Bulletins
December 11, 2016
Download the Bulletin as a PDFIn the venerable and ancient Roman Rite the Kiss of Peace is an obligatory part of the Solemn High Mass. A “High Mass” or “Sung Mass” is offered by a priest alone with servers and choir; all the prayers and readings are chanted. A “Solemn High Mass” employs a deacon and sub-deacon assisting the priest at the altar.
This coming Christmas Day at Noon you could witness a Solemn High Mass here at St. John. Among its distinctive features is the Kiss of Peace which takes place after the chanting of the Agnus Dei. You will see the priest and deacon kiss the altar and then turn to each other. The deacon bows to the priest. Then the priest places open hands on the deacon’s shoulders. At the same time the deacon extends his arms with open palms facing up to touch the priest’s elbows. As they speak the words of the pax they will touch the left corners of their foreheads. Then they stand up and bow to each other. That pattern repeats as the deacon gives the pax to the subdeacon, the subdeacon to the MC and so on in the same manner:
“They stand facing each other with hands joined. The one who is to receive the kiss bows. Then the one who gives it lays his hands on the shoulders of the other; the receiver clasps the arms of the other, holding then at the elbows. Each bows the head forward, so that the left cheeks of the two persons almost touch. The one who gives the kiss says Pax tecum. The other answers Et cum spiritu tuo. Then they withdraw a little and stand again with joined hands facing each other, and both bow.”
(O’Connell, The Celebration of Mass, 1964, p. 429)
For the Ordinary Form of the Mass the Church stipulates that “as for the actual sign of peace to be given, the manner is to be established by the Conferences of Bishops in accordance with the culture and customs of the peoples. However, it is appropriate that each person, in a sober manner, offer the sign of peace only to those who are nearest” (GIRM 82).
At the ordinations of deacons and priests and the installation of bishops the Sign of Peace you typically will see is almost identical to the traditional one described above. When spirits run high you might even see the two touch heads on both sides… and often enough they will forget if it is left side then right side or right side then left side. In Italy and France, among other places, the touching of foreheads or cheeks still is the civilized greeting and it comes in three forms: single, double and triple.
May the peace of Christ and of the church abound in our hearts!
Rev. Christopher J. Pollard
