| Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
|---|---|---|
| Orans position | Claire | Sunday, February 24, 2008 |
Question: Hello, I know this topic has been discussed before, re: orans position and hand-holding during the Our Father, but I was hoping you could answer the following... I had written my Bishop about my concerns in that many people were adopting the hand-holding during the Our Father, and he mentioned that the Rubics does not forbid it. This bothered me, because elsewhere I had been reading that the lay people shouldn't be hand-holding during the Mass, when reciting the Our Father. What is the Vatican's position on this? Has the Pope addressed this issue? If the Vatican has ruled whether it is acceptible or not, where can I find this information? Much appreciation, and I await with anticipation your reply. Thank you, and God Bless, claire |
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| Question Answered by Mr. Jacob Slavek
Dear Claire, I would have to say that it's really bad logic to say that hand-holding and the people taking on the orans posture is okay because the neither GIRM nor rubrics forbid it. The GIRM also doesn't forbid the chicken dance at Mass either, are we to believe then that it is now okay? What Rome HAS said is that no priest has his place adding to the Liturgy any thing that is not already there in the liturgical texts. (Vatican II, Sacrosanctum Concilium, n. 22(3)) I don't believe that Rome has specifically addressed the orans abuse, however in 1997 a document was released that did very clearly prohibit any action on the part of the people that imitates gestures that are proper to the priest. The raising of the hands does qualify as "proper to the priest" since in the rubrics it is the priest alone who is instructed to raise his hands. The hand holding issue HAS been specifically addressed: and Rome has said, "It is not in the rubrics". For the cite I will post the link to the question that I answered several years ago on this forum. I'm also going to post a link to a very recent essay written on the subject by Bro. Ignatius Mary in our BBS forums. http://www.saint-mike.org/apologetics/qa/Answers/Apol_Liturgy/l011031Basto.html http://www.saint-mike.org/spcdc/bbs/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=667 Mr. Slavek Footer Notes: (a) A Eucharistic Minister is clergy (Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion). Laity are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and should never be called Eucharistic Ministers. (b) There is no such Mass called the Novus Ordo. The Current Mass is the Roman Missal of 2000, or the Oridinary Form of the Mass. The Tridentine Mass is the Roman Missal of 1962, or the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. Please refrain from using the term, Novus Ordo. Thanks. (c) The titles of Acolyte and Lector belong exclusively to the Installed Offices of Acolyte and Lector, who are men (only) appointed by the Bishop. These roles performed by others are Altar Servers and Readers, respectively. |
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