KISSING THE HAND OF THE PRIEST.

Because I am unworthy, I do not encourage or seek it. However, I do not deny those, if they so desire, the traditional practice of kissing the hand of a Priest – the hand which Consecrates, touches and distributes the Blessed Sacrament because, every Orthodox Priest is ordained by an Orthodox Bishop, every Orthodox Bishop was consecrated by a previously consecrated Orthodox Bishop back to the original Holy Apostles (known as Apostolic Succession) and every Apostle had direct contact with The Lord Jesus Christ Himself; therefore, by kissing the Orthodox Priest’s hand, we have an unbroken physical and spiritual link to the True God Man Jesus Christ Himself.

From the very Early Church, Orthodox lay people have continued the habit of kissing a cleric’s hand as a sign of respect for his religious role. Many contemporary clergymen through, false humility, spurn this practice, pointing out that it elevates the Priest above the people. In truth, the practice has traditionally been accepted in the Church as a means by which the people can express their humility before the holy, the image of which is embodied in the Priest. When a Priest’s hand is kissed, the kiss acknowledges the fact that he touches the Holy Eucharist, which elevates not the man, but the holiness with which he interacts in a literal way.

The real question is, “Why don’t we kiss more people’s hands?” Kissing the hand of the priest is not an exceptional thing, but rather is the remnant of what was once a perfectly normal custom: showing reverence to our elders by kissing their right hands. There are certainly many people alive today in Greece, for example, who remember that the kissing of the hand was the normal and expected way to show reverence not only to the clergy but to parents, grandparents, godparents, and others in authority over us or holding a revered position in our lives.

In the Philippines for example, the art of holding the hands of ones Elder to their forehead is still very much practiced, out of respect for that Elder.

The disappearance of this custom is part of the disintegration of traditional Christian society, which was based on hierarchy, humility, and respect. And based, of course, on love, which does not exist without respect.

When we kiss the hand of the bishop or priest, we are not showing respect to the person of the priest but to his sacred office. The priest as a man is a sinner, but the priest as priest represents Christ; he is an icon of Christ. Also, though his hand is unworthy, yet it touches the Most Holy Things – the Precious Body and Blood of the Lord. Furthermore, despite his unworthiness, in Holy Ordination he has received the Grace of God to impart spiritual gifts and blessings. Why would we deprive ourselves of the blessings of our Lord Himself, by not seeking the priest’s blessing?

Kissing the hand of the priest is no different than kissing an Orthodox Cross out of reverence for what it represents. 

And as I mentioned above, because I am unworthy, I do not encourage or seek it. However, I do not deny those, if they so desire, the traditional practice of kissing the hand of a Priest – the hand which Consecrates, touches and distributes the Blessed Sacrament.