What will happen to the sign of peace once Public Mass resumes?

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My guess is that, when public Masses resume, we will be urged not to use physical touch when exchanging the sign of peace, at least temporarily. How that plays out, both short term and long term, will probably depend on the general character of the diocese and individual parish.

My parish is pretty touchy/feely so not being able to exchange physical signs of peace was a BIG DEAL for many people. We had never done anything special for “flu season” in the past so this was new territory. I don’t doubt that there are others in my parish who would be perfectly happy to have people nod at those to their right and to their left and be finished. I’m not sure which direction things will go long term.
 
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Being immune compromised for the last almost five years, I don’t touch anyone anyway. It seems to me that a nod and “Peace be with you” is enough. No more sports scores, weather reports or family news.

Just peace.

Funny how the Lord will bring something good from the evil of the virus.
 
Each Bishop will decide when they will permit “social mingling” or contact during Mass. At that point, it will be an option as it has been for many years.
 
How about simply acknowledging the folks around us with a nod and verbal peace be with you?😌
 
HomeschoolDad said:
They could always just get rid of it.

It’s not required by the rubrics, and was never a part of the traditional Latin Mass. Only the offer of peace between priests and congregation is required in either EF or OF.

I dislike it very much — though I will not refuse peace to anyone, I won’t be a meanie about it — and could very well live without it. It is very much a distraction from having prepared oneself, throughout the entire Mass, to receive the Blessed Sacrament.
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I wholeheartedly disagree. It does push me out of my comfort zone sometimes. But I have had times when I have felt really down and it’s almost as if the other person sensed it and their sign of the peace towards me was particularly warm and sincere and really lifted me up.

At our abbey where I usually attend Mass, when there’s an epidemic (or now pandemic) of flu, SARS, whatever, they just omit it. At other times I participate pleasure and have actually started to look forward to it sometimes. When I can’t because I’m contagious, I do part of what the monks do, I put my hands together (like in prayer) and bow.

I also think the sign of the peace is part of preparing one’s self. We are acknowledging that not only will we receive Christ, but in communion with Him we become the Body of Christ, and that includes unity with those around us. To me it’s a powerfully symbolic moment that we, the Church are together entering into Communion with our Lord.
 
Well, when I moved to my new parish the old folks told me they had a dispensation from the cardinal’s edict of: “No big celebrations for the sign of peace!” Whatever the new rule is, folks around here will do as they feel.
 
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OraLabora said:
I also think the sign of the peace is part of preparing one’s self. We are acknowledging that not only will we receive Christ, but in communion with Him we become the Body of Christ, and that includes unity with those around us. To me it’s a powerfully symbolic moment that we, the Church are together entering into Communion with our Lord.
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I just find it very distracting. Here you are, if you’ve been preparing correctly, building up to the point where you will be as close to Our Blessed Lord as you could ever be in this life — if you were any closer, you’d be dead! — and just then, >screech!<, you have to put all of this preparation aside and greet everyone within two arm’s-lengths (yours and theirs). It makes me feel like a politician greeting a crowd! I could very easily live without it.
 
sweetcharity said:
Do you think the handshaking will occur? Maybe we will just turn and bow/nod to one of another?

Two things I would not like to see happen, one is to hold up two fingers in the peace symbol, the other is to bump elbows.
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The Sign of Peace is optional. Hopefully, priests will skip it for the time being.
 
Emeraldlady said:
Why is that?
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I think it can be disruptive and cause chatter that just doesn’t need to be in Mass. I have no problem with the concept of offering the sign of peace, just the implementation of it.

One parish I attended it would take several minutes. The idea seemed to be everyone had to give everyone else the sign of peace. Some even going to the altar to shake hands with the priest.

The parish I go to now doesn’t do that of course but it can still be disruptive.
 
Horton said:
I have no problem with the concept of offering the sign of peace, just the implementation of it.
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Your original comment seemed to imply you had problems with it overall. But sounds like you attend a Church now that suits you. Personally I don’t find the Sign of Peace in any way offensive no matter what. It’s not like the end of the world.
 
Emeraldlady said:
Treat it as a reminder that the Eucharist is not all about you but about your communion with the world.
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That is a very post-Vatican II sentiment and not one that I wish to incorporate into my spirituality. I remember my loved ones, all who need my prayers, and all poor sinners, of whom I am the chief, in each reception of the Holy Eucharist. How much more “communion with the world” could one wish?

I am much better off just assisting at the Traditional Latin Mass, where it’s not an issue. That is what I have been doing, virtually, ever since the churches were all closed.
 
HomeschoolDad said:
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Emeraldlady:
Treat it as a reminder that the Eucharist is not all about you but about your communion with the world.
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That is a very post-Vatican II sentiment and not one that I wish to incorporate into my spirituality. I remember my loved ones, all who need my prayers, and all poor sinners, of whom I am the chief, in each reception of the Holy Eucharist. How much more “communion with the world” could one wish?

I am much better off just assisting at the Traditional Latin Mass, where it’s not an issue. That is what I have been doing, virtually, ever since the churches were all closed.
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Well here’s my question. You hate the Sign of Peace and you have a Mass where you don’t have to succumb to such an aberration. Why taunt others with your personal opinion and then get upset? I’m fine with the Sign of Peace. Slap me for it but I’ll respond for the sake of the rest of us who accept the Ordinary Form of the Mass without being precious. sheesh.
 
Emeraldlady said:
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HomeschoolDad:
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Emeraldlady:
Treat it as a reminder that the Eucharist is not all about you but about your communion with the world.
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That is a very post-Vatican II sentiment and not one that I wish to incorporate into my spirituality. I remember my loved ones, all who need my prayers, and all poor sinners, of whom I am the chief, in each reception of the Holy Eucharist. How much more “communion with the world” could one wish?

I am much better off just assisting at the Traditional Latin Mass, where it’s not an issue. That is what I have been doing, virtually, ever since the churches were all closed.
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Well here’s my question. You hate the Sign of Peace and you have a Mass where you don’t have to succumb to such an aberration. Why taunt others with your personal opinion and then get upset? I’m fine with the Sign of Peace. Slap me for it but I’ll respond for the sake of the rest of us who accept the Ordinary Form of the Mass without being precious. sheesh.
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I am neither “upset” nor being “precious”, and I do not think I am “taunting” anybody. If I am “precious”, so are all other Catholics who adhere to the older form of the Mass, and dislike the SOP just as much, if not moreso, than I do. At least I will exchange the SOP if I am forced to, at the OF — many traditionalists just won’t do it, if they are in those circumstances. I attend the OF when I must, and the EF when I can. Through no fault of my own (distance, expense, and home duties) I cannot travel two hours each way to the EF every Sunday.

Incidentally, the OF does not absolutely require the communal SOP — it’s merely offered an option for the celebrant. It’s been my experience that the more “liberal”, “renewed”, or “spirit of Vatican II” the parish is, the more ebullient and energetic is the SOP.

If you had told people in 1955 that immediately after the pax vobiscum… et cum spiritu tuo, you would be expected to turn around and shake hands with everyone, they would have looked at you like you had lost your mind. Doubly true for communion in the hand, lay ministers, and so on. How things have changed.
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