“Exchange a sign of peace.” And already from today’s celebrations that sign could once again be the handshake, banned from liturgies for over two years during the pandemic emergency.
It is the main novelty contained in the guidelines issued in the past few hours by the Italian Bishops’ Conference and fully implemented also by the Diocese of Udine, which yesterday forwarded the letter to the parish priests with “some advice and suggestions relating to pandemic prevention measures”.
The scenery
Less rigor, because after all since spring (when the most recent CEI guidelines on the liturgy were outlined at the time of Covid) to today the trend of infections has changed profoundly, slowing down progressively before going back up in recent weeks.
Hence the conference of Italian bishops, in view of the Christmas holidays, has decided to review the rules of conduct, further easing the measures that have profoundly changed the masses in the last two and a half years.
“We are witnessing a slow and gradual recovery of liturgical gestures, albeit with due prudence”, summarizes Don Loris Della Pietra, director of the diocese’s liturgical office.
The handshake
On Saturday 3 December, the e-mail went out from the offices of the archbishopric of Udine, addressed to all the parishes, with which Bishop Andrea Bruno Mazzocato forwarded the guidelines of the CEI to priests and ministers.
“Compared to the latest indications, the most relevant novelty concerns the sign of peace,” suggests Don Della Pietra. “It will be possible to restore the usual form of exchanging the sign of peace”, reads one of the points contained in the letter from the Bishops’ Conference.
«This opening allows us to regain possession of a certain gesture, suffocated by the rules for the containment of infections. In particular, the sign of peace was a bit faded», adds the director of the Liturgical Office.
The other measures
The indications reiterate the possibility of returning to filling the stoups, as already highlighted last May.
Despite the green light from the Bishops’ Conference, there are still many churches in Friuli that have preferred to leave the containers dry at the entrance.
Masks are no longer mandatory, but may be recommended in particular situations, while hand sanitizing at the entrance to places of worship remains strongly recommended.
It is no longer mandatory to ensure distance between the faithful who participate in the celebrations: faithful who must avoid taking part in the liturgies if they have flu symptoms or if they are subjected to isolation because they are positive for Covid.
Priests, deacons and ministers are advised to sanitize their hands before distributing Communion. “In the celebration of baptisms, confirmations, ordinations and the anointing of the sick, the anointing can be carried out without the aid of instruments”, finally specifies the letter.
«Some priests remain very cautious, but I think it is necessary to approach this phase with a certain basic serenity. After all, if bars, restaurants and meeting places have been open and frequented regularly for months, I don’t see why the rigor should only concern churches», concludes Don Della Pietra.
The choice of Gorizia
Not all the dioceses of the region have complied fully with the norms of the CEI. The archbishop of Gorizia, Carlo Maria Roberto Redaelli, issued a pastoral note with which “taking into account that in our region the number of infections has unfortunately been increasing for weeks, calls for the observance of the precautionary indications”, which follow those adopted so far: therefore no exchange of peace (“It is advisable to continue to avoid handshakes or hugs”), empty stoups, communion preferably in the hand and recommended masks.
Rules that will affect the faithful of Aquileia and the Cervignano area, which fall within the ambit of the Gorizia Archdiocese.