Why do the Byzatine Catholics make the sign of the cross from right to left?

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I’m sorry, I’m new here and I don’t know if I’m allowed to ask a question but I will risk it.
I’m a Roman Catholic and I was wondering why the Byzatine Catholics make the sign of the cross from right to left :byzsoc: as we make it from left to right.:signofcross:
If I were to be honest, I don’t know why RCs cross ourselves left to right, either. If you can answer both, that would be fantastic!
Blessings, YIM
 
MustangBoop said:
I’m sorry, I’m new here and I don’t know if I’m allowed to ask a question but I will risk it.
I’m a Roman Catholic and I was wondering why the Byzatine Catholics make the sign of the cross from right to left :byzsoc: as we make it from left to right.:signofcross:
If I were to be honest, I don’t know why RCs cross ourselves left to right, either. If you can answer both, that would be fantastic!
Blessings, YIM
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Did you get your question answered? I don’t know why. I’m guessing it just happened by chance and then stuck as a religious cultural difference.
Sun is out!! Coffee time and then maybe some walking around the neighborhood listening to stuff on my new iPod.:dancing:
 
Posts edited to their own thread and renamed, then moved to EC forum.
MF
 
Greetings, everyone.

One of the reasons I heard being brought up was that we cross ourselves from right to left to mirror the priest’s hand as he blesses us. There may be other reasons as well.
 
I recall being told that it is done from right to left, because by the time we are moving our hands sideways we are saying “and of the son” and since Christ is seated at the right hand of the father, we move right first.
 
One side, I think it is the West, copied the sign of the cross from the celebrant, but in mirror image. The other duplicates his action exactly. I don’t think there is a compelling reason for either to change.
 
In the Name of the Father (touch forehead because God Rules over us) and of the Son (touch belly as He became flesh for us and lived in the belly of the Virgin) and of the Holy (to the right shoulder as he came from Heaven) Ghost (touch left shoulder as He came to Earth to be among us.) Or the right shoulder signifying that Christ sits at the Right Hand of the Father and the left signifying that He shall come forth to Judge the Living and the Dead.

I would say that in the West it signifies that Christ descended to the dead (left shoulder) and ascended to the Father (right shoulder.)

Although the link reads that in the West it was done forehead, belly, right shoulder, left shoulder until about the 13th or 14th Century as it was done in the East (excepting the Armenians and possibly the Ethiopians who have always went from left to right.)

Please read the link, it has many good sources and is a great overall treatise on the Sign of the Cross.

newadvent.org/cathen/13785a.htm

Here are a few more:

orthodoxwiki.org/Sign_of_the_Cross

geocities.com/fatman2021/

fisheaters.com/sign.html

They’re all good and will give great information, please read them.

🙂
 
Although the link reads that in the West it was done forehead, belly, right shoulder, left shoulder until about the 13th or 14th Century as it was done in the East (excepting the Armenians and possibly the Ethiopians who have always went from left to right.)
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Actually I think all of the Oriental Orthodox/Catholics (Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, ect) sign from left to right like the modern Latins (there might be an exception among one of the Indian Churches, but I can’t recall exactly). It is only the Byzantine tradition which does right to left, with the aforementioned possible exception of one of the Indian Churches.

We know that the Latin Church used to sign in a manner closer to the Byzantine manner, so IMO it’s quite possible that right-to-left was simply the Imperial way, while the non-Imperial Churches used the other method. Later the Latin Church (for whatever reason) adopted a manner similar to the other, non-Imperial Churches. 🙂

Peace and God bless!
 
I have been told there is a less sinister, more simple explanation. We are told that Christ Our Lord God Savior sits at right hand of God the Father. So perhaps Holy Spirit at left. We each would like to touch our left shoulder when we say “Spirit” to put him in his proper position (so to speak). However in Greek he is called αγιο πνευμα or in slavonic святый дух -in both languages the word spirit (a noun) is second word. In Latin is quite opposite Latin christians call him Spiritus Sanctus, noun first, then Holy. So to keep Spirit to the left by saying Holy first, they had to change the order of their crossing.

At least a charitable explanation without saying whose system is better.
 
Joe_Kelley said:
One side, I think it is the West, copied the sign of the cross from the celebrant, but in mirror image. The other duplicates his action exactly. I don’t think there is a compelling reason for either to change.
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No, the reason has to do more with the Latin connotations with the left side ( sinister) in Latin.

The left to right in the Latin Church shows Christ brining us from sin to salvation. (sinister to dexter)
 
it is because the byzantine catholics, has shown a document from the Pope that He states that many uses the sign of the cross from left to right, but the correct form of sign of the cross is from right to left

As far as i know, there was also a pronouncement from a Pope changing the sign of the cross from left to right
MustangBoop said:
I’m sorry, I’m new here and I don’t know if I’m allowed to ask a question but I will risk it.
I’m a Roman Catholic and I was wondering why the Byzatine Catholics make the sign of the cross from right to left :byzsoc: as we make it from left to right.:signofcross:
If I were to be honest, I don’t know why RCs cross ourselves left to right, either. If you can answer both, that would be fantastic!
Blessings, YIM
Click to expand...
 
marlo said:
it is because the byzantine catholics, has shown a document from the Pope that He states that many uses the sign of the cross from left to right, but the correct form of sign of the cross is from right to left

As far as i know, there was also a pronouncement from a Pope changing the sign of the cross from left to right
Click to expand...
Where? What Pope? I am unaware of such an official move…
 
I think another question might be, why do non-Orthodox Christians use their fingertips extended rather than the meaning-filled Orthodox method of thumb+2 fingers together as in the trinity and two fingers together as in the two natures of Christ? As an RC, I cross in the RC direction but as one who almost became Orthodox first, I use the 3/2 fingers. I think it is a good TRADITION. 🙂

I have heard Orthodox Christians who see the difference as a very serious matter along the lines of my Presbyterian friends and the “regulative principle of worship.” Orthodox would tend to argue that we have no right to “change.” I think RC take a more relaxed view of it. My “modification” is acceptable in the RC but would be a serious problem to most Orthodox I think.
 
Kuryakyn said:
Greetings, everyone.

One of the reasons I heard being brought up was that we cross ourselves from right to left to mirror the priest’s hand as he blesses us. There may be other reasons as well.
Click to expand...
I have heard this to, from a Byzantine Priest.
 
I was raised Orthodox. Was taught we cross ourselved from left to right because Christ spoke to the theif on his left first. And that theif went to Heaven as promised by Christ.

I am sure there are many reasons. But as so many things occurred “back then” I understand there were political reasons Rome reversed the sign. Who knows? At least we are all signing ourselves with the sign of our salvation.

Pax Vobiscum!
 
A good book to read on this subject is “The Sign of the Cross: The Gesture, The Mystery, The History” by Andreas Andreopolous. Put out by Paraclete Press. It’s a great book.
 
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