Dear Father,
This year, I converted to Catholicism from atheism. I respect the great symbolism so prevalent in the Catholic Church. I know I have a lot to learn. Mostly I find things on the internet, but I’m not sure if they are correct, so I could use your help on this one. I see people at my parish bowing to the priest when he walks in for Mass. Can you explain why we do this?
-Nell
Dear Nell,
As a priest, I’ve experienced this same behavior where some people in the pews bow deeply as I process to the sanctuary for Mass. They do the same when I recess out at the end of Mass. I have to admit, I find it strange.
I suspect they are bowing to me because of their respect for the priesthood. I don’t take the bow as honoring me personally, but as honoring me as a priest, that is, my office. But is it the right thing to do?
I think not, at least not at Mass. Nowhere in the Roman Missal and its accompanying General Instruction is there a rubric for bowing to the priest as he makes his way to the altar for Mass or leaves the sanctuary after Mass. There are plenty of times during the Mass when bowing is prescribed. But not at these two times. That said, some cultures use the bow as a respectful greeting outside of Mass. These are quite understandable.
All bows signify “reverence and honor shown to persons…or to the signs that represent them,” paragraph 275 of the Instruction tells us. There are two types of bows: a bow of the head and a profound bow. A bow of the head is a slight inclination of the head, while a profound bow is a deep inclination of the body at the waist.
Most Catholics have forgotten (or never heard) the teaching that we are to bow our heads at the names of Jesus and Mary. This is especially true at Mass. By bowing our heads at every mention of the names of Jesus and Mary, we show respect to God and to his holy Mother.
There is a custom that relaxes the bowing of the head at the name of Jesus when it is repeated, as during a homily. The rule of thumb is that after five mentions of the holy name, one need not bow.
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It’s more important, in my estimation, to bow at the Holy Names than to bow to a priest during a procession. We must reclaim this Catholic tradition in the face of such abuse of the names of Christ and his Mother.
Other times to bow our heads are when the three Divine Persons are named together: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as well as when a saint’s name is mentioned on his or her feast day.
Altar servers also make a head bow to the celebrant of a Mass or a sacrament when they assist him. For instance, after giving the priest the cruets for the preparation of the chalice with wine and water, before turning to leave, the servers make a gentle head bow.
A profound bow, or a bow at the waist, is made by priests and laity alike at certain times of the Mass. One example is when the priest incenses the cross at Mass. Before and after the incensation, he is to make a deep bow, not merely a head bow.
The celebrant of a Mass also bows during certain prayers of the Mass, as the Roman Missal instructs. These physical gestures accompany a prayer as a sign of supplication to God. Kneeling is also a sign of supplication. Prostrations by men being ordained, or by religious making solemn vows, or at the beginning of the Good Friday Liturgy, are greater forms of imploring God for his mercy.
Lectors who approach the ambo (the place where the Scripture readings for Mass are proclaimed) first profoundly bow to the altar, if they pass the front of it, and then go to the ambo. They do not bow to a priest or a deacon, but they do make a profound bow to the presiding bishop of the Mass or other sacrament.
Deacons and priests bow profoundly before the bishop when they ask his blessing to proclaim the gospel reading. They do not kneel, though this mistake is made in some places.
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Some might argue that in our times, when so little respect is shown to authorities, there is nothing wrong with people adding bows to the priest during processions. I disagree. Misplaced symbols of respect weaken, not strengthen, the case, for at least three reasons.
First, the virtue of respect, like all virtues (except chastity), is in the mean. In other words, there can be too much respect or too little. The middle ground is where we want to be, and the Church helps us to find that middle ground with the rubrics she authorizes in the liturgy. We don’t make the rules for the liturgy on our own. The Church carefully regulates our liturgical prayer to protect us from deviating to the left or to the right.
Second, adding liturgical actions is contrary to the virtue of obedience. Remember, God desires obedience, not sacrifices. It is not that God is against sacrifice but obedience is more important. Disobedient sacrifices have no value, of which the Bible is replete with examples.
Third, clericalism, the sin of making the man behind the priestly collar, more than he is, takes away from the honor we owe Christ. It is true that the priest is an alter Christus, that is, another Christ, and brings us divine grace, but he is still a vessel. We owe all priests, bishops, and deacons respect in public and at church. Adding rubrics that are not part of the Catholic liturgical tradition is not the way to show respect for the priestly office.
Rather than adding bows during processions at Mass, we could all stand to pray more for our priests and encourage them with our words and actions at so many other times of each day.