Sign of Peace

[CathMass]

I was told by a friend of mine that he attended a Divine Liturgy and that the priest went out and kissed everyone at the point where peace would be offered. Is this a normal practice in most Byzantine Divine Liturgies or does it vary from place to place?

 

[wynd]

It must vary from place to place. At all the liturgies I’ve attended, the kiss of peace was only exchanged between the celebrating clergy.

 

[Formosus]

One of the priests here will exhange the kiss of peace between the servers and other clergy but not with the entire congregation.

 

[Aramis]

I’ve only ever seen it between the clergy.

 

[SpanishByzant]

According to the Divine Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil, the Kiss of Peace can be exchanged between the members of the congregation themselves during when the priests/deacons/subdeacons exchange it during the Nicean Creed. I’ve never seen it done; I’m not positive on if it is a more modern, westernized innovation or was in the liturgy[ies] since its inception.

 

[Deacon_Ed]

In my Melkite parish the people will exchange the Kiss of Peace with each other, the clergy share the Kiss of Peace with others in the same location (the bishops and priests are in the Holy Place when this takes place while the deacons are before the Holy Doors).

Deacon Ed

 

[Ignatius]

I was told by a friend of mine that he attended a Divine Liturgy and that the priest went out and kissed everyone at the point where peace would be offered. Is this a normal practice in most Byzantine Divine Liturgies?

No, I’ve never seen anything like that.