HOLY COMMUNION WHEN GIVEN BY THE BISHOP

Whenever the bishop administered Holy Communion he gave the kiss of peace first to the ministers assisting him, and then to those whom he communicated, who also in turn saluted him. There is a vestige of this ancient practice yet in vogue; for, according to our modern discipline, whoever receives Holy Communion from a bishop is required to kiss his ring first. The true origin of this ceremony is founded on the fact that in ancient times all the faithful were regarded as forming one common family with the bishop as their head, and as a pledge of this spiritual union the kiss of peace used to be imparted upon receiving the great Head and Father of all (Mabillon, Comment. in Ord. Rom.; Valesius, Not. ad Eusebii Hist., l. vi. c. xliii.; Kozma, Liturg. Sacr. Cathol., p. 243, note; Bona, p. 359). The modern practice of kneeling down to kiss the bishop’s ring is derived from this ancient custom.