Kissing Priests' Hands (and Bishops' Rings)

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EcceAgnusDei

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How many of you follow the tradition of kissing priests’ consecrated hands? I’ve always done this with traditional priests and have recently started to do it with all priests. Sometimes non-traditional priests don’t know want to make of it (at least, I can tell by their expression, but they haven’t said anything). I think it is an excellent way to honor their priesthood and to remind both of us that they are ontologically different from the laity. What have your experiences been?

How about kissing the ring of the Bishop? And genuflecting on the left knee. I haven’t personally done this with my Bishop yet because I haven’t had the opportunity since I became Catholic. I have a feeling he wouldn’t like it, though. Your experiences?
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Why not? People kiss bishops’ rings all the time from what I can see here.
 
When Archbishop Chaput was here in Denver, I saw an elderly woman in front of me, grab his hand, and kiss his ring. She didn’t genuflect on her left knee, she dipped her left knee down. I suspect, it was her best version of a genuflection with her advanced age. Arbp Chaput grabbed both her hands in his, blushed bright red, and thanked her profusely.

I’ve noticed mostly the older folks kiss the bishop’s ring, at least around here.
 
Once in a while I see a much older person doing it, but otherwise I don’t see it being done anymore. My grandmother was the only one I’ve ever seen doing it at my old parish. But that doesn’t mean anything because it’s not like I was there all the time. There could have been more.
 
I have seen it done. With priests usually just after their ordination and not every week as you great them coming out of Mass.

With these greetings, like what form of address to use, I think we need to be guided by the priest/bishop in question. If he asks you to stop, you stop. Just as if he asks to be called Fr firstname, you call him Fr firstname. It is more respectful to follow their wishes in those matters than it is insist on our own fondness for older practices.
 
Our auxiliary bishop seemed annoyed and jerked his hand away when I rubbed his ring with a sanitizing towlette before kissing it. Did I do something wrong?
 
Rainaldo said:
Our auxiliary bishop seemed annoyed and jerked his hand away when I rubbed his ring with a sanitizing towlette before kissing it. Did I do something wrong?
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Now I have to clean up my keyboard - there’s coffee all over it!

Can I use one of your sanitizing towelettes?
 
I was honored to be part of a small group that was invited to a dinner with the bishop at my parish. When I arrived at the rectory at the appointed time, he was already there and we shook hands. So, my bishop at least, does not seem to have an expectation of anyone kissing his ring.
 
jpjd said:
I was honored to be part of a small group that was invited to a dinner with the bishop at my parish. When I arrived at the rectory at the appointed time, he was already there and we shook hands. So, my bishop at least, does not seem to have an expectation of anyone kissing his ring.
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I don’t think any bishop expects it.
 
I went to a Ukranian Orthodox great vespers with one of their bishops. Afterwards we had dinner. The priest instructed everyone to take the bishop’s hands, say “your grace,” and kiss them.

Why do we let all of these old traditions go? Bishops and priests are inherently different than us lay-folk and little traditions like this emphasize the difference to both them and us.
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Kissing sacred things has a long long history in Catholicism.
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Ecce agnus Dei, what a wondedul thing to discuss. I am at a FSSP parish and I am happy to tell you this is ALIVE AND WELL. The Faithful at my parish routinely kiss the hands of our priests when they greet them. This is because their hands can touch Christ and have been consecrated. In a traditional parish no body touches the Blessed Sacrament, a chalice, a monstrance etc. only a priest or deacon. The linens are laundered by a subdeacon. When we meet the Bishop we all fall on our left knee and kiss the ring. The Racolta grants indulgences when you kiss a Bishops ring. When a new priest gives his first blessing we kiss both palms to gain a plenary indulgence. From comments on the forum it appears that this very Catholic custom is all but dead in the novus ordo parishes. Hopefully it can be revived. Good question Ecce Agnus Dei.
 
Rainaldo said:
Our auxiliary bishop seemed annoyed and jerked his hand away when I rubbed his ring with a sanitizing towlette before kissing it. Did I do something wrong?
Click to expand...
Now why do you have me laughing out loud at work!?

LOL!!
 
Rainaldo said:
Our auxiliary bishop seemed annoyed and jerked his hand away when I rubbed his ring with a sanitizing towlette before kissing it. Did I do something wrong?
Click to expand...
Quite the contrary, it was a gracious thing to do.
I don’t think I would have rubbed the ring with a towelette, though. Maybe he thought that you thought it was dirty. Although with other people kissing it, it might have been germ-filled. Also, he was auxiliary bishop and not yet the full fledged bishop maybe that’s what he objected to, since the bishop would still be in charge.

I’ve kissed two bishops rings and a cardinal’s ring. They seemed to understand what I was doing. In effect you are giving homage to his office, not to the man himself. A good bishop/cardinal would understand that: That the homage is to what he represents not a cause for vain glory as if it were for the man, himself.

I’ve kissed a number of young men’s hands after their ordination and occasionally a priest’s hands who has been ordained for some time. Usually in praising him for his homily and other times when he has rendered some sort of praise to me, this, to show that I’m not praise-worthy but that, in fact, he is, in virtue of his priestly status. I don’t know if he understood the reasoning behind it, but I did and that’s all that matters.
 
I always kiss the ring of a Cardinal or Bishop. I do this to show respect for the office.
My work brings me into contact with them on a regular basis. I have never experienced any reaction pro or con.
I do not kiss a priests hand or ring.
 
Rainaldo said:
Our auxiliary bishop seemed annoyed and jerked his hand away when I rubbed his ring with a sanitizing towlette before kissing it. Did I do something wrong?
Click to expand...
I hope you’re kidding us here!:angel1:
 
EcceAgnusDei said:
How many of you follow the tradition of kissing priests’ consecrated hands? I’ve always done this with traditional priests and have recently started to do it with all priests. Sometimes non-traditional priests don’t know want to make of it (at least, I can tell by their expression, but they haven’t said anything). I think it is an excellent way to honor their priesthood and to remind both of us that they are ontologically different from the laity. What have your experiences been?

How about kissing the ring of the Bishop? And genuflecting on the left knee. I haven’t personally done this with my Bishop yet because I haven’t had the opportunity since I became Catholic. I have a feeling he wouldn’t like it, though. Your experiences?
  • PAX
Click to expand...
👍 🙂
 
I feel every Honored when I can Kiss the Bishop,s hand. I did it once when I meet our Bishop in Buffalo. N.Y.I felt wonderful. :heaven:
 
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