Cardinal Dolan explains why Catholics genuflect in church

ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 22, 2025 / 09:00 am

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, explained one of the expressions of reverence Catholics make in church — genuflection — and why they make this sign.

In a video posted on X, the cardinal commented that this past St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, a woman who stopped to talk to him after Mass told him that, although she is not Catholic, she loves the Church and enjoys attending Mass but doesn’t understand the various postures people take. The cardinal then decided to explain them to his viewers, beginning with genuflection.

“Here’s the first posture that we Catholics always do. When we come into church, we look for the tabernacle, where the real presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is reposed, and we genuflect!” the archbishop of New York explained.

“We go down on one knee. We genuflect. Why? That’s the ancient sign of adoration, the ancient sign of esteem, the ancient sign of worship,” he continued.

The cardinal pointed out that “when you hear the name of Jesus, every knee on earth and in heaven should bend, as St. Paul taught. That’s genuflection — we do it to Jesus, really and truly present in the most Blessed Sacrament.”

“I’m afraid that beautiful tradition of genuflection to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament may have faded a little," that cardinal noted. “We can’t let that happen; it’s a great act of devotion.”

In conclusion, Dolan recalled that “St. Thomas Aquinas said: ‘You know what? Satan doesn’t have knees because he genuflects to no one.’ Well we do. We genuflect to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.”

No. 274 of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal specifies “a genuflection, made by bending the right knee to the ground, signifies adoration, and therefore it is reserved for the most Blessed Sacrament, as well as for the holy cross” on Good Friday.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.