We are all familiar with the sign of peace offered to those sitting around us right before communion. Before COVID-19 we typically would offer a handshake, but today it is more likely a nod, a fist bump, or a peace sign. We might still offer a kiss or handshake to close relatives. I’ve wondered how this ritual started and what was the meaning behind it. I thought that it might have to do with Jesus’ appearance to His disciples after the Resurrection. What I’ve also discovered is that there has been some controversy about the ritual within the Church despite the connection to Jesus.
From John 20: 19-20 we know that on the evening of the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples behind closed doors and said to them, “Peace be with you.” He also showed them His hands and His side, and the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus then said to the apostles a second time, “Peace be with you,” and He breathed the Holy Spirit on them, authorizing them to forgive sins (John 20: 21-23). Sister Carolina Blázquez Casado (EWTN) explains that the Rite of Peace is not a friendly gesture, but instead it expresses the desire to be reconciled with one another, to be instruments of peace, and to be members of the one body of Christ (EWTN).
The Jimmy Akin Podcast tells us that the start of the Rite of Peace began a very long time ago (Catholic Answers; The Sign of Peace…) ; the first reference to it is from Justin Martyr in 155 A.D. In those times people gathered on the Lord’s Day similarly to the present day mass. After the prayers of the faithful which comes at the end of the Liturgy of the Word, a “holy kiss” was given as a sign of peace. At that time the kiss was commonly used to greet others. Therefore, up until the Roman rite changes, the Peace Rite was before the Offertory, but now of course it is right before Communion.
The controversy is between those who believe that the Rite of Peace should be returned to its original place instead of the current position right after the Our Father. Those that support the pre-Offertory position believe that the ritual can get out of hand and be disruptive when done right before communion. Those that support the later time in the mass say that having the ritual before communion reminds us to forgive our debtors as we have just prayed in the Our Father. It downplays the aspect of mutual love and affection and increases the aspect of receiving peace from Christ. In 2007 Pope Benedict XVI settled the matter by deciding to leave the Peace Rite in its current position as doing so demonstrates the significance of peace as something coming from Christ. Additionally, the ritual is “the peace of Christ, represented by the altar and by the crucifix, and really present in the consecrated host “(Catholic Answers; The Meaning…).
Catholic Answers. The Meaning of the Sign of Peace. Retrieved July 11, 2026 from https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/the-meaning-of-the-sign-of-peace
Catholic Answers. The Sign of Peace: What Are We Supposed to Do? Retrieved July 17, 2026 from https://www.catholic.com/audio/tjap/the-sign-of-peace-what-are-we-supposed-to-do
EWTN. Rite of Peace is not just a greeting or friendly gesture, nun explains. Retrieved July 30, 2026 from: https://ewtn.no/rite-of-peace-is-not-just-a-greeting-or-friendly-gesture-nun-explains/
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