www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Greeting a Priest

This is the old thorny problem

My priest is uncomfortable with the practice - so I have given up asking for a blessing - I was the only one in the parish who did

The last time I asked a Bishop for one - I was ignored

Now with my SF it's different - yes I ask for and receive but I do have to beat him to the hug starting

For the last few years of her long life, Catherine Doherty threw in the towel, and only asked blessings from priests she knew. Up until then, it was always her practice to kneel to a priest, ask his blessing, and kiss his hand. Then one day - and I saw this myself - a priest gave the blessing with obvious reluctance and yanked his hand back when she went to kiss it.

Catherine got to her feet, looked at the priest, and said loudly with disgust: "Who the Hell do you think you are? It wasn't your hand I wanted to kiss!" I still don't know if the priest got the point - that the hand of a priest belongs to God, not to the person of the priest.

Fr. Serge

Dear Father Serge,

Thanks for sharing that post.

Dear Anhelyna,


This is all too familiar--whether it is in Greece or the United States. I do not know why?

I might venture to think that in the Russian Orthodox church, it is not so?!? Can anyone tell us? (Alexandr or Father David?)...

In this United States, I see ROCOR as being very traditional, and might assume that would extend to all the religious etiquette as well.

In Christ,
Alice

It must be a Russian/Ukrainian practice to still do this. My friend, the OCA priest in Altoona, always gives me a blessing if I approach him with cupped hands and ask for his blessing, even if we're in a place where he doesn't ahve his clericals on. (He and his wife operate a private school where my wife works and he's often cleaning up children's messes.)

One of our admins graced me with a visit and had no hesitation in giving me a blessing outside a restaurant.

I once had a little poem entitled "The Beautiful Hand of a Priest" that described Christ working through the hand of His priest throughout the life of a believer, from Baptism to the last blessing prior to death. The point was that through the hand of a priest Christ reaches out to the believer. It made a powerful point.

BOB

I remember getting one on a railway station from one of our Admins

My GodPapa and I were out in London visiting the GO Cathedral in Bayswater for Vespers on a Saturday - after lighting a candle I turned round for my GodPapa and found him talking to the Bishop who had spotted vistors and came over - GodPapa asked for his blessing and was given it without any hesitation

The Aghia Sophia Cathedral?

I just read this:


Alice

Yup - it has wonderful woodwork - and one of the Chanters was very very friendly chatting to us both afterwards .

How should we greet an priest we see on the street or in the store?
While I was working and someone came in in clerics I (as a Catholic) would always make a small bow with my head and use "Father". I have sometimes been rebuked for this greeting. So how should we approach this?

I am not aware of any priest in the Russian Church who is unused to or unwilling to giving people blessings. It is quite commonplace in our church. In fact, there are awkward moments in church situations when greeting a Non-Orthodox (or some non-practicing Orthodox) when a handshake is indicated, yet it seems oddly incongruous in the churchly surroundings. Another problem I've had is when some new Orthodox from Russia ask for a blessing, and I make the Sign of the Cross over them, but then they don't know what to do, and my hand is left hanging, so to speak. I've also had this happen when Catholics ask for a blessing in some public place, like a train station. It's not their custom to kiss a priest's hand, and yet an Orthodox priest is used to placing his hand after blessing into the hands of the one blessed. I actually got used to this situation, however, after it occurred a couple of times, so I now just drop my hand to my side after blessing them.

Fr David Straut

Dear Father David,

My hunch was correct that in the Russian church, one could always rely on receiving a blessing if one asks for it!! That is VERY, VERY nice...(Hmmm....Perhaps I should join the Russian church!)

How are you approached? Does the person say 'Father, bless'. Does a person say 'Master, bless' to a bishop?

In Christ,
Alice

Indeed Alice, when approaching the priest say Father Bless
When approaching the Bishop say Master Bless.

Dear Alice,

Usually a person will just come up to the priest presenting their hands, right crossed over left. That's really enough to to what they want, but they may say, "Father, bless" or "Bless, Father" or "May I have your blessing?" It's the same with a Bishop, though one may also see people touch the floor without making the Sign of the Cross first before asking a Bishop for a blessing. One may say, "Master, bless" or "Bless, Master" to a Bishop, though sounds a little funny in English, so the foreign words "Vladika" or "Despota" or "Sayidna" are often used instead.

Fr David