THE PROPER RULES FOR BLESSING ANOTHER PERSON
QUESTION? / COMMENT!
I have a question on blessing on the forehead...Does that mean that the wife should not bless her husband on the forehead the way the husband does to his wife? Also, recently, at a baptism, the priest invited all in attendance to come and trace the sign of the baby’s forehead before he began the baptism process. I didn’t feel comfortable with that so we didn’t do it. I would appreciate it very much if you can help clarify that as well. My husband’s brother, whose baby was baptized that day, would appreciate a sound explanation.
Thank you again for being a great witness. I look forward to attending more of Jesse’s memorable talks and look forward to next year’s spiritual warfare conference. In fact, I have shared some stories from Jesse’s other talks to my 7 and 9 year old sons. They loved it.
ANSWER! / COMMENT!
In the Catholic Rite of Baptism for Infants (the most common context for this question), the priest or deacon first traces the sign of the cross on the baby's forehead with his thumb. He then explicitly invites the parents and godparents to do the same.
The official rubrics from the Rite of Baptism for One Child state something like:
"In its name I claim you for Christ our Savior by the sign of his cross. I now trace the cross on your forehead, and invite your parents (and godparents) to do the same."
The celebrant signs the child first, then the parents (and, if appropriate, the godparents) trace the cross on the baby's forehead in silence. This act symbolizes claiming the child for Christ and marking the baby as belonging to Him.
Who is not supposed to do it?
Everyone else present (grandparents, siblings, other family members, or the broader congregation) is not invited or expected to trace the sign of the cross on the baby's forehead. The rite specifically limits this gesture to the celebrant, parents, and godparents. It is a distinct ritual action tied to the parents' and godparents' responsibilities for the child's Christian upbringing, not a general participation moment for the whole assembly.
Other attendees participate in the liturgy by responding during prayers, renewing their own baptismal promises (if the rite includes that), singing, and witnessing the sacrament—but they do not perform this particular signing on the child.
Yes, it is permitted—and in fact, it is a beautiful, traditional, and encouraged pious practice in Catholic family life for spouses to bless one another with the sign of the cross on the forehead. This is not limited to the husband blessing the wife; the wife may do the same for her husband. It does not contradict the biblical teaching on the husband as “head of the house” (Ephesians 5:23), it is spiritually fruitful to bless each other.
Why it is permitted
In Catholic teaching, the sign of the cross is a sacramental that any baptized person can make as a prayer. When done on your spouse or kids, it is a simple lay blessing—not a priestly or liturgical blessing reserved to clergy. The Church explicitly encourages parents to bless their children this way (tracing the cross on the forehead), and the same principle extends to spouses as part of the domestic church. Catholic sources describe blessing one’s spouse with the sign of the cross as a powerful way to invoke God’s grace on the marriage and to become “agents of [God’s] blessing.”
Official guidance (e.g., from Catholic Answers and liturgical guidelines) confirms:
Laypeople may give blessings to family members in private settings.
Tracing the small sign of the cross on the forehead is the recommended way to do this, precisely because it avoids any appearance of a priestly gesture.
There is no Church rule, rubric, or teaching that restricts this to the husband only. Marriage is a partnership of mutual sanctification (see Ephesians 5:21—“Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ”).
Does it contradict the husband as “patriarch and head of the house”?
No. Catholic teaching on headship (drawn from Ephesians 5:22-33) calls the husband to sacrificial, Christ-like love—not to a rigid hierarchy that prevents his wife from praying for him or blessing him. The wife’s act of tracing the cross is an act of love, intercession, and submission to God, not an usurpation of authority. In fact, the Catechism and papal documents (such as St. John Paul II’s Familiaris Consortio) emphasize that spouses help each other grow in holiness through everyday gestures of faith. Headship is lived out in service, not in forbidding pious acts from one’s wife. Remember, the spouse's have rights to each other's bodies (cf. 1 Cor 7:4) which includes the right to bless each other.
Many Catholic couples (including those who take headship seriously) make this a daily practice—e.g., before bed, in the morning, or when one is leaving for work—as a way of covering each other in prayer.
Is it biblically sound?
Yes, in its principles:
The sign of the cross itself developed from early Christian tradition (attested by the 2nd–3rd centuries), but it is rooted in Scripture’s emphasis on marking ourselves with the Cross of Christ (see Ezekiel 9:4; Revelation 7:3, 9:4; Galatians 6:17).
Blessing one another is thoroughly biblical. Parents bless children (Genesis 27, 48–49), and the New Testament calls all believers to a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9) capable of invoking God’s blessing (in the deprecatory manner).
Mutual love and prayer in marriage is commanded (Ephesians 5:21–33; 1 Corinthians 7:3–5). There is no verse that says a wife may not pray for or bless her husband.
The practice flows from the common priesthood of the baptized and the vocation of marriage as a path to holiness. It is pious, edifying, and fully in harmony with both Scripture and Tradition.
If you and your spouse wish to adopt this practice, a simple form could be, He places his hand on your hand, you trace the cross on his forehead or put your hand on his heart while saying, “May God bless you and keep you in His love,” or simply “May God bless you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” It is a lovely way to live out the sacrament of marriage day by day.