Pampanga brings back Our Father hand postures

MANILA, Philippines — As COVID rules continue to be relaxed in the country and elsewhere in the world, the Archdiocese of San Fernando in Pampanga province now allows the raising and holding of hands during the singing of “Our Father” in the celebration of the mass.

In a statement, the archdiocese said the raising and holding of hands when reciting or singing the Lord’s Prayer is a practice that is allowed under the General Instruction of the Roman Missal.

The archdiocese also emphasized that the Italian Roman Missal allowed the Catholic faithful to hold and raise hands during the Lord’s Prayer as it signifies the fraternal communion that the people have as children of God “when this is done with dignity.”

It also cited the Circular Letter 42, Series of 2005 of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, which clarified that there is no directive from the conference that prohibited the raising and holding of hands during the Lord’s Prayer.

But it clarified “as a matter of exception, particular liturgical directives are issued accordingly when there are medical health concern/s that call for needed prohibitions of this or other liturgical practices and/or activities.”

The archdiocese also called on the Catholic faithful to “humbly comply” with the liturgical directive in accordance with Vatican II and in conformity with the spirit and objectives of the Archdiocesan Integrated Pastoral Plan.