Cross thyself.....

[authiodionitist]

Hey all,

I heard from my Uniate friend that HH Benedict made a proclamation recently that all Roman Christians are to cross themselves like the Orthodox Church does. (That means forefinger, middle finger and thumb togehter, pinky and ring finger down on palm).

True?

Other thoughts?

 

[Foundthelight]

I will have to look this one up! I seriously doubt it.

 

[Miss Shelby]

This sounds like bogus info to me.

 

[QuantaCura]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,verdana,sans-serif]I hadn't heard that and it sounds weird. Here are the ways that Catholic traditionally should make the sign of the Cross;

[/FONT]

• [FONT=arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif]Option A. With your right hand, touch the thumb and ring finger together, and hold your index finger and middle finger together to signify the two natures of Christ. This is the most typical Western Catholic practice. [/FONT]
• [FONT=arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif]Option B. Hold your thumb and index finger of your right hand together to signify the two natures of Christ[/FONT]
• [FONT=arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif]Option C. Hold your thumb, index finger, middle finger of your right hand together (signifying the Trinity) while tucking the ring finger and pinky finger (signifying the two natures of Christ) toward your palm. This is the typically Eastern Catholic practice. [/FONT]
• [FONT=arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif]Option D: Hold your right hand open with all five fingers -- representing the five Wounds of Christ -- together and very slightly curved, and thumb slightly tucked into palm [/FONT]

[FONT=arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif]Note that some people end the Sign by crossing the thumb over the index finger to make a cross, and then kissing the thumb as a way of "kissing the Cross."

Also note, Latin Catholics go from left to right for this reason:

[/FONT][FONT=arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif]The Bridgettine nuns in their Myroure of our Ladye write of the mystical reasons for the Latin practice, and how it summarizes the Incarnation, the Passion, and the Ascension: [/FONT]

[FONT=arial, helvetica, verdana, sans-serif]And then ye bless you with the sygne of the holy crosse, to chase away the fiend with all his deceytes. For, as Chrysostome sayth, wherever the fiends see the signe of the crosse, they flye away, dreading it as a staffe that they are beaten withall. And in thys blessinge ye beginne with youre hande at the hedde downwarde, and then to the lefte side and byleve that our Lord Jesu Christe came down from the head, that is from the Father into erthe by his holy Incarnation, and from the erthe into the left syde, that is hell, by his bitter Passion, and from thence into his Father's righte syde by his glorious Ascension. (Catholic Encyclopedia)[/FONT]​

 

[Benedicta00]

Hey all,

I heard from my Uniate friend that HH Benedict made a proclamation recently that all Roman Christians are to cross themselves like the Orthodox Church does. (That means forefinger, middle finger and thumb togehter, pinky and ring finger down on palm).

True?

Other thoughts?

I always did it that way anyway.

 

[Virgil the Roman]

I always did it that way anyway.

Same here, it's the way I cross myself.

 

[Filia Mariae]

my Uniate friend

 

[stivvy]

Hey all,

I heard from my Uniate friend that HH Benedict made a proclamation recently that all Roman Christians are to cross themselves like the Orthodox Church does. (That means forefinger, middle finger and thumb togehter, pinky and ring finger down on palm).

True?

Other thoughts?

Not sure if Pope Benedict made that declaration, but it wouldn't only be "like the Orthodox Church" but also like other Catholics do, the Eastern Catholics. We have never left this tradition. We hold it close to our worship.

 

[GrannieAnnie]

I always learned to do it with the open right hand...down to the chest, over to the left shoulder, back to the right shoulder ...... didn't realise there was any other "proper" way of doing it. I've seen other ways, but just thought that was the persons personal choice......