Arrangement of sanctuary

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miniquedoes

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At my church, the priest has placed his and the altar server’s chairs directly in front of the altar (the chairs are within a foot of the altar). This means when he sits down, he is facing the congregation with his back to the altar. I have never seen this arrangement before. Is this allowed?
 
miniquedoes said:
At my church, the priest has placed his and the altar server’s chairs directly in front of the altar (the chairs are within a foot of the altar). This means when he sits down, he is facing the congregation with his back to the altar. I have never seen this arrangement before. Is this allowed?
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I believe I have seen Pope Benedict use this arrangement on occasion, if I recall correctly. I don’t remember the specifics, though.
 
stephraim said:
I believe I have seen Pope Benedict use this arrangement on occasion, if I recall correctly. I don’t remember the specifics, though.
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I don’t pay particular attention to the practices at Papal Masses, but based on the fact that it is on occasion, it might be the faldstool at an ordination or something…
 
This has been the arrangement in our parish for at least twenty years. I suspect the priests would rather be at the side, but there isn’t room. They have to move round the back when the Crib is there over Christmas, or the Easter Garden is set up, and it gives quite a different feel to the occasion.
Sitting at the front has several advantages. It means we all feel involved, as the celebrant is among us, and leads us in the Creed and so on, possibly making more people actually open their mouths and join in. It must have a certain sobering effect on any children or teens who might be inclined to misbehave. The priest can see if there is any hitch - for example, he can see the Offertory procession forming and if there’s any delay which affects when he stands up. And I know they take the opportunity to scan who’s there and if there’s something they need to follow up - Mrs. Jones not there, is she back in hospital, that sort of thing.
I’m quite sure they are not sitting there out of feelings of aggrandisement. It’s a really exposed position - imagine, feeling you are being inspected by so many pairs of eyes every time you change postion.
 
From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :

“The Chair for the Priest Celebrant and Other Seats
310. The chair of the priest celebrant must signify his office of presiding over the gathering and of directing the prayer. Thus the best place for the chair is in a position facing the people at the head of the sanctuary, unless the design of the building or other circumstances impede this: for example, if the great distance would interfere with communication between the priest and the gathered assembly, or if the tabernacle is in the center behind the altar. …”

These instructions are fairly confusing. Firstly it says the chair should be, “the best place”, is in the centre. Then it seems to forbid this “if the tabernacle is in the center behind the altar”, which is very often the case.

By putting the chair in front of the altar the priest is overcoming the problem of “if the great distance would interfere with communication”. But I think many would be concerned with this regarding the GIRM’s direction: “299. … The altar should, moreover, be so placed as to be truly the center toward which the attention of the whole congregation of the faithful naturally turns.” But I am not aware of anything that explicitly forbids placing the chair in front of the altar.
 
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