Crucifix out of sight above the altar? Is this okay?

[Elzee]

Some things are changing at our church and one ‘new idea’ is to suspend the crucifix above the altar. I’ve seen this done in other churches, but here is the difference: in order for the crucifix to be ‘out of the line of sight’ during Mass (he doesn’t want people looking at it during Mass), it is going to be hung EXTREMELY high above the altar (we have very high ceilings), where you basically need to be looking straight up to see it.

Is this okay to do? Since the Church requires a crucifix to be on or hear the altar during Mass (we’ll have neither - only the suspended one), this doesn’t seem right.

 

[Rand_Al_Thor]

Pax vobiscum!

Technically, I think this would be ok. But, the crucifix IS supposed to be visible and in clear view (I’m trying to find that documentation, but I don’t remember what it’s in).

However, I’m not an expert on the liturgy, so it may be best to post this question in the “Ask an Apologist” forum or call the Catholic Answers apologist line.

In Christ,
Rand

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Some things are changing at our church and one ‘new idea’ is to suspend the crucifix above the altar. I’ve seen this done in other churches, but here is the difference: in order for the crucifix to be ‘out of the line of sight’ during Mass (he doesn’t want people looking at it during Mass), it is going to be hung EXTREMELY high above the altar (we have very high ceilings), where you basically need to be looking straight up to see it.

Is this okay to do? Since the Church requires a crucifix to be on or hear the altar during Mass (we’ll have neither - only the suspended one), this doesn’t seem right.

According to Church documents a Crucifix must be ON or NEAR the altar for the celebration of the Mass. There must be a clear visual tie between the Sacrifice of the Mass and the Sacrifice of the Cross, they are one and the same.

 

[Caesar]

WAIT!

A Church needs a crucifix? My parish, the Cathedral here, does not have one. We have the Altar and the Cathedra in the Sanctuary, but no crucifix. Do the stain glass windows in the apse above the altar count?

 

[mystified]

Speaking crucfixes, I’ve been shopping parishes here in Orange County. Two churches are using a processional cross made of a plank cut to resemble the crosses used by the Orthodox, three cross-beams. On them are paintings or appliques of religious scenes including the crucfixion. These are then placed somewhere in the sanctuary somewhere in the vicinity of the altar during Mass. I had been under the impression that processional crosses in the Latin Rite needed a corpus. Would this be considered akin to mixing rites?

 

[Elzee]

According to Church documents a Crucifix must be ON or NEAR the altar for the celebration of the Mass. There must be a clear visual tie between the Sacrifice of the Mass and the Sacrifice of the Cross, they are one and the same.

Thanks Brother Rich. Can you tell me where I can find this? And, is there is an objective way to define ‘near’…is ‘near’ in the eye of the beholder?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Thanks Brother Rich. Can you tell me where I can find this? And, is there is an objective way to define ‘near’…is ‘near’ in the eye of the beholder?

Read #308 of the GIRM

 

[Rand_Al_Thor]

Speaking crucfixes, I’ve been shopping parishes here in Orange County. Two churches are using a processional cross made of a plank cut to resemble the crosses used by the Orthodox, three cross-beams. On them are paintings or appliques of religious scenes including the crucfixion. These are then placed somewhere in the sanctuary somewhere in the vicinity of the altar during Mass. I had been under the impression that processional crosses in the Latin Rite needed a corpus. Would this be considered akin to mixing rites?

Pax tecum!

If I understand your question correctly, yes it is OK to use an Eastern style cross in a Latin Rite church (the EWTN chapel has an Eastern style cross for the big crucifix up above where the choir/cantors sing), just as it is OK to use icons in a Latin Rite church (a famous example would be St. Paul’s Basilica). I don’t believe the processional cross needs to have a corpus (I think it should, however) because my home parish and the cathedral in my city don’t have one. I don’t have time to check the GIRM right now (time to cook dinner!), but if Br. Rich makes it back on here before me, he may know if the GIRM speaks to this.

In Christ,
Rand

 

[LilyM]

WAIT!

A Church needs a crucifix? My parish, the Cathedral here, does not have one. We have the Altar and the Cathedra in the Sanctuary, but no crucifix. Do the stain glass windows in the apse above the altar count?

I don’t know if the stained glass cross is an adequate substitute, but there are quite a large number of churches around here that will have a crucifixion scene as the central stained glass window just behind the altar. The ones I know all use other crosses on or near the altar as well though.

 

[viktor_aleksndr]

Crucifix (not cross) must be on or near the altar during mass… It is either a crucifix or the processional crucifix… Please read the GIRM…

 

[puzzleannie]

Two churches are using a processional cross made of a plank cut to resemble the crosses used by the Orthodox, three cross-beams. On them are paintings or appliques of religious scenes including the crucfixion. These are then placed somewhere in the sanctuary somewhere in the vicinity of the altar during Mass. I had been under the impression that processional crosses in the Latin Rite needed a corpus. Would this be considered akin to mixing rites?

if an iconic crucifix is used, such as the Franciscan’s San Damiano Cross, which depicts the crucified Christ as an icon, that is by definition a cross with a corpus and is permitted.