Well, you know we Americans are the "power to the people" types!

Back to the topic at hand, I wonder what the origin of the "folded hands" is?

ala...



I usually see folded hands and fingers now-a-days, except in more Latin traditional circles. I never have seen this gesture among the Byzantines, either in icons or in a liturgical setting.

Any ideas?

Fr. Deacon Daniel

Father Deacon Daniel:

Some years ago someone made the comment that this gesture comes from medieval court practice. Together with a bow to the sovereign or one's noble it was a secular practice taht was carried over to the Church's practice.

Of course, I have no other source to confirm this so I wait to be corrected.

BOB

I do hope that that picture does not portray the good Deacon!

Fr. Serge

Well Father we always suspected he was up to something. Just look at the grin

Yes - I looked like I swallowed a bird!

Fr. Deacon Daniel

The folding of arms as a signal of only a blessing at the altar rail was (is) used at many of the Anglican churches I attended in my youth in the U.K. However it was just the right arm to left shoulder with the left arm hanging . That being said no one but the priest would give a blessing. I have always thought it strange when people are blessed by the (lay deacons?) (servers)?? who give out the eucharist at so many not so latin, latin parishes. I think that if rails were more common then this wouldnt happen so much.

Also just to clarify, it was just used by lay people not yet confirmed.

Our Rusyn tradition is to cross the forearms across your chest as a sign of repentance (so the nuns taught). There is also a practical side -- it allows the priest to hold the chalice closer to the communicant and also provide a "safety net" which prevents the Eucharist from accidentally falling to the floor.

As far as Western tradition goes, I recall when Pope John Paul II visited mainly Protestant Scandinavia (very early in his papacy) the non-Catholic dignitaries were instructed to approach the Pope in the Communion line in this way (I hope I recall this correctly.) Then the Pope knew that they were not to receive the Eucharist.

It really is much better to have a non-Eucharistic service (such as a solemn Blessing of Holy Water) if one has reason to expect a significant number of people - dignitaries or mere mortals - to attend the service and to whom one should not give Holy Communion.

Fr. Serge