From a seminarian:
In the Tridentine Rite of the Holy Mass, the Priest, after touching the Sacred Host, would then henceforth not seperate his fingers from the manner of keeping them together (thumb and index fingers). He would also keep his hands sixteen inches apart.
My question would then be: is this still permissible in the Novus Ordo or has this been suppressed? Any clarification you could give me would be helpful as I will be Ordained in a few years.
I am not so sure about the 16 inches thing. I believe that the point is to keep your fingers over the corporal in case some particle might drop. It would drop onto the corporal.
It is certainly okay for the priest to hold his "canonical digits" together in the Novus Ordo after the consecration and to keep them over the corporal. As a matter of fact, I think he ought to.
