Bill Reilly
wrote:
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Hi guys,
It's not uncommon, when attending a Catholic Mass, to see parishioners
lift up their hands, with the palms facing away from them. It
almost looks like they are giving the priest their blessing.
About a year ago, I researched this, and found that this practice
is called orens, orans or something similar. I also discovered
it had been discussed by either the bishops or those who met in Vatican II, and
that it should be discouraged.
- Can you tell me exactly what it
is called for and share any other information you have on this?
Thank You,
Bill
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Is lifting your hands (orans) called for during the Mass and can you share any other information? }
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Richard replied:
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Richard replied:
The orans (praying) pose is a classic posture of Jewish and
Christian prayer: standing, hands raised, with palms turned up: the attitude
of the faithful, beseeching God.
There's an article in the online Catholic Encyclopedia about how this
pose appeared in early Christian art:
Some bishops proposed a few years ago that the orans posture
be adopted by the faithful during the Our Father. However, that proposal
never was approved by the Vatican or implemented.
The Adoremus web site has an article about the issue:
- About that Orans Posture
- What is it?
- What does the (GIRM) General Instruction of the Roman Missal say?
- Can a bishop require it?
If I understand this all correctly, this leaves the orans as
a personal gesture of piety that some people use, and there's no law against
it, however, it is not required and priests and bishops cannot mandate
it.
— RC
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John replied:
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Hi Bill,
First of all we need to realize that lifting hands is an ancient
prayer posture which dates back,
not only to the Early Church, but to ancient
Israel.
The Psalms encourage the use of the entire body in our worship. Now the
lifting of hands can often look like the imposition of hands and so it
can confuse people.
When lifting one's hands in prayer, one is showing a sign of surrender
to God, that one is offering oneself to God, and also that one is reaching
up to receive from God.
Again, the problem arises when this action is confused with the sacerdotal
gesture.
A priest lays or imposes hands for a variety of reasons, among them to
bless, to absolve, and to call down the Holy Spirit during the consecration.
The question then becomes:
- Is it best to:
- simply ban laity from using such gestures during the
liturgy in order to avoid confusion, or
- does the Church take the time
to educate the laity on the difference?
I hope this helps,
John
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