The end of touchy-feely practices at Mass in the United States?

[tjfitz]

The bishops of our State, last Sunday, asked that Communion on the tongue, the Sign of Peace done by handshake, and the spreading practice of joining hands during the Our Father be ended during the current panic about swine flu.

Could this mark the end of the touchy-feely era in the Church in the United States? (I don’t mean to imply that Communion on the tongue isn’t the norm.)

 

[bigfootbob]

I doubt it. But it’s a start. I would like to see the Our father hand holding leave for good though.

 

[kage_ar]

Thank God, our Bishop is not playing into the culture of fear.

dolr.org/h1n1.php

"
I do not anticipate the need for large scale liturgical adaptations to practices such as the distribution of the Holy Eucharist under both species, the exchange of the Sign of Peace or the availability of holy water in the holy water font.

It is already our practice that those who feel ill should forego receiving the Precious Blood and fearful individuals are in any event not obligated to receive from the cup, shake hands or touch the holy water.

Any modifications in these recommendations if warranted by changing circumstances will be posted on this Web page. By taking the generally accepted precautions, we hope that the spread of both the H1N1 virus and seasonal flu will be minimal."

 

[PJM]

=tjfitz;5797623]The bishops of our State, last Sunday, asked that Communion on the tongue, the Sign of Peace done by handshake, and the spreading practice of joining hands during the Our Father be ended during the current panic about swine flu.

Could this mark the end of the touchy-feely era in the Church in the United States? (I don’t mean to imply that Communion on the tongue isn’t the norm.)

Actually friend, Communion inn the hand by Very ordinary lay folk is NOT the Norm!

The Universal Norm for the World Wide Catholic Church remains, kneeling and on the tongue. Thus that is what one finds the Holy Father doing.

Love and prayers,

And the reply to you’re OPQ… From you’re lips to God’s ears!

 

[tjfitz]

Glad to see that my cousin , the Bishop of Little Rock, is not panicking.

Thank God, our Bishop is not playing into the culture of fear.

dolr.org/h1n1.php

"
I do not anticipate the need for large scale liturgical adaptations to practices such as the distribution of the Holy Eucharist under both species, the exchange of the Sign of Peace or the availability of holy water in the holy water font.

It is already our practice that those who feel ill should forego receiving the Precious Blood and fearful individuals are in any event not obligated to receive from the cup, shake hands or touch the holy water.

Any modifications in these recommendations if warranted by changing circumstances will be posted on this Web page. By taking the generally accepted precautions, we hope that the spread of both the H1N1 virus and seasonal flu will be minimal."

 

[Agape_Thom]

I’m just a fellow Christian brother looking for some clarification. In this thread, and several others, I’ve noticed a bias against hand-holding during the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer at Mass. I’m just curious…what is the basis of these objections? Why do some find this practice objectionable? Are the pbjections raised soley in connection with the Mass? Or do some Catholics have some theological or traditional reason for not wanting to do so? Thanks in advance for informing me.

 

[dashso40]

I never feel comfortable with the sign of peace handshake, and i never hold hands with the Our Father…I "hold "hands with Jesus

 

[Corki]

I’m just a fellow Christian brother looking for some clarification. In this thread, and several others, I’ve noticed a bias against hand-holding during the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer at Mass. I’m just curious…what is the basis of these objections? Why do some find this practice objectionable? Are the pbjections raised soley in connection with the Mass? Or do some Catholics have some theological or traditional reason for not wanting to do so? Thanks in advance for informing me.

Yes, the objection is to it (hand holding) being added to the Mass. No one has any problem with holding hands around the dinner table or at a prayer meeting or when praying with friends.

 

[Onyx88]

I hope not ~ someone said that the restrictions are only temporay until the flu is over ~ father jose told us to shake hands anyway ~ father bill didn’t say anything, he just passed the whole thing by.

 

[Agape_Thom]

Yes, the objection is to it (hand holding) being added to the Mass. No one has any problem with holding hands around the dinner table or at a prayer meeting or when praying with friends.

Thank you. But why do some object to this?

 

[Layman]

AFAIK, swine flu is just a flu, like bird flu and all the other bugs that were gonna kill us allll!!!.

I think the media are just sensationalising these illnesses. Reporters are not scientists and the spectrum of the media is so much wider these days that they have to hype-up stories, which in turn aren’t fact-checked, because they’re cutting costs.

I think COTT is worth a little risk.

They were screeching about HIV twenty years ago. It is killing loads of people in Africa, but only those who bypass normal barriers against infection one way or another.

[Thinks: I must stockpile shotguns and ammo for when the Zombifier Virus NE1 gets loose and hole up in m’shack in the mountains. After breaking out of the zombie-ridden mean streets of The Big City in m’Trans Am.YeeeHaaa!]

 

[Eucharisted]

The bishops of our State, last Sunday, asked that Communion on the tongue, the Sign of Peace done by handshake, and the spreading practice of joining hands during the Our Father be ended during the current panic about swine flu.

Could this mark the end of the touchy-feely era in the Church in the United States? (I don’t mean to imply that Communion on the tongue isn’t the norm.)

How would health precautions be a sign of anything except the fact that the shepherd is aware of the swine flu and is taking care of his flock?

 

[bigfootbob]

Thank you. But why do some object to this?

Because the Our father is a personal prayer, not a ‘community’ thing. and because there is no reason to do it really.

 

[damooster]

Thank you. But why do some object to this?

This is my personal opinion:

Every posture at a Catholic Mass has a specific purpose and meaning. The USCCB has stated that there is no defined gesture for the assembly during the Our Father prayer. So, when people start adding things to the liturgy, despite their well-meaning intentions, they are alienating those of us who want to stick to what’s proper.

I personally don’t get worked up about it if I see a couple in front of me doing it. But at some parishes, it is expected that you “play along.” The parish I went to RCIA with, for example is one of those parishes: they will grab your hands and they will go across the aisle to join hands with the people on that side. I went to Mass there this past Saturday (to see if things have changed) and when the Our Father came, I put my hands up to my chest in a prayer position. The people on my left and right, simultaneously, grabbed my hands. Do you know how difficult it was to then offer them the Sign of Peace? They totally disrespected me.

Anyways, I rant, but that’s one reason for ya.

 

[Nec5]

AFAIK, swine flu is just a flu, like bird flu and all the other bugs that were gonna kill us allll!!!. ]

You know I’m getting real tired of people downplaying these things. I’m still nursing my financial injuries from the Y2K bug.

 

[Layman]

You too?

(Do you need any shotguns?)

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[japhy]

Thank you. But why do some object to this?

I have nothing against people holding hands during the Our Father of their own volition. If a family wants to hold hands during the Our Father (which is, after all, about our Father, not just my Father and your Father, but our Father), then they should be permitted to do so, since the Church does not prescribe how they should hold their hands.

I do object, however, to being told to hold hands, or being forced to hold hands. I much prefer to keep the “traditional” posture of prayer, hands clasped or palm-against-palm. Since the Church does not legislate the posture for the faithful’s hands, the priest nor the bishop has the right to tell us to hold hands with one another at this time, whether by a general announcement before Mass, or by an addition of words to the Mass itself.

I also object to members of the congregation using the orans posture (hands outstretched) during the Our Father. They’re mimicking the priest’s posture (which is not permitted), and they only do it then, as opposed to all the other times the priest uses this posture for his arms. Furthermore, there’s liturgical speculation that the priest shouldn’t be using the orans posture at this time (even though that’s what he’s told to use in the books) because he is not praying on behalf of the congregation, but with the congregation: every time the priest uses the orans posture in the Mass, he’s the only one speaking, praying on behalf of the Church, except for the Our Father.

That’s my stance on the matter.

 

[Whitacre_Girl]

Liturgical stuff aside, I think if people have H1N1 or seasonal flu, they should just stay home. I can’t speak for all parishes, but there is a significant number of elderly and young children that attend mass. I was down with the swine flu for about a week, and there was no way I was going to go to mass with a highly contagious illness and risk giving it to someone who could be killed by it. I am sure Christ would understand.

Although, having had H1N1, I am shocked anyone infected with it would be feeling well enough to even attempt to sit up long enough to even try to attend mass.

 

[FrDavid96]

I’m just a fellow Christian brother looking for some clarification. In this thread, and several others, I’ve noticed a bias against hand-holding during the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer at Mass. I’m just curious…what is the basis of these objections? Why do some find this practice objectionable? Are the pbjections raised soley in connection with the Mass? Or do some Catholics have some theological or traditional reason for not wanting to do so? Thanks in advance for informing me.

Thom,
Catholics believe and practice that no changes can be made to the Mass unless those changes are approved (one way or another) by the Holy See. The Second Vatican Council reiterated this teaching in Sacrosanctum Concilium
22.3. Therefore no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the Liturgy on his own authority.
adoremus.org/SacrosanctumConcilium.html
And this has been repeated and reinforced by the Church constantly and consistently ever since.

 

[LeighAnneH]

This is my personal opinion:

Every posture at a Catholic Mass has a specific purpose and meaning. The USCCB has stated that there is no defined gesture for the assembly during the Our Father prayer. So, when people start adding things to the liturgy, despite their well-meaning intentions, they are alienating those of us who want to stick to what’s proper.

I personally don’t get worked up about it if I see a couple in front of me doing it. But at some parishes, it is expected that you “play along.” The parish I went to RCIA with, for example is one of those parishes: they will grab your hands and they will go across the aisle to join hands with the people on that side. I went to Mass there this past Saturday (to see if things have changed) and when the Our Father came, I put my hands up to my chest in a prayer position. The people on my left and right, simultaneously, grabbed my hands. Do you know how difficult it was to then offer them the Sign of Peace? They totally disrespected me.

Anyways, I rant, but that’s one reason for ya.