"An altar cloth would hide our beautiful altar"

[Elzee]

Our priest recently mentioned in a conversation that he would no longer be using any type of covering on our altar because it hides the beauty of our altar and he likes looking at it. I thought an altar cloth was always required? Are there any exceptions allowed?

 

[DonProfondo]

Perhaps you could remind him that we do not come to Mass to admire the stonework. He should take a photograph, frame it, and gaze upon it there to his heart’s content.

 

[cathsem]

Yes, at least a white altar cloth must cover the top of the altar. However, no larger cloth is necessary, nor must it cover the front or sides of the altar, only the top.

 

[John_Lilburne]

At least for Mass, at least one cloth is required.

From the 2002 General Introduction to the Roman Missal (GIRM) which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“*The Articles to Be Prepared *
117. The altar is to be covered with at least one white cloth. …”
This one cloth is required at the start of Mass. During Mass a second small cloth, the corporal, is added:
“297. The celebration of the Eucharist in a sacred place is to be carried out on an altar; but outside a sacred place, it may be carried out on a suitable table, always with the use of a cloth, a corporal, a cross, and candles.”

“304. Out of reverence for the celebration of the memorial of the Lord and for the banquet in which the Body and Blood of the Lord are offered on an altar where this memorial is celebrated, there should be at least one white cloth, its shape, size, and decoration in keeping with the altar’s design. When, in the dioceses of the United States of America, other cloths are used in addition to the altar cloth, then those cloths may be of other colors possessing Christian honorific or festive significance according to longstanding local usage, provided that the uppermost cloth covering the mensa (i.e., the altar cloth itself) is always white in color.”

Perhaps the priest only intends to remove a frontal cloth. This could be done, according to a book by G. Thomas Ryan, The Sacristy Manual: “Several years before Vatican II, the Roman rite dropped the requirement of a frontal or antependium. As altars became free-standing, it became all the more obvious that mandates for decorating only the front should be discontinued.” (G. Thomas Ryan, The Sacristy Manual, published by Liturgy Training Publications, Chicago, 1993, ISBN 0929650921, page 49.)

 

[Elzee]

Perhaps the priest only intends to remove a frontal cloth. This could be done, according to a book by G. Thomas Ryan, The Sacristy Manual: “Several years before Vatican II, the Roman rite dropped the requirement of a frontal or antependium. As altars became free-standing, it became all the more obvious that mandates for decorating only the front should be discontinued.” (G. Thomas Ryan, The Sacristy Manual, published by Liturgy Training Publications, Chicago, 1993, ISBN 0929650921, page 49.)

No, unfortunately he isn’t using anything - not even a corporal.
This seemed to magnify a problem recently - he spilled some Precious Blood and it ran off the altar onto the floor. He left it there until after Mass (tile floor, EMHC’s walking all around) then hurriedly wiped it up with the purificator - he looked like I do when I wipe up a spill on my kitchen floor. I don’t know the manner in which this type of clean-up should be done, but I guess I expected some type of reverence…but that’s another question…

 

[John_Lilburne]

2002 GIRM:

“280. … If any of the Precious Blood is spilled, the area where the spill occurred should be washed with water, and this water should then be poured into the sacrarium in the sacristy.”

 

[Elzee]

2002 GIRM:

“280. … If any of the Precious Blood is spilled, the area where the spill occurred should be washed with water, and this water should then be poured into the sacrarium in the sacristy.”

]
I wonder how this can be done - if you use a wet towel to soak it up, for example, there wouldn’t be any water to pour down the sacrarium…or does it mean to pour water over the Precious Blood (causing it to spread even more across the floor…which seems odd…?)
Does it matter what kind of towel is used and how it is washed afterwards? I’d like to bring this up with my priest because it was really done so poorly, but I think I’m a little more confused. If this is all spelled out in the GIRM I can look it up and don’t mean to bother you … I’m just running out the door right now and these questions came to mind!

 

[John_Lilburne]

]
I wonder how this can be done - if you use a wet towel to soak it up, for example, there wouldn’t be any water to pour down the sacrarium…or does it mean to pour water over the Precious Blood (causing it to spread even more across the floor…which seems odd…?)

I agree that adding water creates more mess. So I think there is a particular reason for doing it this way.

Catholic understanding is that it remains the Precious Blood while it remains wine. By diluting it with water it stops being wine, it stops having the necessary percentage of alcohol. So it stops being the Precious Blood and it is OK to pour this water down the sacrarium.

From the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
“285. How long does the presence of Christ last in the Eucharist?
1377
The presence of Christ continues in the Eucharist as long as the eucharistic species subsist.”

The Compendium is at vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

The 1377 is a reference to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It has:
“1377 The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist. Christ is present whole and entire in each of the species and whole and entire in each of their parts, in such a way that the breaking of the bread does not divide Christ.
[Footnote 205: Cf. Council of Trent: DS 1641.]”

 

[Elzee]

I agree that adding water creates more mess. So I think there is a particular reason for doing it this way.

Catholic understanding is that it remains the Precious Blood while it remains wine. By diluting it with water it stops being wine, it stops having the necessary percentage of alcohol. So it stops being the Precious Blood and it is OK to pour this water down the sacrarium.

From the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
“285. How long does the presence of Christ last in the Eucharist?
1377
The presence of Christ continues in the Eucharist as long as the eucharistic species subsist.”

The Compendium is at vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

The 1377 is a reference to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It has:
“1377 The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist. Christ is present whole and entire in each of the species and whole and entire in each of their parts, in such a way that the breaking of the bread does not divide Christ.
[Footnote 205: Cf. Council of Trent: DS 1641.]”

Thank you - I never knew all this before. You’ve helped me a lot - again - thank you so much.

 

[Unfinished]

Our priest recently mentioned in a conversation that he would no longer be using any type of covering on our altar because it hides the beauty of our altar and he likes looking at it. I thought an altar cloth was always required? Are there any exceptions allowed?

Is there a barf emote?

If there is, insert it right here.

(I have nothing to add because the other posters have answered you)

 

[Elzee]

Is there a barf emote?

If there is, insert it right here.

I wish there was one too.

It will be interesting to see if we use an altar cloth and corporal when the Bishop comes in a few weeks…our priest tends to do several things differently when the Bishop comes.….

 

[NetNuncio]

It’s time to contact the Bishop and the Office of Worship/Liturgy.

Adam

 

[Digitonomy]

2002 GIRM:

“280. … If any of the Precious Blood is spilled, the area where the spill occurred should be washed with water, and this water should then be poured into the sacrarium in the sacristy.”

…I agree that adding water creates more mess. So I think there is a particular reason for doing it this way…By diluting it with water it stops being wine, it stops having the necessary percentage of alcohol.

Perhaps the Latin is clearer, but the way I read that you could place the purificator or lavabo on the spill to absorb some of it and prevent splashing, then pour water onto that to dilute it sufficiently.

Getting back to the OP, is the altar cloth even required to cover the entire top of the altar, or could it cover just the smaller portion of the altar that is in use?