Editing Genuflection (section)

=== Genuflecting to a bishop ===
From the custom of genuflecting to kings and other nobles arose the custom by which lay people or clergy of lesser rank genuflect to a prelate and kiss his [[ecclesiastical ring|episcopal ring]],<ref>[http://www.reu.org/public/ssbdocs/ssb0003.txt Canons of the Holy Orthodox Church, American Jurisdiction] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220010620/http://www.reu.org/public/ssbdocs/ssb0003.txt |date=February 20, 2009 }}</ref> as a sign of acceptance of the [[bishop]]'s [[Apostolic succession|apostolic authority as representing Christ]] in the local church,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kfoMPgke_YAC&q=%22bishop's+ring%22+kiss&pg=PA36|title=The Catholic Answer Book|first=Peter M. J.|last=Stravinskas|date=3 March 1994|publisher=Our Sunday Visitor|isbn=9780879737375|access-date=3 March 2018|via=Google Books}}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and originally their social position as lords.  Abbots and other senior monastics often received genuflection from their monks and often others.

Genuflecting before ''greater prelates'' (i.e. Bishops in their own dioceses, Metropolitans in their province, Papal Legates in the territory assigned to them, and Cardinals either outside of Rome or in the church assigned to them in Rome) is treated as obligatory in editions of the ''[[Caeremoniale Episcoporum]]'' earlier than that of 1985;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ceremoniaire.net/print/caer_ep/Caeremoniale_Ep-latin.pdf|title=Book 1, chapter XVIII of the 1886 edition|access-date=3 March 2018}}</ref> during [[Liturgy|liturgical]] functions [[Tridentine Mass|according to these prescriptions]], clergy genuflect when passing before such prelates, but an officiating priest and any more junior prelates, canons, etc. substitute a bow of the head and shoulders for the genuflection.<ref name=CE/>

The present Catholic liturgical books exclude genuflecting to a bishop during the liturgy: "A genuflection, made by bending the right knee to the ground, signifies adoration, and therefore it is reserved for the Most Blessed Sacrament, as well as for the Holy Cross from the solemn adoration during the liturgical celebration on [[Good Friday]] until the beginning of the [[Easter]] Vigil."<ref name="GIRM">{{cite web |title=The General Instruction of the Roman Missal |url=http://www.acbc.catholic.org.au/documents/200707031933.pdf |publisher=Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720091216/http://www.acbc.catholic.org.au/documents/200707031933.pdf |archive-date=20 July 2008 |date=May 2007}}</ref> But outside of the liturgy some continue to genuflect or kneel to kiss a bishop's ring.<ref>[http://dappledphotos.blogspot.com/2005/11/baciamano.html Baciamano] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705134743/http://dappledphotos.blogspot.com/2005/11/baciamano.html |date=July 5, 2007 }}</ref>

Though it is frequently asserted that genuflections are to be made on the left knee when made to merely human authorities,<ref name=Compass>[http://www.thecompassnews.org/2011/03/genuflection-which-knee-is-which/ "Genuflection — which knee is which?", ''The Compass'', March 19, 2011, Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin]</ref> there is no such prescription in any liturgical book.