Ship of Fools: greeting the archbishop

Thread: greeting the archbishop Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by carolina native (# 17901) on :

I was glancing through the DoW flickr pages when I saw this during a prayer service for the tragedy in the Phillipines.

There seem to be a number of pictures where the parishioners touched their foreheads' to the bishop's ring. Is this an ethnic or national practice that I'm unfamiliar with? I assume it's respectful... just hadn't seen it before.

[ 22. November 2013, 06:36: Message edited by: Ancient Mariner ]

Posted by Forthview (# 12376) on :

It is (or was) customary in the Catholic church for the faithful to kiss the bishop's ring as a sign of respect to the office.In some places in Asia a bow with the head is also a sign of respect.

Posted by KevinL (# 12481) on :

I know from a movie and my filipino friends's comments about it that it is traditional to ask for a blessing for one's elders by taking their hand and placing the back of it against one's forehead and asking for a blessing (i believe one invokes a blessing on one's elders, but i could be wrong). I'd imagine that this sign of respect has translated over to the archbishop as well (in lieu, perhaps, of the kiss).

Posted by Triple Tiara (# 9556) on :

It's called pagmamano and is particular to Filipino culture. They will ask elders for a blessing by saying mano po (something like "may I have your hand") and when the hand is proffered touch it to the forehead. Or, to westerners, when the hand is extended in the handshake gesture, Filipinos take the hand and touch it to their foreheads. It's not reserved for Archbishops - I get it from Filipino parishioners too.

Here is the wiki entry. And if you google "mano po" or "pagmamano" and select images, you will see lots of charming photos.

Posted by stonespring (# 15530) on :

I am so doing this the last time I greet my bishop! The last time I kissed his ring I got very sick and I found out afterwards that he seemed to have been suffering from the same thing [Frown]

. I wonder if the ring-to-head homage still gives me an indulgence? [Smile]

Posted by Spike (# 36) on :

I can't help thinking that the expression "greeting the archbishop" sounds like a euphemism for something [Snigger]

Posted by Albertus (# 13356) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Spike:
I can't help thinking that the expression "greeting the archbishop" sounds like a euphemism for something

Especially in conjunction with what Stonespring says in the previous post (sorry, Ss, for my puerile sense of humour):

quote:
The last time I kissed his ring I got very sick and I found out afterwards that he seemed to have been suffering from the same thing

Posted by Olaf (# 11804) on :

quote:
Originally posted by stonespring:
I wonder if the ring-to-head homage still gives me an indulgence?

Just read the Bible and skip the ring-kissing!

Posted by stonespring (# 15530) on :

I was going to make a joke about Episcopal Gloves before Vatican II as some kind of "protection" (although the ring goes over the gloves) but then I thought better. [Smile]

Posted by Albertus (# 13356) on :

Your sense of humour is as bad as mine, then! [Smile]

Posted by Gottschalk (# 13175) on :

@ Olaf

Don't be daft: the Bible is not Debretts or the Court Circular or any manner of etiquette book.

Posted by Albertus (# 13356) on :

Exactly. The Bible is merely inspired: Debrett's and the Court Circular are infallible. [Smile]

Posted by Olaf (# 11804) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Albertus:
Exactly. The Bible is merely inspired: Debrett's and the Court Circular are infallible.

Ha. I'm afraid my point was missed, though. If an indulgence is sought, one will encounter a far smaller chance of infection by simply reading one's Bible for the requisite amount of time (or hopefully more) than by sticking episcopal hands near one's major orifices. Hopefully either Gottschalk was joking or simply hasn't been around Eccles long enough to know better than to question Olaf's unimpeachable Biblical and liturgical knowledge.

[ 28. November 2013, 01:34: Message edited by: Olaf ]

Posted by stonespring (# 15530) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Olaf:
If an indulgence is sought, one will encounter a far smaller chance of infection by simply reading one's Bible for the requisite amount of time (or hopefully more) than by sticking episcopal hands near one's major orifices.

That's not the kind of indulgence I was looking for! [Smile]

Ok, this joke is getting old, but I find it particularly hilarious given who my bishop is...

Posted by seasick (# 48) on :

Hmmm. Question asked. Question answered. While I don't want to, erm, bash your humour, perhaps Eccles isn't the best place. Thread closed.

seasick, Eccles host

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