This interesting tale at Friar Rick’s Weblog: Moving the Sign of Peace at Mass was forwarded to me:
There has been talk about moving the Sign of Peace during the Eucharistic Liturgy to another location. In some cultures there has been a feeling that the Sign of Peace gets —out of hand—. I’m not sure what that means… perhaps it’s not what Western Europeans consider prayerful. The National Catholic Reporter in the US has a good editorial about this that I would like to share. It really captures my feelings…
Two things here: The first is the negative reference to “Western Europeans.” Of course Friar Rick has a huge picture of a bunch of “multi-ethnic” Canadian folks standing where — in front of the Vatican, in Western Europe, at the top of his blog. I don’t understand his point? Does Rome have it all wrongOk – we think they do have some important things wrong, but that’s not part of this post.? Is the entire Western Catholic milieu, to which he ascribes by being Roman (i.e., Western European) Catholic fraught with error? Does its “western-ess” make it wrong by default? The negative reference is nothing more than an exercise in self deprecation/self hate and without any purpose. If a person is going to stick with the Roman model of Church it is by its nature Western European. If not, there is Orthodoxy or the National Catholic Church (i.e., the PNCC model – and adherence to the Declaration of Scranton). Perhaps the real problem is adherence?
The second is the oddball reference in the National Catholic Reporter article to the best place for the “sign of peace.” Rome wants to move it to the offertory! I can understand the penitential rite, or its current position, but the offertory? That makes no sense whatsoever. I can just imagine the mess — the collection, the offertory song (as most U.S. parishes shy way from proper Church music as defined by the Roman Church), plus the peace… Oy vay — throw in a liturgical dance and you’ll have a real hootenanny.
For any Roman Catholics, who may be dismayed by these changes, perhaps a bit of catechesis is in order, compliments of Frederica Mathewes-Green in item five from “First Visit to an Orthodox Church: Twelve Things I Wish I’d KnownFound at About The Antiochian Orthodox Church”
5. With Love and Kisses
We kiss stuff. When we first come into the church, we kiss the icons (Jesus on the feet and other saints on the hands, ideally). You’ll also notice that some kiss the chalice, some kiss the edge of the priest’s vestment as he passes by, the acolytes kiss his hand when they give him the censer, and we all line up to kiss the cross at the end of the service. When we talk about “venerating” something we usually mean crossing ourselves and kissing it.
We kiss each other before we take communion (“Greet one another with a kiss of love,” 1 Peter 5:14). When Roman Catholics or high-church Protestants “pass the peace,” they give a hug, handshake, or peck on the cheek; that’s how Westerners greet each other. In Orthodoxy different cultures are at play: Greeks and Arabs kiss on two cheeks, and Slavs come back again for a third. Follow the lead of those around you and try not to bump your nose.
The usual greeting is “Christ is in our midst” and response, “He is and shall be.” Don’t worry if you forget what to say. The greeting is not the one familiar to Episcopalians, “The peace of the Lord be with you.” Nor is it “Hi, nice church you have here.” Exchanging the kiss of peace is a liturgical act, a sign of mystical unity. Chatting and fellowship is for later.
Or, the Friar and his flock could join the PNCC. Bishop Bigaj, Bishop-Ordinary of the Canadian Diocese, would be happy to discuss it with you. You won’t even have to worry about liturgical wars. We didn’t destroy the liturgy, and we didn’t throw out tradition for the sake of being contemporary. We have both, and that based on natural development — and in English, French, Spanish, Polish, or whatever language works for your people. All are welcome in the PNCC.
