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{{Short description|Traditional Christian greeting}}
[[Image:Alonzo_Rodriguez_Commiato_dei_santi_Pietro_e_Paolo_Messina_Museo_Regionale.jpg|thumb|''Farewell of [[Feast of Saints Peter and Paul|Saints Peter and Paul]]'', showing the [[Apostles in the New Testament|Apostles]] giving each other the holy kiss before their [[martyr]]dom. (Alonzo Rodriguez, 16th century, Museo Regionale di [[Messina]]).]]
The '''holy kiss''' is an ancient traditional [[Christianity|Christian]] [[greeting]], also called the '''kiss of peace''' or '''kiss of charity''', and sometimes the "brother kiss" (among men), or the "sister kiss" (among women). Such greetings signify a wish and blessing that [[peace]] be with the recipient, and besides their spontaneous uses they have certain [[ritualized]] or formalized uses long established in [[Christian liturgy]]. 

In the [[New Testament]] of the Christian Bible, the injunction for believers to greet one another with a holy kiss is given in five places in the New Testament.<ref name="Rice2000">{{cite book |last1=Rice |first1=John R. |title=Courtship and the Dangers of Petting |date=August 2000 |publisher=Sword of the Lord Publishers |isbn=978-0-87398-120-0 |page=5 |language=en |quote=And five times in the New Testament, Christians are commanded to salute or greet one another with a holy kiss, or the kiss of brotherly love (Rom. 16:16; I Cor. 16:20; II Cor. 13:12; I Thess. 5:26; I Pet. 5:14). We suppose that in most cases, if not in all cases, it was intended that Christian men should greet Christian men with a kiss, and Christian women should greet Christian women so.}}</ref> The early Christian [[Apologetics|apologist]] [[Tertullian]] wrote that before leaving a house, Christians are to give the holy kiss and say "peace to this house".<ref name="Stutzman2011"/> ''[[Apostolic Constitutions]]'' likewise declared "Then let the men apart, and the women apart, salute each other with a kiss in the Lord."<ref name="McDaniel2006">{{cite web |last1=McDaniel |first1=Michael |title=The Holy Kiss |url=http://www.ephrataministries.org/pdf/2006-03-holy-kiss.pdf?A5WSessionId=0ac72775a7cf45e0aa2370a238f5e557 |website=The Heartbeat of The Remnant |publisher=Ephrata Ministries |access-date=1 May 2024 |language=English |date=2006}}</ref>

Among [[Conservative Anabaptism|Conservative Anabaptists]], such as the [[Conservative Mennonites|Conservative Mennonite]] churches and the [[Dunkard Brethren Church]], the holy kiss is counted as an [[ordinance (Christianity)|ordinance]] of the Church.<ref name="Hartzler2013">{{cite book |last1=Hartzler |first1=Rachel Nafziger |title=No Strings Attached: Boundary Lines in Pleasant Places: A History of Warren Street / Pleasant Oaks Mennonite Church |date=30 April 2013 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1-62189-635-7 |language=English}}</ref><ref name="DBC2021">{{cite book |title=Dunkard Brethren Church Polity |date=1 November 2021 |publisher=[[Dunkard Brethren Church]] |page=6}}</ref> As such, denominations of [[Conservative Anabaptism]] observe the practice of the holy kiss.<ref name="DBC2021"/> Other denominations (such as the [[Catholic Church]] and [[Lutheran Church]]es) use various forms of greeting to serve equivalent purposes; these include [[kiss]]es, [[handshake]]s, [[gesture]]s or [[hug]]s, any of which may be called a '''sign of peace'''.

==History==
[[File:Tsar of Russia Nicholas II - kiss of peace-holy kiss to soldier - 1916.jpg|thumb|Tsar of Russia [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II]] gives a "brother kiss" to a soldier, 1916.]]
It was the widespread custom in the ancient eastern [[Mediterranean]] for men to greet each other with a [[kiss]].<ref>William Smith, Smith's Bible Dictionary, [http://biblehub.com/topical/k/kiss.htm Kiss], UK, 1988</ref> It was also the custom in ancient [[Judea]] and practiced also by Christians. However, the [[New Testament]]'s references to a [[Sacred|holy]] kiss ({{langx|grc|ἐν ἁγίω φιλήματι}}, {{transliteration|grc|en hagio philemati}}) and kiss of [[love]] ({{lang|grc|ἐν φιλήματι ἀγάπης}}) transformed the character of the act beyond a greeting; furthermore, in the early Church, "the verbal exchange of 'peace' with a kiss appears to be a Christian innovation, there being no clear example in pre-Christian literature."<ref name="Stutzman2011"/> The holy kiss was thus followed as a biblical teaching, rather than a cultural tradition. Such a kiss is mentioned five times in the concluding section of letters in the New Testament:

*[[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 16:16<ref>{{bibleverse|Romans|16:16|NIV}}</ref>—"Greet one another with a holy kiss" (Greek: {{lang|grc|ἀσπάσασθε ἀλλήλους ἐν φιλήματι ἁγίῳ}}).
*[[First Epistle to the Corinthians|1 Corinthians]] 16:20<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Corinthians|16:20|NIV}}</ref>—"Greet one another with a holy kiss" (Greek: {{lang|grc|ἀσπάσασθε ἀλλήλους ἐν φιλήματι ἁγίῳ}}).
*[[Second Epistle to the Corinthians|2 Corinthians]] 13:12<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Corinthians|13:12|NIV}}</ref>—"Greet one another with a holy kiss" (Greek: {{lang|grc|ἀσπάσασθε ἀλλήλους ἐν ἁγίῳ φιλήματι}}).
*[[First Epistle to the Thessalonians|1 Thessalonians]] 5:26<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Thessalonians|5:26|NIV}}</ref>—"Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss" (Greek: {{lang|grc|ἀσπάσασθε τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς πάντας ἐν φιλήματι ἁγίῳ}}).
*[[First Epistle of Peter|1 Peter]] 5:14<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Peter|5:14|NIV}}</ref>—"Greet one another with a kiss of love" (Greek: {{lang|grc|ἀσπάσασθε ἀλλήλους ἐν φιλήματι ἀγάπης}}).

The early Christian apologist [[Tertullian]] wrote that before leaving a house, Christians are to give the holy kiss and say "peace to this house".<ref name="Stutzman2011"/> [[Justin Martyr]], [[Origen]], and [[Cyprian]] attested to the practice of the holy kiss among Christians as well.<ref name="McDaniel2006"/>

Though also practiced outside of church, since the aforementioned epistles were addressed to Christian communities, the practice of the holy kiss was especially relevant in communal worship. It has been noted that these mentions of the holy kiss come at the end of these epistles, indicating "that the kiss was shared in conjunction with the benedictions at the conclusion of worship services" though it soon "became associated with the Eucharist" and thus "its location during the worship service moved forward in time to the celebration of Communion."<ref name="Stutzman2011">{{cite book |last1=Stutzman |first1=Paul Fike |title=Recovering the Love Feast: Broadening Our Eucharistic Celebrations |date=1 January 2011 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1-4982-7317-6 |language=English}}</ref> The holy kiss was seen as an essential part of preparing to partake in the Eucharist:<ref name="Stutzman2011"/>

{{quotation|Peace, reconciliation, and unity were the very essence of the church's life; without them communion would have been a sham. Bestowed by the Spirit and experienced in prayer, their liturgical expression—which pointed forward to the eucharist—was the holy kiss.<ref name="Stutzman2011"/>}}

For the early Christians, the holy kiss "was associated with the peace and unity given by the Holy Spirit to the congregation."<ref name="Stutzman2011"/>

The writings of the early church fathers speak of the holy kiss, which they call "a sign of peace", which was already part of the [[Eucharist]]ic [[liturgy]], occurring after the [[Lord's Prayer]] in the [[Roman Rite]] and the rites directly derived from it. [[St. Augustine]], for example, speaks of it in one of his Easter Sermons:

{{Quotation|Then, after the consecration of the Holy Sacrifice of God, because He wished us also to be His sacrifice, a fact which was made clear when the Holy Sacrifice was first instituted, and because that Sacrifice is a sign of what we are, behold, when the Sacrifice is finished, we say the Lord's Prayer which  you have received and recited. After this, the 'Peace be with you' is said, and the Christians embrace one another with the holy kiss. This is a sign of peace; as the lips indicate, let peace be made in your conscience, that is, when your lips draw near to those of your brother, do not let your heart withdraw from his. Hence, these are great and powerful sacraments.<ref>SERMON 227, ''The Fathers of the Church'',(1959), Roy Joseph Deferrari, Genera editor, ''Sermons on the Liturgical Seasons'', vol. 38, p. 197. [https://archive.org/details/fathersofthechur009512mbp] See also: Sermon 227 in ''The Works of Saint Augustine: A New Translation for the 21st Century'', (1993), Vol. 6, part, 3, p. 255. {{ISBN|1-56548-050-3}}</ref>}}

Augustine's Sermon 227 is just one of several early Christian primary sources, both textual and iconographic (i.e., in works of art) providing clear evidence that the "kiss of peace" as practiced in the Christian liturgy was customarily exchanged for the first several centuries, not mouth to cheek, but mouth to mouth (note that men were separated from women during the liturgy) for, as the primary sources also show, this is how early Christians believed Christ and his followers exchanged their own kiss. For example, in his {{lang|la|Paschale carmen}} ({{circa|425–50}}), Latin priest-poet Sedulius condemns Judas and his betrayal of Christ with a kiss thus, "And leading that sacrilegious mob with its menacing swords and spikes, you press your mouth against his, and infuse your poison into his honey?"<ref>For a documented discussion of the mouth-to-mouth early Christian kiss of peace, see Franco Mormando, "Just as your lips approach the lips of yours brothers: Judas Iscariot and the Kiss of Betrayal," in ''Saints and Sinners: Caravaggio and the Baroque Image,'' ed. F. Mormando (Chestnut Hill, MA: McMullen Museum of Boston College, 1999), pp.179-190.</ref>

The kiss of peace was known in Greek from an early date as {{transliteration|grc|eirḗnē}} ({{lang|grc|εἰρήνη}}, 'peace', which became {{lang|la|pax}} in Latin and ''[[wikt:peace|peace]]'' in English).<ref name=CathEncl>[[Catholic Encyclopedia]] – [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08663a.htm Kiss]</ref> The source of the peace greeting is probably from the common Hebrew greeting {{transliteration|he|[[shalom]]}}; and the greeting "Peace be with you" is similarly a translation of the Hebrew {{transliteration|he|[[shalom aleichem]]}}. In the [[Gospels]], both greetings were used by [[Jesus]] – e.g. Luke 24:36;<ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|24:36}}</ref> [[John 20:21]], [[John 20:26]]. The Latin term translated as 'sign of peace' is simply {{lang|la|pax}} ('peace'), not {{lang|la|signum pacis}} ('sign of peace') nor {{lang|la|osculum pacis}} ('kiss of peace'). So the invitation by the deacon, or in his absence by the priest, "Let us offer each other the sign of peace", is in Latin: {{lang|la|Offerte vobis pacem}} ("Offer each other peace" or "Offer each other the peace").

From an early date, to guard against any abuse of this form of salutation, women and men were required to sit separately, and the kiss of peace was given only by women to women and by men to men, with closed mouths.<ref name="Stutzman2011"/><ref name=CathEncl />

The holy kiss was distinguished as a ritual only to be partaken of by [[baptism|baptized Christian]]s, with catechumens and non-Christians not being greeted this way.<ref name="Stutzman2011"/> [[Apostolic Tradition]] specified with regard to catechumens: "When they have prayed they shall not give the kiss of peace for their kiss is not yet holy".<ref name="Stutzman2011"/>

==In the Church==
Among [[Conservative Anabaptism|Conservative Anabaptists]], such as the [[Conservative Mennonites|Conservative Mennonite]] churches and the [[Dunkard Brethren Church]], the holy kiss is counted as an [[ordinance (Christianity)|ordinance]] of the Church.<ref name="Hartzler2013">{{cite book |last1=Hartzler |first1=Rachel Nafziger |title=No Strings Attached: Boundary Lines in Pleasant Places: A History of Warren Street / Pleasant Oaks Mennonite Church |date=30 April 2013 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1-62189-635-7 |language=English}}</ref><ref name="DBC2021">{{cite book |title=Dunkard Brethren Church Polity |date=1 November 2021 |publisher=[[Dunkard Brethren Church]] |page=6}}</ref> As such, denominations of [[Conservative Anabaptism]] observe the practice of the holy kiss.<ref name="DBC2021"/>

The practice of a sign of peace remains a part of the worship in traditional churches, including the [[Roman Catholic Church]], [[Eastern Catholic Churches]], [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Eastern Orthodox churches]], [[Oriental Orthodoxy|Oriental Orthodox churches]], the [[Church of the East]]; the [[Lutheran Church]], the [[Anglican Church]],<ref>Book of Common Prayer, 1979;</ref> and among [[Spiritual Christian]]s, where it is often called the 'kiss of peace', 'sign of peace', 'holy kiss' or simply 'peace' or 'pax'.  

=== Anabaptism ===
The holy kiss is particularly important among many [[Anabaptist]] denominations, being counted as an [[ordinance (Christianity)|ordinance]] of the Church.<ref name="Hartzler2013">{{cite book |last1=Hartzler |first1=Rachel Nafziger |title=No Strings Attached: Boundary Lines in Pleasant Places: A History of Warren Street / Pleasant Oaks Mennonite Church |date=30 April 2013 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1-62189-635-7 |language=English}}</ref><ref name="DBC2021"/> Anabaptist groups observing the holy kiss include the [[Apostolic Christian Church]], the [[Amish]], the [[Schwarzenau Brethren]], and many [[Conservative Mennonite]] Churches including the [[Church of God in Christ, Mennonite]].<ref name="ACC">{{Cite web|url=http://www.apostolicchristianchurch.org/Pages/Beliefs,%2520The%2520Holy%2520Kiss.htm|title=Apostolic Christian Church Info Center, The Holy Kiss|website=www.apostolicchristianchurch.org|access-date=2019-08-29}}</ref>

=== Eastern Orthodoxy ===
In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]'s Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the exchange of the peace occurs at the midpoint of the service, when the scripture readings have been completed and the Eucharistic prayers are yet to come. The priest announces, "Let us love one another that with one accord we may confess—" and the people conclude the sentence, "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Trinity, one in essence and undivided." At that point the kiss of peace is exchanged by clergy at the altar, and in some churches among the laity as well (the custom is being reintroduced, but is not universal). Immediately after the peace, the deacon cries "The doors! The doors!"; in ancient times, the catechumens and other non-members of the church would depart at this point, and the doors would be shut behind them. At that, worshippers then recite the Nicene Creed.

In the Eastern Orthodox Liturgy, the kiss of peace is preparation for the Creed: "Let us love one another that we may confess{{nbsp}}[...] the Trinity."

In the early centuries the kiss of peace was exchanged between the clergy: clergy kissing the bishop, laymen kissing laymen, and women kissing the women, according to the Apostolic Constitutions. Today the kiss of love is exchanged between concelebrating priests. Such has been the case for centuries. In a few Orthodox dioceses in the world in the last few decades, the kiss of peace between laymen has attempted to be reinstituted, usually as a handshake, hugging or cheek kissing.

Another example of an exchange of the peace is when, during the Divine Liturgy, the Priest declares to the people "Peace be with all", and their reply: "And with your Spirit". More examples of this practice may be found within Eastern Orthodoxy, but these are the most prominent examples.

=== Catholicism ===
In the [[Catholic Church]], the term now used is not "the kiss of peace", but "the sign of peace" or "the rite of peace". The ''[[General Instruction of the Roman Missal]]'' states: "There follows the Rite of Peace, by which the Church entreats peace and unity for herself and for the whole human family, and the faithful express to each other their ecclesial communion and mutual charity before communicating in the Sacrament."<ref>General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 82</ref> The priest says or sings: "The peace of the Lord be with you always", to which the people respond: "And with your spirit." Then, as stated in the Roman Missal, "if appropriate, the Deacon, or the Priest, adds: 'Let us offer each other the sign of peace.'"<ref name=RM>Roman Missal, Order of Mass, 127–128</ref>

In the [[Roman Rite]], it is placed after the [[Pater Noster]] and before the [[Fractio panis (liturgy)|Fractio Panis]]. Even within the Catholic Church, there are [[Latin liturgical rites|liturgical rites]] (the [[Ambrosian Rite]] and the [[Mozarabic Rite]]) in which it is placed after the Liturgy of the Word, before the gifts for consecration are put on the altar. The latter placing is influenced by the recommendation in Matthew 5:23–24<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|5:23–24}}</ref> about seeking reconciliation with another before completing an offering at the altar. It was a practice in Rome itself at the time of [[Justin Martyr]] in the middle of the 2nd century. In the 3rd century the present placing was chosen not only in Rome but also in other parts of the West such as [[Africa (Roman province)|Roman Africa]], where [[Saint Augustine]] understood it as related to the petition, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us", in the Lord's Prayer and to the link between being in communion with the body of Christ understood as the Church and receiving communion with the body of Christ in the Eucharist.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=6e6LZrH1WXgC&dq=Irwin+%22sign+of+peace%22+Augustine&pg=PA123 Kevin W. Irwin, ''Responses to 101 Questions on the Mass'' (Paulist Press 1999)] {{ISBN|978-0-80913888-3}}, pp. 122–123</ref>

Within the Roman Rite, instructions for the sign of peace differ depending on the liturgy being performed. In the [[Tridentine Mass]], the sign of peace is given at [[Solemn Mass]]es alone and is exchanged only among the clergy (unless emperors, kings or princes were present, in which case they, too, received the greeting by means of a [[Pax (liturgical object)|pax]]).<ref name="CathEncl" /> It is given by extending both arms in a slight embrace with the words {{lang|la|Pax tecum}} ("Peace be with you"), first by the priest celebrant to the [[deacon]], who in turn gives it to the [[subdeacon]], who gives the sign to any other clergy present in [[choir dress]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fortescue |first=Adrian |url=https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.7351/page/n129/mode/2up?view=theater |title=The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described |publisher=Burnes Oates and Washbourne |year=1917 |location=London |pages=109 |language=EN}}</ref> There also existed a custom in some places of the [[Bridegroom|groom]] giving the Peace to the [[bride]] at the [[Nuptial Mass]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jungmann |first=Joseph |url=https://archive.org/details/JungmannMassOfTheRomanRite/mode/2up |title=The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development |publisher=Benzinger Brothers |year=1951 |location=Milwaukee |pages=327–328 |language=en |quote=According to an old French custom, however, the priest gave the Kiss of Peace to the groom in a bridal Mass, who in turn imparted it to the bride.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Maskell |first=William |url=https://archive.org/details/monumentaritual00englgoog/page/73/mode/2up?view=theater |title=Monumenta Ritualia Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ ; the occasional offices of the church of England according to the old use of Salisbury, the Prymer in English, and other prayers and forms |publisher=Oxford, Clarendon Press |year=1882 |edition=2nd |location=Oxford |pages=74 |language=EN |quote=A manuscript pontifical in the library of Magdalen College, Oxford, of the twelfth or thirteenth century, has in this place the rubric, "Hic osculatur sponsus sacerdotem, et potestea suam sponsam."}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Doncouer |first=Paul |url=https://archive.org/details/retours-en-chretiene-la-naissance-la-mariage-la-mort-paul-doncoeur-1951-pg.-121 |title=La naissance, le mariage, la mort: Retours en chrétienté |publisher=Presses d'lle de France |year=1951 |pages=121 |language=FR}}</ref> However, unlike the present form of the Roman Rite, neither the bride nor the groom would pass the peace to anyone else.<ref>{{Cite book |last=De Smet |first=Alöis |url=https://archive.org/details/betrothmentmarri01smetiala/page/202/mode/2up |title=Betrothment and marriage; a canonical and theological treatise with notices on history and civil law |publisher=Herder |year=1912 |location=St. Louis |pages=202 |language=EN |translator-last=Dobbell |quote=Then the bridegroom received the pax from the celebrant, and gave it to his wife, but  neither, he nor she, gave it to any other, as the Rituals prescribe.}}</ref>

In the [[Mass of Paul VI]], the sign of peace is used at most [[Mass (liturgy)|Masses]] but is not obligatory. It is exchanged between all present in no prescribed order, except that "the Priest gives the sign of peace to a Deacon or minister."<ref name=RM/> The manner prescribed is as follows: "It is appropriate that each one give the sign of peace only to those who are nearest and in a sober manner. The Priest may give the sign of peace to the ministers but always remains within the sanctuary, so as not to disturb the celebration. He does likewise if for a just reason he wishes to extend the sign of peace to some few of the faithful."<ref name=VD>[https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20040423_redemptionis-sacramentum_en.html Redemptionis Sacramentum], 72</ref>

The following are considered abuses by the [[Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments]]:<ref name=XD>[https://zenit.org/articles/text-of-vatican-document-on-sign-of-peace-at-mass/ Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. ''The Ritual Expression of the Gift of Peace at Mass''], 6c</ref>
*introducing a "song of peace" to accompany the rite;
*the faithful moving from their places to exchange the sign of peace;
*the priest leaving the altar to give the sign of peace to some of the faithful;
*expressing other sentiments, e.g. expressing congratulations, best wishes or condolences among those present at a [[wedding]], [[funeral]] or other ceremony.

The gesture by which the sign of peace is exchanged is to be determined by the local [[episcopal conference]]. In some countries, such as the [[United States]], the conference has laid down no rules, and the everyday handshake is generally used, while in other countries, such as [[India]] and [[Thailand]], a bow is prescribed.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S31TA-yPDGwC&q=%22sign+of+peace%22+handshake+bow&pg=PT85|title=Liturgical Question Box: Answers to Common Questions about the Modern Liturgy|first=Peter J.|last=Elliott|date=January 1, 1998|publisher=Ignatius Press|isbn=9780898706772|via=Google Books}}</ref> A 2014 letter of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments recommended that conferences choose gestures more appropriate than "familiar and profane gestures of greeting".<ref name=VD/>

=== Lutheranism ===
The [[Lutheran Church]] teaches:<ref name="ELCA2013">{{cite web |title=What is the "Exchange of Peace?" |url=https://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/What_is_the_Exchange_of_Peace.pdf |publisher=[[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]] |access-date=2 April 2020 |language=en |date=2013}}</ref>

{{quotation|The exchange of peace is a ministry, an announcement of grace we make to each other, a summary of the gift given to us in the liturgy of the Word. This ministry we do to each other is far greater than a sociable handshake or a ritual of friendship or a moment of informality. Because of the presence of Jesus Christ, we give to each other what we are saying: Christ's own peace. Then, having been gathered by the Spirit around the Risen One present in the word, we turn to celebrate his meal (p. 173).<ref name="ELCA2013"/>}}

Within the celebration of the Holy Communion, the sign of peace takes the form of a kiss or handshake.<ref name="ELCA2013"/>

=== Moravianism ===
{{Main|Right Hand of Fellowship}}

=== Anglicanism and Methodism ===
In the [[Anglican Church]] it is common practice at more formal services for the congregation to be invited to "offer one another a sign of peace". However, this is usually a handshake although married couples may kiss one another instead. [[Methodists]] likewise exchange "signs and words of God's peace".<ref>{{cite web |title=A Service of Word and Table I and Introductions to the Other Forms |url=https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/book-of-worship/a-service-of-word-and-table-i-and-introductions-to-the-other-forms |website=Discipleship Ministries |publisher=United Methodist Church}}</ref>

=== Reformed ===
The [[Reformed tradition]] (inclusive of the Continental Reformed, Presbyterian, Evangelical Anglican and Congregationalist Churches) has adopted the holy kiss either metaphorically (in that members extend a pure, warm welcome that is referred to as a 'holy kiss') or literally (in that members kiss one another).

==See also==
{{portal|Christianity}}
* [[Right Hand of Fellowship]]
* [[Kiss of Judas#In the New Testament|Kiss of Judas]]
* [[Pax (liturgy)]]
* [[Pax (liturgical object)]], an object formerly kissed as a substitute during Catholic masses
* [[Socialist fraternal kiss]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.ephrataministries.org/pdf/2006-03-holy-kiss.pdf?A5WSessionId=0ac72775a7cf45e0aa2370a238f5e557 The Holy Kiss by Michael Daniel (Ephrata Ministries)] 
* [http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/K52578.html Kiss, Holy] in ''Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online''
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08663a.htm Kiss] – [[Catholic Encyclopedia]]
{{CatholicMass|collapsed}}
{{Lutheran Divine Service}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Greetings]]
[[Category:Christian symbols]]
[[Category:Religion and peace]]
[[Category:Mass (liturgy)]]
[[Category:Biblical phrases]]
[[Category:Anabaptism]]
[[Category:Christian terminology]]
[[Category:Kissing|Peace]]