Bowing/Genuflecting before the pew approaching sancutary

[Rascal]

What is the teaching about bowing or genuflecting before entering your pew or approaching the alter/sanctuary or even walking from one side of the church to the other?

I’ve understood this to be reverence to Christ present in the Eucharist. However, we are visiting friends and attended Mass at a parish in TX. I was amused to see people genuflecting towards what I think was the alter or perhaps to the crucifix in back. There was no tabernacle, so I was confused what the point was. I started thinking this is how Prostestants think we Catholics worship statues. With no real presence around, what’s the point of all the reverence?

I thought this was discussed here before, but that thread alludes me so far.

Thanks.

 

[Jayson]

You only genuflect toward the tabernacle. If it isn’t present, you can simply bow toward the altar or a crucifix.

 

[Lux_et_veritas]

I never thought of it before, but one of the parishes I’ve attended, the tabernacle is off the alter and at the side of the church. The alter is on the North wall and the tabernacle on the East wall. I’ve genuflected towards the center of this church for years, but now I see how it doesn’t make sense.

 

[Elzee]

Our tabernacle is to the side of the sanctuary, so I genuflect in that direction, which sometimes mean I’m facing the end of the pew when I geneuflect instead of genuflecting alongside it.

More and more people in our parish do not genuflect at all, even when they walk right in front of the tabernacle (to go to the bathroom during Mass…). I’m constantly reminding my kids to ‘genuflect’ because they rarely see anyone else do it, except when they go to Mass at their school.

 

[swimstud]

Rascal:

What is the teaching about bowing or genuflecting before entering your pew or approaching the alter/sanctuary or even walking from one side of the church to the other?

I’ve understood this to be reverence to Christ present in the Eucharist. However, we are visiting friends and attended Mass at a parish in TX. I was amused to see people genuflecting towards what I think was the alter or perhaps to the crucifix in back. There was no tabernacle, so I was confused what the point was. I started thinking this is how Prostestants think we Catholics worship statues. With no real presence around, what’s the point of all the reverence?

I thought this was discussed here before, but that thread alludes me so far.

Thanks.

The answer might be in the new vatican instruction titled Redemptionis Sacramentum. I have heard that it outlines certain actions that must be performed during Mass.

 

[chicago]

Genuflection is the Latin Rite is traditionally reserved for the Blessed Sacrament. Some people just genuflect towards the center of the Church or facing forward when entering a pew out of force of habit and pious devotion, even if the tabernacle is nowhere to be found there. They may not even be thinking much about the reality that, “Oh, wait a second, the Sacrament isn’t there!” (Perhaps they don’t even realize that there is no tablernacle there.)

It is appropriate to bow to the altar (it being a symbol of God) when there is no Sacrament present. In the Eastern Rites, they will sometimes genuflect to the altar. On Good Friday, a genuflection before the cross is permitted in the Latin Rite.

 

[Giannawannabe]

Jayson:

You only genuflect toward the tabernacle. If it isn’t present, you can simply bow toward the altar or a crucifix.

Yes. This is exactly what I’ve been taught too.