Question
I was in a Catholic Church where the presiding priest was against the holding of hands. In most Catholic Churches, this is a common practice. Can you tell me why this priest was against this?
-Feathered in Farmington
Answer
I cannot speak specifically for the particular priest's reasons. Some are against it because of the more traditional posture whereby all stood with their hands in the "orans position" in prayer. This position of prayer was meant to imitate the posture of the cross and the resurrection, signifying a willingness to be open to God's will and their hope that Christ would come again and take them with him on the journey to heaven. Some are also opposed to holding hands for symbolic reasons: we hold hands at the beginning of the communion rite, but then we break away. Wouldn't we want to keep holding hands for for the entire communion rite as a sign of unity?
Additionally there are health reasons for not holding hands during the prayer.
There is nothing in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal 2002 allowing, forbiding or addressing "holding hands" of the assembly during the Lord's Prayer.