Priest won’t shake my hand

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sabina

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Should I be offended? Do priests have official rules about not touching women?
 
I suppose the obvious question is whether he shakes the hands of other women. It seems normal to me but I can imagine a super traditionalist feeling uncomfortable.
 
Hi @sabina,

Welcome to the forums.
Do you know if the priest was always like this or is he potentially being this way now as a fear reaction to the Catholic Church sex scandals?

What country are you in?
 
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Why not ask the priest?
Maybe he has arthritis in his hands.
Maybe he has an illness and needs to limit his exposure to germs?
Maybe he is from a culture where shaking hands is not done?

Ask him.
 
I’m in the U.S. My husband is Catholic and I’m a recent convert, so I’m still trying to learn how to properly interact with priests. I certainly wouldn’t want to do anything to accidentally offend them. I haven’t noticed whether our priest shakes anyone else’s hand. He usually doesn’t stick around after mass.
 
Please don’t let it become a thing that remains to bother you. It’s not actually a big deal.
Many things matter more.

If he were to see that it bothers you, it could make him uncomfortable …because why is she so keen to make physical contact?
It isn’t necessary!
If a person chooses not to shake hands then no one has the right to to impell them or to expect it.
Many of us don’t make a point of either seeking to shake a priest’s hands, or even giving the matter a thought. I seldom shake hands with people anyway. A greeting is sufficient.
It doesn’t even enter my head to expect or wish to shake a priest’s hands, or anyone really. I greet a priest, or anyone, in a generally friendly manner. I doubt I’m alone in this.
.
The origin of a handshake is to show you don’t have a weapon in your hand.

God bless you with peace.
 
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It is not anything official. You can always extend your hand to shake a priests hand. I do so after confession all the time. My senior pastor shakes hands too.

It is just your priests preference if he does not want to shake someone’s hand, it’s not because he is forbidden to by some rule. Perhaps he is afraid of germs or something.

Do not overthink “properly interacting with priests” just act normal. They are people too.
 
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Don’t be offended. And don’t go around expecting people to make physical contact with you anytime you deem it necessary. There are a host of reasons he may not want to shake your hand, some of them may be valid, others may be something you and I would deem silly. But it is his right to do as he wishes in regards to physical contact.
 
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