Handshakes at Mass

by Michael Shackleton · July 2, 2012

Was it after Vatican II that the practice of shaking hands at Mass prior to receiving the Eucharist, came into being? It seems to be at an inappropriate time, especially when in the winter months, many are coughing and blowing their noses. �Bernard Moat

“Today the expression of the sign of peace among the congregation is determined by local custom…”

Vatican II promulgated its teaching on the sacred liturgy in 1963, in the document known as Sacrosanctum concilium. It was the very first document discussed by the Council in its first session of 1962, probably because the liturgy had come under pressure from reformists.

For many decades there had been a powerful lobby for renewal from greatly respected liturgists. They wanted the Church to revise sacred rites, trim them of their redundancies and make them more accessible to the faithful.

The exchanging of the sign of peace goes way back to the earliest days when Christians embraced at the Eucharist to show how they loved one another in Christ. As time went by, the practice was lost to the faithful and became confined to the sanctuary during a solemn high Mass, where the priest and his ministers performed a rather staged rendition of a solemn ritual salute, holding each other lightly and giving each another a perfunctory nod.

Today the expression of the sign of peace among the congregation is determined by local custom, usually a handshake and the words: �Peace be with you�. It takes place after we have all prayed to God to forgive our sins and, at the same time, sought forgiveness from one another. In other words, we show that we want to be mutually reconciled before God. In this spirit of solidarity, we may now approach the altar to receive the Body and Blood of Christ.

There have been instances in this country and elsewhere where the bishop or parish priest has stopped the handshake and the reception of the Precious Blood from the chalice during an outbreak of a serious viral illness, such as bird flu or meningococcal disease.

When there is a real threat of contagion from parishioners who have influenza or a very bad cold, the parish priest may advise his people not to shake hands. Otherwise, you may simply bow politely to someone who wants to shake your hand, and wish them peace.

Ill persons who suspect they might spread their ailment to others should considerately stay away from Mass until they are well.