Posted on 07/23/2005 9:15:15 AM PDT by netmilsmom
I have a general question for the Catholics here. How many of you live in a Diocese that openly encourages holding hands for the "Our Father"?
Not in the parishes but the Diocese. I know that St. Louis and Charlotte discourage this practice. How about yours?
Thats done here in the Seattle Diocese. Personally I don't care for it and rarely hold hands with anyone but the family. I thought it was a west coast thing since I never heard of it when I lived in Pennsylvania
But is it encouraged by your diocese?
Yeah, I was just about to post that my family is Catholic, and they don't hold hands saying the Our Father during mass. They live in PA, too.
I can't imagine my relatives going for the hand-holding bit. As it is, most people don't seem too crazy about shaking a stranger's hand in the "sign of peace"...
I'm not sure about that. I would assume it was but now you've got me thinking about it since I often wondered why it was necessary. Tomorrow would be a good day to ask 8>)
I live in the diocese of Metuchen NJ and as far as I know hand holding is not encouraged here. Sometimes at my parish a family or a small group of people will hold hands during the Our Father, but the vast majority of the congregation does not do so.
I hate it, especially the little wave (the swing upwards) they do at the end, and it was technically forbidden in last year's document on the liturgy.
However, many bishops think the people "luv" it and haven't mentioned that it is prohibited.
I just put my hands together in front of me and say it without grabbing hands, even of family. But I'm very friendly at the "handshake of peace," which I also hate, because it hasn't been prohibited and I don't want to offend anyone.
My suggestion: ask your bishop. He should have told people to quit it, along with the inane thing where they imitate gestures of the priest at the altar (also prohibited but done everywhere).
"But I'm very friendly at the "handshake of peace," which I also hate..."
Yeah, I hate that too.
What I've seen are people lifting their hands during the "our father", mostly foreign, or foreign seeming, people. That is not too bad, I mean, it's their choice.
Now, I don't mind holding hands to pray, generally, but the "sign of peace" is quite enough, in fact it's too much, as the inimitable Pearl Gould might say.
Actually, I'm on a Catholic website where someone has stated that more Bishops are encouraging it than discouraging it. I'm not sure he is right.
I have so problem with holding hands with individuals but when the cattle mentality checks in and others feel out of place if they don't do it, I have a problem. This happened at my old parish. In four years (with the help of a new DRE) we went from folding hands to holding and raising. The seniors who came back after going to FL for the winter, came back to this innovation and did not like it but did it. It was sad.
He's probably right. Most bishops chose to completely ignore all of the liturgical instructions that came out last year. And of course, nothing has happened to them (the bishops) for doing this. Frankly, I doubt that anybody even expected the instructions to be followed.
Contrast that, if you will, to the imposition of the Novus Ordo some 40 years ago, which literally happened overnight, with no "opt outs" or delay. That was enforced because it was riding on the old discipline, which it promptly destroyed.
Now even tiny changes to lousy practice can no longer be enforced by Rome, and the bishops can basically ignore any instruction and nothing happens to them. Lousy practice in the Church is perpetuated by poorly instructed and not very bright lower clergy. But the ones really responsible for the bad or simply stupid things in the Church are the bishops, yet they are never ever held responsible for it. Well, once in a while by greedy trial lawyers...but otherwise, they skate.
Rome has got to bring back some authority here.
Well...it might not be encouraged but it hasn't died yet. It depends on the pastor of the individual parish.
Attending Mass at the Cathedral regularly, you do see people who are obviously tourists who do it and make gestures that we don't ot haven't in some time and they seem rather puzzled.
We don't hold hands in our Church for the Lord's Prayer. We do offer one another the sign of peace shortly thereafter, however.
Dear netmilsmom,
I go to Mass at parishes in the Archdiocese of Washington and the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Some folks hold hands, some don't. I've never seen anything that I'd consider official encouragement of the practice. Ever.
sitetest
Blessed Pope JP II opposed it and I would guess Benedict does too.
I live in the diocese of Raleigh, NC and the hand holding is definitely encouraged here. I choose not to do that and pray the Our Father the same way my parents taught me-with my hands joined together.
We have a new FSSP church in St. Mary's Indiana (new Batesville). Needless to say we don't have any of that crap:)
Here in the Green Bay, WI diocese, the new bishop doesn't do it himself, but it has spread like smallpox to individual parishes. There is a handful of people who refuse to do it in our parish, but we must sit off to ourselves to avoid it. Otherwise, the people next to you actually grab your hand and won't take no for an answer...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.