The Catholic Church in Rome restores the handshake during Mass

The Catholic Church has reintroduced shaking hands during mass, according to a report on Saturday.

The Church’s continued relaxation of pandemic-era protocols was announced in a letter from Italy’s Bishops’ Conference, released by the country’s public broadcaster RAI and other Italian media.

“It will be possible to restore the usual form of peace sign exchange,” the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI) said in a letter to bishops published on its website.

Shaking hands typically occurs with the “peace sign” that comes after the Lord’s Prayer and before the sacrament of Holy Communion in Catholic Mass.

During the pandemic, the greeting was banned, and last year the CEI partially restored the greeting, but only through eye contact or a head nod.