We’ve developed a little tradition among our choir during the peace. We turn to each other, hold out our hands, and bow. It was funny at first, now it seems like a nice way of passing the peace in a dignified way, to wit, the way HH does it in Rome. Course, we’re a very orthodox parish. Anglican Use. We don’t even have that bit at the beginning about “The love of God, and of His son Jesus Christ and the Friendship of the Holy Spirit...” No, we have the “Hear the words of our Lord Jesus Christ as he said ‘Come unto me all ye who travail and are heavy laden and I will refresh thee’” followed by the Summary of the Law.
Even still, I have trouble with our liturgy sometimes as we use the words of the heretic bishop Thomas Cranmer even as we venerate the memory of St. John Fisher, and St. Thomas More.
When I lived in the Orient the norm was to bow to one’s neighbors at the sign of peace at the Chinese language masses at least. All in all I think it a more dignified way to handle things than the gladhanding free for all that we have here normally.
Nobody forces you to go to an “Anglican Use” Parish and hear the words of the “Heretic” Thomas Cranmer. I guess you approve of his Martyrdom by being burned at the stake by Catholics so I suppose you could reflect on that while you listen to the “Heretic’s” words.