Vatican orders Catholics to be 'more restrained' when performing the sign of peace

[trotsky]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2715864/Vatican-orders-Catholics-restrained-performing-sign-peace-handshake-instead-kiss.html

It occurs shortly before Holy Communion in a Roman Catholic Mass when the priest invites the congregation to offer each other a sign of peace.

However, what began as a simple handshake has become in many churches an exuberant exchange of kisses or hugs and now the Vatican wants to stamp out the boisterous practice as it detracts from the solemnity of the service.

Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, the leader of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, has written a letter to bishops around the world expressing the church’s concern.

*SNARFLE*

Orders? ORDERS??

[woodsprite]

1. We do it in our church, and it's always good for a couple of minutes time.

We just watch for when the minister returns to the pulpit as a sign that we're to ring the bell and service continues.

I thought maybe they were limiting it due to contagious flu bugs, etc. We always have a bottle of hand sanitizer, a box of tissues, and a bag of cough drops in every pew.

[Staph]

2. We do the same in our Methodist church.

The organist has to start up something loud to get us to stop visiting. We ignore the minister entirely!

[Goblinmonger]

3. Might lead to the sex.

But, seriously, this doesn't seem like the loose church I hear so much of in Religion.

[Brainstormy]

4. Sex? Heck,

It might even lead to dancing!

[mr blur]

5. I'm shocked.

However, what began as a simple handshake has become in many churches an exuberant exchange of kisses or hugs

In a Catholic church?

I suppose then they just move the offender on to another parish where nobody knows him, leaving him free to carry on with his "kisses or hugs"

Won't someone think of the nuns?!1!

[AlbertCat]

6. Oh fer Christ sake!

Just perform a Mozart mass and then have everybody chit chat and mingle over coffee and petit fours.

Solemnity

[skepticscott]

7. But…but..the Vatican can't just "order" anyone

to do anything, right?? We've been told over and over and over by the Catholic apologists in Religion that it doesn't work that way and that change takes time, blah, blah, blah. It's utterly impossible for the Vatican to "order" its clergy to stop campaigning against same-sex marriage, or right-to-die laws, isn't it??

[Curmudgeoness]

8. What has been happening in churches

since I stopped going in the 60's? I might be shocked. I don't even remember handshakes, and definitely not before communion.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

9. I wish the Vatican had ordered priests to stop molesting children

They probably actually did, but it was drowned out by the shouting from all the apologists defending the church. After all, SOMEONE has to defend the poor $150 billion Catholic corporation from these attacks by asshole heathens who JUST don't understand.