My Catholic background, growing up in Washington Park, Providence in 50s and 60s, going to St. Paul's Church in Cranston on Sundays, makes me sensitive to foolish changes in the liturgy inspired by Vatican II. Forget about theology here. For millions of born Catholics in my generation Vatican II changes were a death blow to the dignity and AESTHETICS of the Church.
Talk radio celebrity John DePetro says he never shakes hands in Church-even before the Ebola scare. Well, SHAKING HANDS had to be the goofiest of Vatican II changes in the Mass ... Many years ago I loathed this pseudo-LOVING gesture. I thought: why stop there? why not a hug and kiss too? Then the Catholic Church would have more in common with the Protestant Holy Jumpers !
I can shake hands with dimwits in bars. In Church there was no need of being TOUCHY & FEELY until the Holy Mass itself had lost its sacred mystique.
John, I can shake hands with you on this. But not in Church! Yes, the scientific- materialist in me says: Bring your little bottle of hand sanitizer to Church with you on Sunday -or whenever you happen to show up in a pious or god-fearing guilty mood. Do the smart thing-and let God take care of everything else.
Dominus Vobiscum!
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Ron