On the Kiss of Peace during the Divine Liturgy

[Maria]

It is certainly true that even a simple hug, commonly called the "kiss of peace," may be a temptation.

Guard yourself then with great attention from such tender touches that arouse strong feelings, feelings that are mostly in the body and most vulnerable to sin. ...

Even though the power of the other senses seems to be active, it nevertheless seems to be far from the enactment of sin. But the sense of touch is the closest to this enactment and certainly the very beginning and the initial action of the deed.

http://tokandylaki.blogspot.com/2013/10 ... in-on.html

I may be wrong, but it seems that the True Orthodox do not engage in this practice of the "Kiss of Peace." Instead, before entering the Temple of God for the Sunday Divine Liturgy, we are to confess our sorrow to all of those whom we have offended. Most Orthodox Christians apologize in preparation for Holy Communion either before or after the Saturday Great Vespers or All-night Vigil.

Yet, in the OCA this "kiss of peace" may be triggering many of their sexual scandals. Some of the OCA priests or perhaps many of their priests come down the aisle hugging the laity in the front rows just before chanting the Nicene Creed. While this is happening, the laity are hugging and kissing each other. This should not be, but it was my observation in several OCA parishes in the Los Angeles area and in Oregon. And the OCA is not alone as the Greeks and the Antiochians also have a similar custom of giving each other a hug and/or a kiss during the "Kiss of Peace." After the Sunday of Orthodoxy, when the Greeks, the Serbs, the Antiochians, the Russians, and the OCA gather together for cookies and coffee, most people are embracing each other, and the entire event becomes a hug fest.

In families, hugs help establish family bonds, and are important, but should we be doing such at church when laity or even the priest could be tempted to violate their marriage vows.

Or is St. Nicodemus' advice only for monastics?

[Jean-Serge]

The kiss of peace sill exists in the liturgy of Saint James. It used to exist and was abandonned in other liturgies due to some men willing to kiss girls for sexual excitement. The big problem I see in a generalized kiss is the fuss it creates, some disturbing background noise, whereas it is already difficult to maintain quietness in some parishes. Add to this, those making a show of themselves kissing their ennemy simply to display themselves as nice persons whereas they are hypocrytical.

[Matthew]

Father Lebedeff has published this excellent article which deals with the very liturgical innovations that I experienced when I was for 10 years in World Orthodoxy.

On Greeting One Another During the Divine Liturgy

The following was written by Fr. Alexander Lebedeff, a Protopresbyter of much experience in the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, in response to a layman's comments about greetings during the Divine Liturgy.

Please permit me to be frank. As far as I know, there is no tradition in any of the local Orthodox churches (Greek, Russian, Serbian, Antiochian, etc.) for the greeting "Christ is in our midst" as anything but a greeting between two clergymen.

Unfortunately, in our modernist times, some churches have begun to introduce practices that give to lay men and women certain expressions that are properly reserved to clergy. The so-called "Kiss of Peace," [in most modern churches, a handshake] accompanied by the words, "Christ is in our midst—He is and shall be" is one of them. Having the congregation say the deacon's three "Amens" after the Consecration of the Holy Gifts is another. Both these erroneous practices (and many others) should be corrected.

For a priest to do this at the kissing of the cross at the end of liturgy is an innovation, not supported by a valid tradition. It is very "catching," so there it is no surprise that people will pick this up and disseminate it. It is not in keeping with the tradition of the Church. Please bear in mind that seemingly innocuous innovations, however well-intentioned, actually serve to separate parish from parish and jurisdiction from jurisdiction. Soon, we will not have Orthodopraxis, in humble submission to valid Tradition, but liturgical anarchy, with everyone encouraged to "do their own thing."

That is not Orthodoxy—it is ecclesiastical disorder.

But what about the inclusion of The Kiss of Peace in the Divine Liturgy Service book as published by the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America? ...
...This is an excellent example of an innovation that has spread like wildfire across American Orthodox parishes of various jurisdictions. It is, however, still an innovation. The fact that the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America has seen fit to include it in their new service book (making it virtually mandatory) doesn't change this.

In fact, it should be a "no-brainer" to test whether this is an innovation or not...

...Is this practice found in Hapgood? No. Is it found in Nassir? No.

Is this the practice of the Church of Jerusalem? No.
Is this the practice of the Church of Alexandria? No.
Is this the practice of the Church of Greece? No.
Is this the practice of the Church of Serbia? No.
Is this the practice of the Church of Bulgaria? No.
Is this the practice of the Church of Russia? No.
...

I strongly encourage everyone to read the full article here:
http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/greeting_dl.aspx

[Matthew]

Here, now, is another article by the famous ecumenist "Orthodox" priest, Lawrence Farley on the same topic and he describes as his showcase practice in his parish exactly the abuse that Father Lebedeff describes. He defends this innovation.

Sealed with The Kiss
Once upon a time, we Christians concluded our liturgical gatherings with a liturgical kiss, sealing all that we had prayed with the apostolic sign of unity. As scholars tell us, it was probably exchanged “at every Christian synaxis (or gathering)…” The original place for the giving of the Kiss of Peace was “immediately after the prayers at the conclusion of the Liturgy of the Word, for its pristine purpose was to conclude the synaxis of readings and prayers…(it was common) for Christians to exchange the Peace, especially after prayers at the end of a gathering before being dismissed”. (Taft, Great Entrance, p. 374, 376). That is, the exchange of “the holy Kiss” (1 Cor. 16:20), dating from apostolic times, was the way the early Church commended its prayers to God. After praying together, they sealed all their work with the sign of love.

How did this work? In the earliest times, it would seem that the Kiss was given indiscriminately, between all Christians, of whatever gender. Each would greet their neighbours standing around them, bidding them the Peace of Christ, saying “Christ is in our midst!” (or some other greeting). In Chrysostom’s day, in Antioch, the Kiss was given on the lips...At my own parish of St. Herman’s in Langley, the faithful simply turn to those on either side and exchange the greeting, saying “Christ is in our midst!”

--And that awful Bobby Vinton title! So schmaltzy! No emotionalism or passions here, I wager! Yeah, right.

Anyway, if you want to read the whole dreadful thing, it is found here:
http://www.allsaintsofalaska.ca/index.p ... nce-farley

[Barbara]

Langley, Virginia ?!

I never saw this thread. I had no idea this was going on in OCA parishes, as well as Antiochian ones.
Awful.

It's good that Fr Alexander Lebedeff wrote decisively against this phony-baloney garbage, a practice which apes the Vatican II Catholic Church.

[Maria]

The kiss of peace sill exists in the liturgy of Saint James. It used to exist and was abandonned in other liturgies due to some men willing to kiss girls for sexual excitement. The big problem I see in a generalized kiss is the fuss it creates, some disturbing background noise, whereas it is already difficult to maintain quietness in some parishes. Add to this, those making a show of themselves kissing their ennemy simply to display themselves as nice persons whereas they are hypocrytical.

I have seen this hypocritical use of the kiss of peace by some who are mentally ill in the OCA.

During the Divine Liturgy, they will have huge tears and emotionally embrace all around them, even leaving their pew and going down the aisle, giving a huge hug to everyone they encounter. Next, outside after the Divine Liturgy, they will avoid and or attack those whom they have just hugged inside the Church.

[Barbara]

That's something. They are doing at random during the Divine Liturgy ? Or during that time specified for the Kiss of Peace ?

I forgot to say that I agree with Jean-Serge about the disturbance. It trivializes everything and removes the sense of the sacred to have all that bustling around by the laity in church. Especially before the reciting of the Nicene Creed.
Then Maria says that MANY of the OCA clergy come forward into the congregation and hug people along the aisle.

How long has that been going on, do you have any vague idea ? Is it very new, or has been around for awhile in the OCA ?