AFTER the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) clarified that Catholics could either raise or hold hands while singing the “Our Father” during Mass, a cleric said it all boiled down to whether the faithful really understood and lived the message of the Lord’s Prayer.
UST Parish Priest Fr. Paul Talavera, O.P. told the Varsitarian that what’s important was putting the message of “Our Father” into practice.
“Whichever position they would want – raising hands, holding hands – I think the important thing here is that at the end of the day, the faithful understand well the importance of the Lord’s Prayer and that they feel closer to the Lord whenever they are praying this prayer,” he said.
Capiz Archbishop Victor Bendico, chairman of the CBCP episcopal commission on liturgy, wrote in a July 14 circular that Catholics must “exercise sincere respect to each other in the gesture we express during the prayer.”
Debate on the liturgical gesture ensued online after Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, a former president of the CBCP, called on the Church to adopt a unified policy on hand gestures for the faithful during Mass.
Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula, concurring with the CBCP, called on priests to respect parishioners’ preferences.
“[It] is not proper to demand from the faithful to raise their hands in this part of the Mass. The faithful are to be respected with the decision they make on this matter,” he wrote in a circular.
“This should be done in harmony with the nature of the prayer and in deference to others who are present in the celebration,” he added. A.R.R. Acosta
