Orans posture by lay ministers

In the book “Called to Preside” by Theresa Cotter, she asks:

“What is your response to an ordained minister assuming the orans stance? What is your response to a lay minister assuming the orans stance? If there is any difference, why?”

Here is my response. I am not aware of any rubrics in the liturgical books of the Roman Rite that direct a lay minister to pray with extended hands with palms facing upwards. I have read that it is permitted in Italy, but I am not aware of any other countries where this is permitted.

I am aware of rubrics that direct a lay minister to have extended hands over catechumens being prayed for. This is for minor exorcisms and blessings of catechumens by a catechist.

From the RCIA book (approved for Australia 1986) it has:
“91 The presiding celebrant for the minor exorcisms is a priest, a deacon, or a qualified catechist appointed by the bishop for this ministry.” The rubric is:
“94 As the catechumens bow or kneel, the celebrant, with hands outstretched over them, says one of the following prayers.”

Deacons are often instructed have extended hands over things they are blessing in the Book of Blessings. But I do not think they are ever instructed by the liturgical books to have extended hands with palms facing upwards.

So in general if a lay person or deacon does this, my response is that Ceremonial of Bishops 104 is not being followed:
“Customarily in the Church a bishop or presbyter addresses prayers to God while standing and with hands slightly raised and outstretched.”

At Mass, during the Our Father, I think the instructions are particularly clear:

From the General Instruction of the Roman Missal:

“237. Then the principle celebrant, with hands joined, says the introduction to the Lord’s Prayer. Next, with hands extended, he says the Lord’s Prayer itself with the other concelebrants, who also pray with hands extended, and together with the people.”

From the Ceremonial of Bishops, in the chapter “Stational Mass of the Diocesan Bishop”:

“159 After the doxology of the eucharistic prayer, the bishop, with hands joined, introduces the Lord’s Prayer, which all then sing or say; the bishop and the concelebrants hold their hands outstretched.”

If it were intended that the deacon and instituted acolyte also have their hands outstretched it would say so. There would be something like the instruction for the Sign of the Cross at the beginning of Mass. Something that would change the general norm, from the Ceremonial of Bishops, n. 107: “Similarly, concelebrants and ministers keep their hands joined together when walking from place to place or when standing, unless they are holding something.”

So does this mean it is OK for ministers to hold the hand of the person next to them? Of course not. This was addressed in Notitiae in 1975:

QUERY: In some places there is a current practice whereby those taking part in the Mass replace the giving of the sign of peace at the deacon's invitation by holding hands during the singing of the Lord's Prayer. Is this acceptable? 

REPLY: The prolonged holding of hands is of itself a sign of communion rather than of peace. Further, it is a liturgical gesture introduced spontaneously but on personal initiative; it is not in the rubrics. Nor is there any clear explanation of why the sign of peace at the invitation: "Let us offer each other the sign of peace" should be supplanted in order to bring a different gesture with less meaning into another part of the Mass: the sign of peace is filled with meaning, graciousness, and Christian inspiration. Any substitution for it must be repudiated: Notitiae 11 (1975) 226.

This can also be found in the book Documents on the Liturgy 1963-1979, page 494.

I think Bishop Roger Foys, of Covington, addressed the issue well in his 2011 decree:

“Special note should also be made concerning the gesture for the Our Father. Only the priest is given the instruction to “extend” his hands. Neither the deacon nor the lay faithful are instructed to do this. No gesture is prescribed for the lay faithful in the Roman Missal; nor the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, therefore the extending or holding of hands by the faithful should not be performed.”

(It is at http://www.praytellblog.com/wp-conten... ).