Why don't non-Catholic Christians make the Sign of the Cross? Or, do they?

[patrick457]

Isn’t that something, Luther encouraged making the Sign of the Cross, after his break from the Catholc Church… didn’t know that? So, when did it stop, or when was it discouraged in these later denominations and why? Anybody know?

Come to think of it…Luther himself, in some ways, was still quite close to his Catholic roots compared to many of his spiritual descendants even after he broke from the Church. The farther one moves away from the Catholic Church, the less they are likely to have the courage to espouse Catholic-esque practices, I guess?

 

[JonNC]

Perhaps they are following the example of our Catholic brother who reads and quotes Luther so well.

Our Catholic brother quotes Luther, and my signature quotes Cardinal Ratzinger.


Jon

 

[gcnuss]

Isn’t that something, Luther encouraged making the Sign of the Cross, after his break from the Catholc Church… didn’t know that? So, when did it stop, or when was it discouraged in these later denominations and why? Anybody know?

Jimmy,

I suspect that there is no one reason. For some, it was a matter of doing away with “Catholic” rituals. For others, it may just have been seen as an adiaphoron and, thus, of no importance. And then, for generations which followed the first generation that did not use the Sign of the Cross, it just wasn’t part of their practice.

I hasten to add that these are just off the top of my head. I can’t give you any references for any of them.

 

[Petergee]

And yet a further symbolism of the SotC is that we first point up to God the Father in Heaven, then trace our hand down to represent God the Son who came down to earth to save us, and then to the left and the right to represent God the Holy Spirit Who dwells in the Church from East to West and unites us with our brothers on all sides.

Personally I also find that the first movement of the SotC, putting my hand in front of my eyes to touch my forehead, is a great way to stop me from looking and thinking about whatever is in front of me and remind me I am in God’s presence.

 

[Jimmy_B]

And yet a further symbolism of the SotC is that we first point up to God the Father in Heaven, then trace our hand down to represent God the Son who came down to earth to save us, and then to the left and the right to represent God the Holy Spirit Who dwells in the Church from East to West and unites us with our brothers on all sides.

Personally I also find that the first movement of the SotC, putting my hand in front of my eyes to touch my forehead, is a great way to stop me from looking and thinking about whatever is in front of me and remind me I am in God’s presence.

 

[TriuneUnity]

Isn’t that something, Luther encouraged making the Sign of the Cross, after his break from the Catholc Church… didn’t know that? So, when did it stop, or when was it discouraged in these later denominations and why? Anybody know?

I agree with Jaroslav Pelikan’s estimation, “Martin Luther is considered the first Protestant, and yet he was more Catholic than many of his Roman Catholic opponents.”

 

[Esdra]

Why don’t non-Catholic Christians make the Sign of the Cross? Or, do they?

**
*In nomine Patris *
et Filii
et Spiritus Sancti
Amen
(Latin) → Look here is a video with exact these words. Very cool! (and you can listen to my mother tongue - German! )

This is one the shortest Catholic prayers and one of my favorite prayers.

Hi

as most of you know I was risen Catholic and after long searching I am now (nearly) a Baptist.
On my search I also attended a Lutheran Protestant Church and there they do make the SotC.
Of course, I also learned it, although am “undercatechized”, in the RCC.

But actually I haven’t really realized that neither in the Pentecostal Church - which I sometimes attend, nor in my “Homechurch” - The Baptist Church, they use the SotC.
I mean I did realize, but I also never missed it…

That’s really an interesting question. I think I will ask our pastor once.

Best wishes,
Esdra