Question 206 – Is it appropriate to hold hands during the Our Father?

Interview Organization: The Confraternity of Our Lady of Fatima

Interviewer Name: Christopher Wendt

Date: July 13, 2023

Bishop Schneider says holding hands during Holy Mass invades the privacy of worshippers and is an unworthy expression of public worship. He states it belongs in informal family settings, not the liturgy, because it undermines the objective and sacred character of public worship.

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Transcript:

I don't think so, because it invades the privacy of a person who is in the church praying and holding hands. It is an objectively unworthy expression of public worship. It comes across as something like a kindergarten scene, almost a kind of infantilism and exaggerated charismatism.

I repeat, it invades the privacy of a worshipper during public worship. In your family, you can do this around the table at home with the father, mother, and children in an informal setting. But during Holy Mass, it should not be done. It undermines the objective, sacred character of public worship.

Question/ Title

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