put, they worship Pope John Paul II.

I agree, I am sick of liberal modernists of the Novus Ordo sect who still deny that Pope John Paul 2 kissed the Qur’an, allowed pagan/devil worship at Assisi and Fatima, had allowed to be blessed by Hindu priestess with a tikka as a sign of protecting the Satanic Hindu Gods, had worshiped in mosques, etc.etc. etc.

Yeah I am also sick that the Novus Ordo service that copied the Heretical 1549 Cramner Anglican Prayer Book (for its order of mass), of the modernist liberal sect who still have not explained why Pope Paul VI has not even been considered for sainthood, why the Right hand man of Pope Paul VI Cardinal Bugnini (the architect of the Novus Ordo service also a freemason) was banished to nowhere land and not made cardinal, etc. etc. etc.

Yeah I know where you are coming from;)

People who think the above events did not happen are in denial, ignorant of it, or simply wish to promote the agenda of the AntiChrist.

God Bless
 
ThereCanBeOnly1 said:
People who think the above events did not happen are in denial, ignorant of it, or simply wish to promote the agenda of the AntiChrist.
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Did you just say that Pope John Paul II was the anti-Christ? The most charitable rendering of it I can deduce is that you are saying he was under the influence of the anti-Christ.
 
Steve_Girone said:
It’s a shame, but I think communion in the hand has made reverence for the annointed hands/fingers of a priest quite passe’. After all, what is so special about a priests hands if each one of us is permitted to touch the sacred host (not that I do any longer)? Maybe this is why Mother Teresa, when asked about the worst atrocity in the world, answered not “abortion”, but “communion in the hand.”
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I thought I was the only one wondering about communion in the hand. The transition never felt right.
 
Interesting thread. I was a Latin Catholic for fifty years and
never saw or heard of the practice of kissing a priest’s hand,
only of kissing a bishop’s ring.

Perhaps it is a cultural thing in some places? It certainly does
not seem to have been done around here (NYC), but then I only
know what was done in the few parishes I ever attended.

Now I am a member (canonically) of a Church of the Byzantine
Rite. Most of our people are Latins or ex-Latins, so hand-kissing
is not widely practiced except in a liturgical context, mainly at
the veneration of the Cross at the end of Liturgy.

I think it is a very good practice. It reminds both the priest and
ourselves of what he is.

Edmac
 
Interesting question. I never considered kissing a priest’s hand - only a Bishop’s, Cardinal or The Pope, of course, because of their rings. Isn’t that funny? I never thought of it.

Conservative
 
I did not learn of this beautiful tradition until I was stationed in the Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohija from Sep 05 - May 07. There I was immersed in the Serbian Orthodox traditions and culture. I was the Brigade interface with the Christian community in KOSMET, both the Orthodox Serb and the Catholic Albanians ( a small portion of the ethnic Albanian community.

Kissing of the hands of the Priest is something very common in the Serb tradition and I would love to see it make a comeback here. I do not have the personal courage to grab the hand of my Parish Priest and kiss his hand. I do however always kiss the ring of a Bishop or Archbishop. The military Archbishop at the time visited our camp and held Holy Mass for Christmas in 2005 and I was astonished to see I was the only person who did this. I am not sure if he appreciated it, but as a military member I am a stickler for elicit and protocol. Officers are saluted, Bishops have their rings kissed is just how it goes.

Back to the Orthodox . . . so both before the Serbs would bless themslves with the sign of the cross or if they greeted the Priest they would bend at the waist (if they could) and touch the ground. A monk at the beautiful monastery of Visoki Decani explained that the Serbs are saying to God and to the Priest that they are humble and come from the dirt.

After I was accepted into the community and would kiss the hands of the Priest, you would then be embraced with the 3 cheek kiss.

Regards,

Anthony
 
A.Pelliccio said:
I did not learn of this beautiful tradition until I was stationed in the Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohija from Sep 05 - May 07. There I was immersed in the Serbian Orthodox traditions and culture. I was the Brigade interface with the Christian community in KOSMET, both the Orthodox Serb and the Catholic Albanians ( a small portion of the ethnic Albanian community.

Kissing of the hands of the Priest is something very common in the Serb tradition and I would love to see it make a comeback here. I do not have the personal courage to grab the hand of my Parish Priest and kiss his hand. I do however always kiss the ring of a Bishop or Archbishop. The military Archbishop at the time visited our camp and held Holy Mass for Christmas in 2005 and I was astonished to see I was the only person who did this. I am not sure if he appreciated it, but as a military member I am a stickler for elicit and protocol. Officers are saluted, Bishops have their rings kissed is just how it goes.

Back to the Orthodox . . . so both before the Serbs would bless themslves with the sign of the cross or if they greeted the Priest they would bend at the waist (if they could) and touch the ground. A monk at the beautiful monastery of Visoki Decani explained that the Serbs are saying to God and to the Priest that they are humble and come from the dirt.

After I was accepted into the community and would kiss the hands of the Priest, you would then be embraced with the 3 cheek kiss.

Regards,

Anthony
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After Mass I always make it a point to go out the front door so that I may see the Priest and shake hands with him (although in my heart I am touching the hands that held our Lord in his). I have at times wanted to kiss these precious hands but have not had the courage to ask. How would one do this?? What would be proper ‘etiquette’?
 
Philothea53 said:
After Mass I always make it a point to go out the front door so that I may see the Priest and shake hands with him (although in my heart I am touching the hands that held our Lord in his). I have at times wanted to kiss these precious hands but have not had the courage to ask. How would one do this?? What would be proper ‘etiquette’?
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I think it would depend on the parish - or the priest (how orthodox they are). Depending on the parish and it’s orthodoxy, I’ll guess the priest would be astonished - and perhaps learn something new if they don’t already know about these customs - but can you imagine if everyone wanted to do that after Mass?

God Bless You,
Conservative
 
Nice gesture but I don’t kiss priests hands. If it became widespread then I wouldn’t mind, but right now it’s not and I would probably get very strange reactions. I also don’t find it spiritually beneficial acting in ‘extreme’ ways - it would just give me few more reasons for spiritual pride with which I often battle. Anyways, the priests I know are my very good friends as well and I can’t see myself kissing their hands since we are very informal with each other.
 
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