” I want to see the ring-kissing go away too. It has nothing to do with religion. It’s from the times when bishops were a secular power.”
I want more of the hand-kissing since it goes back to BEFORE bishops were a secular power. In the Orthodox Churches it is still the custom in many places to kiss the hands of a priest and bishops. The difference is that with the priest they say
“Father bless” and with the bishop they say “Master bless.”
If you hate to see people kissing a priest’s hands, then don’t watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqUHY0_Cq-c&feature=related
S, we’ll do what you want - not kiss the bishop’s ring - but now everyone will have to kiss the hands of every Catholic and Orthodox priest or bishop they meet. How’s that?
” In the Orthodox Churches it is still the custom in many places to kiss the hands of a priest and bishops.”
It’s our custom everywhere so far as I know. Whern we meet a priest or hierarch, we kiss his right hand. We will all line up and kiss the priest’s hand tomorrow after the Divine Liturgy’ He will give us anditheron and bless us. It’s a good thing.
Why kiss the hand of any mortal man? If Jesus were here, I would gladly kiss His hand. He is a true intermediary to God the Father. There are no mortal/human intermediaries, just teachers and keepers of the faith.