Am I being a hard headed traditionalist?

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whipp711

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The Tabernacle is kept in a small chapel behind the main area and altar. The prior parish priest instructed the congregation to bow to the altar, and genuflecting upon enter a pew was not required. The wife and I are just not comfortable with this arrangement. Therefore, we still genuflect and grumble about architectural barriers to adoration and respect.

For reference, we finally obtained a really nice Crucifix for the main chapel, after decades. I swear (wait, I can’t do that here)…[edited by moderator]

Am I being hard headed?
 
If there is no tabernacle, you do not genuflect. Genuflecting is an act of adoration and praise towards Christ in the Tabernacle. If He isn’t there - a bow as a sign of respect to the Altar is necessary and sufficient.
 
whipp711 said:
The Tabernacle is kept in a small chapel behind the main area and altar. The prior parish priest instructed the congregation to bow to the altar, and genuflecting upon enter a pew was not required. The wife and I are just not comfortable with this arrangement. Therefore, we still genuflect and grumble about architectural barriers to adoration and respect.

For reference, we finally obtained a really nice Crucifix for the main chapel, after decades. I swear (wait, I can’t do that here)…I think the church was designed by a protestant heretic. 😃 We also have a band behind the alter, but that a story for a different thread.

Am I being hard headed?
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I believe the arrangment in your Church regarding where the tabdernacle is placed is actually taken from examples of Franciscan Chapels or Saint Peters in Rome. There is a Catholic Church near where I live with the altar in the middle of the Church and the Tabernacle in a small side room/chapel. The person that designed the Church was using St. Peters in Rome as his inspiration.
 
Nope I do not think so. I do the same thing and I am a convert lol. In fact the longer I am Catholic the more “traditionalist” I am becoming. 😃
 
Credo_in_Deum said:
@OP: I also genuflect regardless since it is Gods house. 🙂
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You would be wrong in doing this, and if I may be so brave, I humbly suggest you stop.

If there is no tabernacle on the Altar, you do not, and should not, genuflect.

A bow is all that is needed and all you should do.
 
NewsTheMan said:
You would be wrong in doing this, and if I may be so brave, I humbly suggest you stop.

If there is no tabernacle on the Altar, you do not, and should not, genuflect.

A bow is all that is needed and all you should do.
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You are saying that because you are more traditionalist than a neo-traditionalist. 😃

Do I get any special CAF bonus points for the coinage of a new term? 😃
 
Cristiano said:
You are saying that because you are more traditionalist than a neo-traditionalist. 😃

Do I get any special CAF bonus points for the coinage of a new term? 😃
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Ten points for Griffindore!

Also, I think the score is Hard Head 3 vs Wrong Headed 2.
 
NewsTheMan said:
You would be wrong in doing this, and if I may be so brave, I humbly suggest you stop.

If there is no tabernacle on the Altar, you do not, and should not, genuflect.

A bow is all that is needed and all you should do.
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Actually, I think the modern Catholic Law of Reverential Downgrading applies here. People used to genuflect to the tabernacle, but that became unpopular and has been replaced (at least where I live) with a bow. People used to kneel for reception of communion, but now we just nod our heads. We used to bow our heads at the name of Jesus, but now we just ignore it. So, in line with this law, whenever I enter a Church with no tabernacle on the altar I just give it a thumbs up and a wink.
 
NewsTheMan is correct since its part of GIRM. Thank you NTM for the instruction and correction.

God Bless
 
whipp711 said:
The Tabernacle is kept in a small chapel behind the main area and altar. The prior parish priest instructed the congregation to bow to the altar, and genuflecting upon enter a pew was not required. The wife and I are just not comfortable with this arrangement. Therefore, we still genuflect and grumble about architectural barriers to adoration and respect.

For reference, we finally obtained a really nice Crucifix for the main chapel, after decades. I swear (wait, I can’t do that here)…I think the church was designed by a protestant heretic. 😃 We also have a band behind the alter, but that a story for a different thread.

Am I being hard headed?
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Absolutely not. It is our job to be hard-headed. If we’re not than all of the Protestant ministers in disguise would unleash their hell of heresy. Don’t back down. I know exactly what you’re talking about. If I backed down, my parish would’ve changed it’s name to “Calvary Baptist Church” a long time ago.
 
I agree, don’t back down. If ya want to call it hard head then call it that. I call it standing your ground. I am a convert as well. I have only been Catholic about 20 some years now. Raised Protestant converted over to Roman Catholic. I feel the same as the poster who stated I get more traditionlized as years go on. About three years ago I started kneeling while accepting communion. I stopped receiving by hand about five to maybe six years ago. Something inside of me tells me that God is very pleased with the special reference to his son Jesus. He is not done with me yet though, I have a long way to go…I am not perfect.
 
Credo_in_Deum said:
I believe the arrangment in your Church regarding where the tabdernacle is placed is actually taken from examples of Franciscan Chapels or Saint Peters in Rome. There is a Catholic Church near where I live with the altar in the middle of the Church and the Tabernacle in a small side room/chapel. The person that designed the Church was using St. Peters in Rome as his inspiration.
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That’s very interesting. In my world travels, one usually encounters churchs with tabernacles in prominent places in the main sanctuary. However, I do remember the arrangement at St. Peters in Rome. Glad you pointed that out. Learning more and more each day.

By the way, our new priest is moving the tabernacle back into the main sanctuary sometime in the future.
 
whipp711 said:
The Tabernacle is kept in a small chapel behind the main area and altar. The prior parish priest instructed the congregation to bow to the altar, and genuflecting upon enter a pew was not required. The wife and I are just not comfortable with this arrangement. Therefore, we still genuflect and grumble about architectural barriers to adoration and respect.

For reference, we finally obtained a really nice Crucifix for the main chapel, after decades. I swear (wait, I can’t do that here)…I think the church was designed by a protestant heretic. 😃 We also have a band behind the alter, but that a story for a different thread.

Am I being hard headed?
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I once belonged to a parish that was designed the same way and continued to genuflect. As someone else here already wrote: “I also genuflect regardless since it is Gods house” no matter where He is in the building.
 
Cristiano said:
You are saying that because you are more traditionalist than a neo-traditionalist. 😃

Do I get any special CAF bonus points for the coinage of a new term? 😃
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I know you were only joking, but more new terms only create more divisions in an already too divided Church.
 
wsxyz said:
Where the tabernacle is in St. Peters Basilica is completely irrelevant for a typical parish church, because a typical parish church is not a major Roman basilica.
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Actually it is. The augument given by traditionalist is that the tabernacal** has** to be behind the altar. Which first is not the case, but if our highest church of whorship, the center of the Catholic faith, which sets the standard for liturgy and whorship, has a serperate altar for adoration, isn’t that the model if possible to follow?
This is the aurgument given with other issues by traditionalist, what makes this one different?
Parish church’s that have a chapel for adorartion are following the rules and call of the Church.
The focus in the local parish and in Romes Basilica is the altar of the Lord were the sacrafice of the Lord is made.
The idea of the Tabernacle being at a seperate altar harkens back to the Hebrew idea of the Holy of Holys that God presided, which only the high priest could enter once a year. We can, if the parsish has a seperate chapel can enter and be wih our Lord at any time if so provided.
 
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