Question about Catholic Traditions?

Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury (1532-53) wrote ‘Let us diligently search the well of life, in the books of the New and Old Testament and not run after the stinking puddles of tradition devised by man's imagination’.

I have never heard of a Catholic doing this, most Catholics genuflect only before the Eucharist and I've never seen one kiss their hands. I wonder if this is an Eastern or Maronite Tradtion? I don't know as much about those branches of Catholicism. There is another possibility:

When people say they are "traditional Catholics" it almost always means that the have rejected the modern Catholic Church and are following what they consider to be an older varient. This is essentially another branch of Protestantism, since they are free to make up their own traditions and left to protest the direction of the Church. His specific congregation maybe the only one which does this...

It seems like this coworker has taken the tradition of genuflecting to the Holy Eucharist and applied it to every building he enters, this is not catholic and it seems to me to devalue the respect that it is meant to show to the Eucharist. As for kissing the hands some Catholics make a cross with their fingers and kiss it after they make the sign of the cross.

I have never heard of a Catholic genuflecting and kissing their hands for any building but at church totally.

At Church the Catholic would be genuflecting (bending the knee, or half kneeling) toward the tabernacle where we believe that God is present.

Some Catholics (especially Latin Catholics) might put their index finger over their thumb to make a kind of cross and kiss it, showing reverence to the cross ( which we believe is the new tree of life ).

Other than this, I have never heard of anyone doing it for just any building, and kissing just any part of their hand.

It is nothing to do with Catholicism. It is upto each individuals conscience to show a sign of respect. People genuflect before the Eucharistic Alter and kissing of own hand is done at the end of the sign of the cross, which is literally kissing the cross. Just like a fly kiss :)These aren't traditions though.

He's probably doing it to ask for Christ's protection and blessing whenever he leaves the 'safety' of a building. The sign of the Cross is a blessing and prayer to Catholics. Is he actually Genuflecting (getting down on one knee) or just making the Sign of the Cross? They're different, but I've noticed a lot of NonCatholics mix them up. If there's a Church in the vicinity, a siren going off in the distance, he hears someone is about to die, or has died, or is being born, or a procession is going by, I bet he makes The Sign.

Being a Traditional Catholic he may have some even deeper meaning to it; Traditional Catholics delve very deeply into prayers and devotions, into the Sacramental nature of the world and life.

Perhaps he is acknowledging the safety of all those who enter or leave the building is ultimately up to God.

(I pray every time I get behind the wheel of my car.)

In the New Testament Jesus tells a story about workers who died while building a tower at Shalom..He was pointing out that not all of them were evil and one shouldn't think all were simply because of the accident-rather that one does not know when their time will come,so be prepared.

Blessings

He may be superstitious. We always do the sign of the cross entering and leaving church, or cemeteries or sanctified places. We don't do it for any building we enter or exit tho. The hand kiss is Hispanic in origin, done at the end of the sign of the cross. Pax Christi

I don't know about leaving any old building, but when a Catholic enters or leaves a church, chapel, etc. (somewhere the Eucharist is present), they are to genuflect and show respect to the body of Christ inside the tabernacle.

If that helps...

I have never heard of any such tradition. Surely that is no official Catholic teaching.

Might this person be a member of the Society of St. Pius X? That could explain a bit.

Most Roman Catholic traditions are not based on the Bible, so don't worry about them.

It is good that you are trying to understand, but as you can tell, very few on here will give you a serious answer.

The one Catholic who answered so far, answered only for someone entering a Catholic building.