(Latin: genu, knee; flectere, to bend)
An act of reverence made by touching the knee or knees to the ground. A simple genuflection, made with the right knee, is the proper mode of venerating the Blessed Sacrament enclosed in the tabernacle and, in certain ceremonies, the Cross. A double genuflection, made with both knees simultaneously, is to be made before the Blessed Sacrament, when exposed. Genuflection is a mark of homage given to the pope, to a cardinal, and to a bishop in his own diocese.