Roman Catholic priests who wander up and down hugging or shaking hands with worshippers during services are to be told to stay at their altars under a new Vatican crackdown.
Members of the congregation will also be urged to curb their enthusiasm by offering the "sign of peace" only to their immediate neighbours in a "sober manner" rather than hopping from pew to pew.
The new rules, published at the weekend, are part of a Vatican effort to counter "abuses" during Mass, which could have a significant impact on the way many services are conducted.
The Instruction on Eucharistic Norms will restrict the laity's role in services, to the dismay of liberals who believe churches have to be more collaborative and "inclusive" to prove attractive.
But the new document, which has the backing of the Pope, will delight traditionalists who are uncomfortable with many of the liturgical reforms ushered in since the 1960s.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales issued a cautious welcome yesterday.