On Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics, a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.
People get really serious about that handshaking after the Lord’s Prayer. I guess that’s fine, but some of them have just been coughing or blowing their noses or worse. As someone who’s fresh back with the Church, what can I do to keep from getting their germs… and from upsetting them?
Yes, the handshake or as some still call it the kiss of peace can seem a little less than peaceful sometimes. The purpose of this ritual is to show our unity in Christ, as diverse and disparate as we might appear on the outset, but some seem to think the more vigorous the sign, the better, whether they’re healthy or not.
If someone whose behavior you’ve described here extends a hand, it’s perfectly fine to simply smile and say, “Peace be with you” without physical contact. Of course, another option would be to shake hands, and use sanitizer quickly and surreptitiously thereafter.
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