As if the new translation wasn’t tough enough, a bishop in Kentucky is now trying to kill the spirit of Vatican II!!!
Bishop Roger Foys is telling parishioners to stop holding hands during the Our Father.
WCPO reports that Bishop Foys wrote:
Special note should also be made concerning the gesture for the Our Father. Only the priest is given the instruction to “extend” his hands. Neither the deacon nor the lay faithful are instructed to do this. No gesture is prescribed for the lay faithful in the Roman Missal ; nor the General Instruction of the Roman Missal , therefore the extending or holding of hands by the faithful should not be performed.
Diocesan spokesman Tim Fitzgerald said:
“Bishop Foys’ purpose [in issuing the decree] was to reiterate the directives guiding the celebration of the Mass as specified by the Second Vatican Council and related Vatican documents, fulfilling his role as chief teacher of the diocese; he did so as the new translation of the Roman Missal was first used in the diocese and in the United States last weekend. The decree concerned the proper texts of Mass prayers; liturgical music; gestures for priests, deacons, religious and lay faithful; the location of the choir and other musicians; and prayerful silence before and after Mass.”
To be honest, I don’t see this as much as I used to. I never really understood why it was done in the first place but it always smelled a little hippie to me so I stayed away from it.
CMR kudos to Bishop Foys.
December 1, 2011 at 9:09 pm
If we pray better and more fervently by holding hands why do we ever let go? Shouldn't the whole mass be attended with hands held? And as far as the smooch fest, I cannot even imagine shaking hands with my spouse or children. The kiss of peace, see how they love one another.
December 1, 2011 at 10:55 pm
Now, if only the bishops would tell our adulterous spouses to repent
and work to heal the marriages they have abandoned.
But, I guess marriages are not as important as trivia like this.
Yes, one should not fault this bishop for trying to ensure that the focus of attention at Mass is not unnecessarily diluted but……
December 1, 2011 at 11:17 pm
The updated GIRM happened about 2003-ish, right? I remember when the Air Force Chaplain at our then-assignment told us that we were free from having to do the hand-holding thing. Probably the best thing that happened in my Catholic parish life, up until the new translation!
And, Pat, I'm a woman — yes, the touchy-feely approach is not at all attractive to me. I know that the touchy-feely "catechism" I received in the 1970s/early 80s directly contributed to my distance from the Church until I was almost out of college. I spent many years searching for something spiritual that I could sink my teeth into. Happily, I eventually found out that the Catholic Church was about more than holding hands and singing "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony . . ."
Call me: Disgruntled Gen X-er who has high hopes for the future of the Church!
December 2, 2011 at 12:42 am
I always thought that when there was no instruction for or against something (such as hand holding) that it was not a problem to do so or not to do so. In other words, if you want to do, it is okay and if you don't want to do it, don't. But I guess some Catholics might say that obeying their bishop on this matter (and others) is a discipline that one should take seriously.
December 2, 2011 at 1:00 am
Pat said…
This kind of touchy feely stuff always turned me off, but would it be a stretch of me to say it's a turnoff for most men? As I look around my parish, I see mostly middle aged and elderly women, and I often wonder if our approach to the liturgy has anything to do with the lack of men.
I think you hit the nail on the head!
December 2, 2011 at 1:50 am
This is simply more "Protestant-creep" infecting the Mass. It is almost universal at my parish except for the ones who are doing the "touchdown" signal, which is almost as prevalent. We are CATHOLIC, folks! ACT LIKE ONE!
December 2, 2011 at 3:21 am
As a recent convert, I suspected that hand-holding was V2, but the orens hand position seemed very reverent to me- it reminds me of Therese of Lisieux's prayer to God and presenting herself to Him with "empty hands."
On the other hand (so to speak) hand-holding at our parish will be effectively killed by the new translation. So far, no one has picked up on the cue for the Our Father and so aren't positioning themselves before it launches. They are caught off guard and you can see the panicked look on their faces, "O God, please don't change the words on this one!"
December 2, 2011 at 3:44 pm
"If we pray better and more fervently by holding hands why do we ever let go? Shouldn't the whole mass be attended with hands held? And as far as the smooch fest, I cannot even imagine shaking hands with my spouse or children. The kiss of peace, see how they love one another." I don't think you do pray more fervently when you have to make nice social chatter – and that's what it is- with those around you. This moment is very self-conscious for most of us – the very opposite of how we should be at that moment.
December 5, 2011 at 3:06 am
Not a big fan of the hand holding and it's nice to hear of a bishop informing people about what is in the Missal and GIRM. I hope more priests will start to inform their parishes about what is prescribed and not prescribed regarding Mass protocol.
One thing that drives me crazy is how some parishes will literally form a human chain where they hold hands across isles. I had someone once literally drag his entire isle over by five feet just to hold hands with me across the isle. Really put me in the uncomfortable position of extending my hands when I usually do not.
December 7, 2011 at 3:56 am
WWJD
December 7, 2011 at 4:13 am
The once-Catholic comedian, Jimmy Fallon, attributes the fact that he does not go to Mass anymore to the "hand-holding" and other liturgical antics (frisbees? beachballs?) he encountered in Los Angeles as an adult.
Maybe he has other "issues" as well, but Mr. Fallon is not attracted by these innovations. He has fond memories of being in Church as a child. "I want the old way. I want to hang out with the nuns… Straight up. Just Mass Mass."