The holy kiss is still imparted in the Greek Church on Easter Sunday; all the faithful greet each other in church with kisses, and the words, “Christ is risen,” the reply to which being, “Verily, He hath risen.” In the Roman Catholic liturgy this usage has been confined to certain masses, and the holy kiss is only exchanged among the clergy, not among the members of the congregation. First, the bishop and archdeacon kiss the altar, then the archdeacon kneels down and the bishop gives him the kiss of peace with the words: _Pax tibi, frater, et ecclesiæ sanctæ Dei_ (Peace be with thee, brother, and with God’s Holy Church). The archdeacon answers: _Et cum spiritu tuo_ (And with thy spirit), after which he gets up, genuflects towards the altar, and carries the kiss of peace to the chief canon, whom he kisses on the left cheek with the words _pax tibi_, and thus it is sent round to all the officiating clergy with many different ceremonies. The holy kiss soon spread beyond the walls of the church, and came into usage even in secular festivities. Thus, during the Middle Ages, it was the custom to seal the reconciliation and pacification of enemies by a kiss. The old German poets mention such a kiss under the name of “Vredekuss,” and so widespread was the custom of the kiss of reconciliation, that the verb _at sone_, or _udsone_, got the meaning of “to kiss.” _Sônen_ has still this meaning in Frisian. In an old French miracle-play St Bernard of Clairvaux says to Count William and the Bishop of Poitiers, who had had a long-standing feud with each other, and between whom he had managed to make peace: “In order to show that your friendship is true and sincere, you must kiss each other.” Count William then goes up to the bishop, saying: “My lord, I crave your forgiveness for the wrong I have inflicted on you; I have erred greatly towards you. Kiss me now to seal our peace, and I will kiss you with loyal heart.” Even knights gave each other the kiss of peace before proceeding to the combat, and forgave one another all real or imaginary wrongs. In _Covenant Vivien_, Vivien exchanges the kiss of peace with Girart and six other illustrious warriors before the great fight with King Desramé begins.