From Religion News Service:
In an effort to insure a more sober ritual, the Vatican has urged bishops to clamp down on singing, moving around and other casual expressions of affection when the sign of peace is exchanged during Mass.
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments led by Spanish Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, has sent a letter to bishops around the world expressing concern about what it considers to be ritual abuses.
Among them, he said, were turning the sign of peace into a “song of peace,” the priest leaving the altar during the interlude, or use of the ritual to offer congratulations at weddings or condolences at funerals.
Read more here. Pope Francis has reportedly approved this letter. Exchanging the peace can range from reserved to raucous in Episcopal churches. Seeing how close we are liturgically to our Roman brothers and sisters, what do you think of this effort to create a more “sober ritual?”