Do you bow if the tabernacle is visible, but behind a screen?

[Elzee]

I attended Mass in a church outside my diocese today (boy do I appreciate my diocese and Bishop more and more…) and have a question. The beautiful, old church has just been ‘modernized’. Ugh. Anyway, behind the altar is this wooden ‘screen’ with vertical slats. It doesn’t form a separate room but is basically a backdrop to the altar. The priest called the area something that starts with an ‘r’ - I couldn’t understand the word because his Janet Jackson-style earpiece/wraparound mic wasn’t working properly (God works in mysterious ways…) Anyway, the tabernacle is behind this ‘screen’ and is still visible from the nave due to the slats. The priest was teaching the congregation and altar boys/girls to now bow when they enter the church instead of genuflecting because of this new arrangement. I was under the impression that as long as you could see the tabernacle you should still bow. Is this correct?

 

[msproule]

Elzee:

Anyway, behind the altar is this wooden ‘screen’ with vertical slats. It doesn’t form a separate room but is basically a backdrop to the altar. The priest called the area something that starts with an ‘r’…

It is called a retable, reredos, or altar piece.
See: newadvent.org/cathen/01356d.htm

I was under the impression that as long as you could see the tabernacle you should still bow. Is this correct?

It is my understanding that such a situation still requires genuflection, unless that tabernacle is not actually used and is in fact empty. There are people here far more knowledgeable than I, but here is the relevant section of the GIRM:
233. Three genuflections are made during Mass: after the showing of the eucharistic bread, after the showing of the chalice, and before communion.

If there is a tabernacle with the blessed sacrament in the sanctuary, a genuflection is made before and after Mass and whenever anyonepasses in front of the blessed sacrament.

 

[Dr.Bombay]

Yuck! Those Janet Jackson wrap-around mics are proliferating at an alarming rate. What happened to the wireless mics that just attached to the front of Father’s vestments?

Anyway, if I can see the Tabernacle, I’m genuflecting. Period.

 

[Walking_Home]

Does anyone know the purpose of putting a screen in front of the tabernacle?

 

[hilde_the_dog]

Hey is the candle lite outside of it? If it is genuflect. Our T has wonderful lace curtain, the doors are open at mass closed other times

 

[Lorrie]

Dr. Bombay:

Yuck! Those Janet Jackson wrap-around mics are proliferating at an alarming rate. What happened to the wireless mics that just attached to the front of Father’s vestments?

Anyway, if I can see the Tabernacle, I’m genuflecting. Period.

Thankfully our priests at my parish only use the latter. And yes, if I can see the Tabernacle I’m genuflecting as well.

Walking_Home:

Does anyone know the purpose of putting a screen in front of the tabernacle?

I have no idea but that’s a good question!

 

[Elzee]

hilde the dog:

Hey is the candle lite outside of it? If it is genuflect. Our T has wonderful lace curtain, the doors are open at mass closed other times

Well, no candle, but there were consecrated hosts in the tabernacle (they brought them out right before communion). sigh. I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming perahps the candle order hasn’t come in yet since the church just finished its remodeling. Same thing for the crucifix … none to be found. Again, I’m hoping it’s just on backorder…