The Correct Way to do the Sign of The Cross

Father George Elliot answers how to do the Catholic Sign of the Cross correctly. He discusses the cultural differences and meanings of how to do the sign of the cross.

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The sign of the cross is a Catholic tradition. There is a correct way to do the sign of the cross and specific reasons to do the sign of the cross. Father George answers all this and discusses the Catholic tradition in the sign of the cross. When do you make the sign of the cross. Is sign of the cross just for Catholics. Are there more Catholic hand motions. Do you use right or left hand for the sign of the cross. Do all Catholic rites use the sign of the cross.

***QUESTION of the DAY

How do you make the sign of the cross?

[hansendsilva]

By the sign of the cross, deliver us from all that is evil. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit

[Caleb-wl]

The correct way to do the sign of the Cross is with a humble and contrite heart!

[JayRedding_]

Open hand represents Christ's wounds. The three fingers represent the Holy Trinity. We in the western Church use the right hand because Christ sits at the right hand of The Father. They do the Sign of the Cross on the forehead, lips, and chest to remind us to keep Christ on our mind, on our words, and in our hearts.

[DragonBallZUs]

I know this is over a year ago, but may the Lord Our God keep you and bless you always! Thank you father! Sometimes stress and anxiety cloud my mind and this was the 1st video to pop up in my search. I don't want to offend Our Beloved Church or our Lord by doing it incorrectly during those times where my mind gets the best of me and I overthink; turns out I have been doing it correctly. (Heather Augustine, Harnett County, NC)

[mariaguinea]

In Spanish:
"Por la Señal de la Santa Cruz (cruz en la frente)
de nuestros enemigos (cruz en la boca)
líbranos Señor Dios nuestro."

I'll try to translate it into English just for you, english speakers, to know - more or less - what we say when doing this (please, excuse my English, it's horrible!!!)

"By the Sign of the Holy Cross, (a little Cross in the forehead, as the father shows)
from our enemies (cross in the mouth)
save us our Lord" (cross in the chest)
And then the we do the Sign of the Cross...

I am very surprised, I thought people do the same everywhere. Is something we only do spaniards or spanish people? 😳 We do it always when we start praying the Rosary, for exemple, but not in the Holy Mass or entering the church. Thank you, father, it has been a curious video for me. And I will tell my catholic friends and family that not everybody do the same! Greetings and blessings from Spain! 🙏

[By the way, I find this particular - as I've learnt today - way of doing the Sign of the Cross as a kind of prayer, something like "Save me Lord of bad thoughts (cross in the forehead), bad words (mouth) and bad feelings (chest)"]

[WillySF]

Orthodox sign with the right hand but the right shoulder is touched first. Also it is common to sign with the thumb, index and middle finger together representing the Holy Trinity with the last fingers touching the palm representing the two distinct natures of Christ. I think the word you were searching for is “embellished”.

[Lisadoesrandomthings]

I’m Jewish but I grew up in Louisiana and I couldn’t remember if you did it from left to right or right to left.
Turns out I was just doing it wrong because I was using my left hand not my right.
Thank you very informative.

[joshrichards]

I’m a relatively new convert to Catholicism. I’ve apparently been doing the sign of the cross as a hybrid of Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. Left to right should but with the thumb, index and middle finger. I am a laborer and was experiencing pain in my shoulders and also from my elbow to my pinky. Apparently the pain is from the ulnar nerve (funny bone nerve) getting trapped. It forces the pinky and ring finger down towards my palm to alleviate the pain. I’ve noticed this is the Benediction pose. I’ve also noticed Christ’s hands (one or both hands) usually depicted this way on images of the crucifixion. I’ve also heard that when the nails pierced His wrists, they pierced this nerve. The pain to be hung up by the funny bone nerve had to be excruciating. Anyway, that’s why I use the 3 fingers.

[abrahamc.]

The right Catholic "hispanic" way described here is: By the sign of the Holy Cross (while making the sign of the Cross over your forehead) Of our enemies (while making the sign of the Cross over your lips) Free us, Lord of ours (while making the sign of the cross over your heart), and finish the form with a "classic" sign of the Cross

[Perseverance-]

The five as you make the sign of the cross reflects the five wounds of Jesus Christ. If you make the sign of the cross, with 3 fingers, the thumb, point finger and middle stands for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I learned this from some priests.😊

[JayRedding_]

I recommend saying: In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti AH-men

[wilfredosoto]

In Hispanic culture we tend to embellish, or as it’s said in Puerto Rico, “enflorecer” or “flower it up” (make it beautiful), lot of things. This adds a lot to things that we do and at times it’s annoying, like with speeches. But when it comes to religion it’s usually a true thing of beauty. I learned everything in Spanish and although truly bilingual with no accent of either when speaking the other, when it came to attending mass I found it a struggle to attend the English mass service because I always felt that I had missed something! And the irony is that my catechism was taught by a priest who was from the Midwest who spoke mostly in English with me and not Spanish and had lived in Puerto Rico for so long that he had almost forgotten English! 😂

[ezioauditore]

In catholicism it goes like this:forehead, chest, left and right shoulder
Right?

[JohnLilburne]

Ceremonial of Bishops, n. 108, footnote 81, describes the making the Sign of the Cross: “he holds the palm of the right hand turned toward himself, with all the fingers joined and held straight”. 1989 Liturgical Press translation.

[FuzzballSupreme]

I'm so glad Kendall Roy found redemption. Bless you, sir.

[heresjohnny]

Thank you for easy explanation. God bless. 🙌

[Jay.Walker]

I like version in movie, "Die Hard With a Vengeance" where Bruce Willis tells Samuel Jackson, "North, South, East, West". Tom Hanks, "League of Their Own" with added point to the sky is also, great.

[patmark]

Sign of cross is enriched with a partial indulgence

[alex_roivas]

btw, its not just in hispanic culture. i just saw a video of it called "The FULL version of the Sign of the Cross", and they do it the same way! i dont know what their nationality is, but to me they seemed south asian.

[joefranks]

Place the left hand over your heart, then use your right hand to the forehead, then to the sternum, left shoulder, right shoulder. It's not difficult people. Was taught by the Dominican Sisters from Sininawa Wisconsin.