AboutJ.M.J. West Expertise I will make an attempt at almost any question. I am a trained Catechist and Apologist, and I can answer most questions regarding:
-Church Doctrine
-Biblical questions (I have a cursory understanding of Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic)
-Catholic Philosophy
-History of the Church (especially the early church)
-Apologetic questions (i.e. why we believe what we believe)
-Ethics
I look forward to your questions!
Experience I work as the College Catechist of Benedictine College in Atchison, KS, and the Director of RCIA. I am a revert to the Catholic faith and had to learn my way home, so to speak.
Education/Credentials B.A. Philosophy, Benedictine College
B.A. History, Benedictine College
Expert: J.M.J. West Date: 7/3/2008 Subject: rules for priests touching congregants
Question I am writing a novel. I want to be as accurate as possible. I am depicting a priest comforting a woman after the death of her husband. He hugs her. Would this be realistic, or are priests not allowed to touch congregants in this way?
Answer Sadly, in this modern world most forms of touch are "discouraged" lest we give rise to scandal.
However, at a pastoral level, there is still room for discretion in general; it would probably depend upon who the priest was, who the woman was, how well they knew each other, etc. If it's Father Mick, who's been the parish priest at St. Pats for nigh 35 years, then hugging a parishioner is probably not that uncommon. If it's Father Frank, the rough around the edges new priest at a larger parish where he's not established, then probably not.
There is no official policy that I am aware of forbidding priests from touching the parishioners (though there are guidelines in place now for all ADULT/CHILD interactions, which is lamentably understandable, but is also quite dumb).
