LOL! I’m betting holding hands goes back maybe even to Adam & Eve. So AA probably shouldn’t get the credit. I’m not arguing your pint about sanitation. Just saying that holding hands has probably always been in the lexicon of affectionate expression among humans. To suppose it was never done in church before some arbitrary date is like saying nobody ever smiled or frowned in church because it wasn’t part of the liturgy. Way past silly. One of those things that could never bind the conscience of those who cherish their liberty in Christ.
“To suppose it was never done in church before some arbitrary date is like saying nobody ever smiled or frowned in church because it wasn’t part of the liturgy”
Not in a Catholic Mass. I could care less what happens in a protestant church. The Catholic Church has set criteria that is supposed to be adhered to at Mass. It is a very structured liturgical service. We have strict rules on how to behave at Mass. Devout Catholics that take their faith seriously abide by these rules. You are there to show reference to and worship God. Nothing else. If you want to hold someone’s hands you need to attend a protestant service, where anything goes.