Genuflect or bow

  • Thread starter Thread starter RuthCatherine
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
R

RuthCatherine

Guest
I have recently, about a little over a year ago, returned to the Catholic church. I was always taught to genuflect just before you enter your pew. I have noticed that there are some, (and I am not trying to judge, I just want to know if it something that is now being taught and if it is what we are supposed to do now) who just bow their heads. That is all they do is just bow their heads.
It is not my regular parish where I see it. I attend there during the week because it is close to where I drop my son off to school. The parish I attend on the weekends I don’t seem to see this.

I am not talking about bowing before communion. I am talking about it being like a new thing instead of genuflecting before entering the pew. Is this something that is seen in other countries or other parts of America? Is it something that people did along time ago and it is being brought back. I am just wondering.

Any insight?
 
No insight here. I always genuflect, facing the tabernacle, and make the sign of the cross. If there was a memo that changes that - I was not on the distribution list.
 
We genuflect to the presence of Christ in the tabernacle. So if the tabernacle is visible, and the candle next to it is lit, one should genuflect when passing it and when entering, leaving their pew. If there is no tabernacle present, or the candle is not lit, then it is proper to bow to the altar.

As for why people aren’t doing so, some may have physical problems making genuflecting impossible or others may just not be well catechized. 🤷
 
According to the GIRM…
Genuflections and Bows
Click to expand...
  1. A genuflection, made by bending the right knee to the ground, signifies adoration, and therefore it is reserved for the Most Blessed Sacrament, as well as for the Holy Cross from the solemn adoration during the liturgical celebration on Good Friday until the beginning of the Easter Vigil.
Click to expand...
During Mass, three genuflections are made by the priest celebrant: namely, after the showing of the host, after the showing of the chalice, and before Communion. Certain specific features to be observed in a concelebrated Mass are noted in their proper place (cf. nos. 210-251).
Click to expand...
If, however, the tabernacle with the Most Blessed Sacrament is present in the sanctuary, the priest, the deacon, and the other ministers genuflect when they approach the altar and when they depart from it, but not during the celebration of Mass itself.
Click to expand...
Otherwise all who pass before the Most Blessed Sacrament genuflect, unless they are moving in procession.
Click to expand...
Ministers carrying the processional cross or candles bow their heads instead of genuflecting.
Click to expand...
  1. A bow signifies reverence and honor shown to the persons themselves or to the signs that represent them. There are two kinds of bows: a bow of the head and a bow of the body.
Click to expand...
A bow of the head is made when the three Divine Persons are named together and at the names of Jesus, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of the Saint in whose honor Mass is being celebrated.
Click to expand...
A bow of the body, that is to say a profound bow, is made to the altar; during the prayers Munda cor meum (Almighty God, cleanse my heart) and In spiritu humilitatis (Lord God, we ask you to receive); in the Creed at the words Et incarnatus est (by the power of the Holy Spirit . . . and became man); in the Roman Canon at the words Supplices te rogamus (Almighty God, we pray that your angel). The same kind of bow is made by the deacon when he asks for a blessing before the proclamation of the Gospel. In addition, the priest bows slightly as he speaks the words of the Lord at the consecration.
Click to expand...
 
Not sure what your church’s layout is like, but if the tabernacle is not behind the altar (and so many nowadays are located in a separate room off the main body of the church) then there is no need to genuflect… one simply bows to the altar. (NOTE: it’s important to remember that we genuflect to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist in the tabernacle… not to the altar or the crucifix, for which a bow is sufficient respect.)

Many people grew up in an era where the tabernacle was ALWAYS behind the altar and the genuflect became automatic… thus some people automatically genuflect toward the altar (guilty!) regardless of whether the tabernacle is there or not. Others have learned to “look for the red light” (the red vigil candle) before genuflecting. In the chapel we attend Mass at a military hospital, the tabernacle is behind a grille on the right hand side of the church (the chapel is shared by Protestants as well) and we have learned to genuflect in that direction.

Whenever visiting a new church, we usually have to take a few seconds to play “hunt the tabernacle” before entering the pew!

Of course, people with health or physical problems may not be able to genuflect (my SIL has had numerous knee surgeries and if she gets down, she might not be able to get back up without assistance) and therefore make a profound bow before entering the pew.
 
RuthCatherine said:
I have recently, about a little over a year ago, returned to the Catholic church. I was always taught to genuflect just before you enter your pew. I have noticed that there are some, (and I am not trying to judge, I just want to know if it something that is now being taught and if it is what we are supposed to do now) who just bow their heads. That is all they do is just bow their heads.
It is not my regular parish where I see it. I attend there during the week because it is close to where I drop my son off to school. The parish I attend on the weekends I don’t seem to see this.

I am not talking about bowing before communion. I am talking about it being like a new thing instead of genuflecting before entering the pew. Is this something that is seen in other countries or other parts of America? Is it something that people did along time ago and it is being brought back. I am just wondering.

Any insight?
Click to expand...
I was taught to genuflect in the direction of the tabernacle (but that was in 1993). I haven’t heard about any changes concerning that. I have seen people just bowing in the past too however. The church in my home village had the tabernacle behind the altar (it had a very elaborate high altar). Going in and out of the sacristy we did the same thing.
Another church I went to in later years however was way larger than the church at home and their tabernacle was located in a side chapel right of the altar and the sacristy was located right of the altar (directions while facing the altar). Most people did not genuflect in that church… I did it anyways (and in direction of the tabernacle).
 
Janet1983 said:
I was taught to genuflect in the direction of the tabernacle (but that was in 1993). I haven’t heard about any changes concerning that. I have seen people just bowing in the past too however. The church in my home village had the tabernacle behind the altar (it had a very elaborate high altar). Going in and out of the sacristy we did the same thing.
Another church I went to in later years however was way larger than the church at home and their tabernacle was located in a side chapel right of the altar and the sacristy was located right of the altar (directions while facing the altar). Most people did not genuflect in that church… I did it anyways (and in direction of the tabernacle).
Click to expand...
The correct teaching would be to genuflect towards the Blessed Sacrament. Normally the Blessed Sacrament would be reserved in the tabernacle. But there would be times that it would be empty, most notably during Good Friday until Easter Vigil. Sometimes a parish or chapel may have no Hosts reserved, and thus the tabernacle is empty. There are two visual cues to know if the tabernacle is empty. There is usually a red light near the tabernacle which should be lit all the time if it has the Blessed Sacrament. Another would be its normal to leave the door open if there are no Hosts inside. If the light is off and/or the door is open, then you should not genuflect towards the tabernacle.
 
ConstantineTG said:
The correct teaching would be to genuflect towards the Blessed Sacrament. Normally the Blessed Sacrament would be reserved in the tabernacle. But there would be times that it would be empty, most notably during Good Friday until Easter Vigil. Sometimes a parish or chapel may have no Hosts reserved, and thus the tabernacle is empty. There are two visual cues to know if the tabernacle is empty. There is usually a red light near the tabernacle which should be lit all the time if it has the Blessed Sacrament. Another would be its normal to leave the door open if there are no Hosts inside. If the light is off and/or the door is open, then you should not genuflect towards the tabernacle.
Click to expand...
That’s kind of what I meant… :o
 
Janet1983 said:
That’s kind of what I meant… :o
Click to expand...
Sorry. Just wanted to make it clear. A lot of people in fact had the mistaken notion that we are genuflecting towards the altar or towards the tabernacle. You’ll see them during Good Friday service.
 
RuthCatherine said:
I have recently, about a little over a year ago, returned to the Catholic church. I was always taught to genuflect just before you enter your pew. I have noticed that there are some, (and I am not trying to judge, I just want to know if it something that is now being taught and if it is what we are supposed to do now) who just bow their heads. That is all they do is just bow their heads.
It is not my regular parish where I see it. I attend there during the week because it is close to where I drop my son off to school. The parish I attend on the weekends I don’t seem to see this.

I am not talking about bowing before communion. I am talking about it being like a new thing instead of genuflecting before entering the pew. Is this something that is seen in other countries or other parts of America? Is it something that people did along time ago and it is being brought back. I am just wondering.

Any insight?
Click to expand...
In some countries (e.g. some in SE/E Asia), the Bishops have replaced a genuflection with a profound bow or similar gesture as being more in line with those cultures. However, that is valid only for those countries.
 
Genuflect to the Tabernacle or the Blessed Sacrament Exposed - except from Solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday up to but excluding the Paschal Vigil.

Genuflect to the Cross from the Solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday up to but excluding the Paschal Vigil.

Bow to the Altar if the Blessed Sacrament is not reserved or exposed in that sanctuary.

If I go into a church where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved in a side chapel I always visit our Blessed Lord by going to that side chapel.

(While there is nothing wrong is making the sign of the cross when genuflecting it is not required.)
 
Here is how I understand it,

Exposed Eucharist = On both knees
Non-Exposed Eucharist = Down to one knee
Alter or Crucifix = Bow from waist
Name of Jesus, Mary, or towards a Bishop = Bow head

Let me know if im wrong.
 
I was never taught to bow to Mary’s name, or to a bishop. Although, the bishop circumstance didn’t come up very often.
 
Redbaron998 said:
Here is how I understand it,

Exposed Eucharist = On both knees
Non-Exposed Eucharist = Down to one knee
Alter or Crucifix = Bow from waist
Name of Jesus, Mary, or towards a Bishop = Bow head

Let me know if im wrong.
Click to expand...
Actually, the requirement to go down on both knees was removed in the 1970’s. This isn’t to say that it’s not a good sign of reverence, and very striking to any children or non-Catholics who see it. But it’s no longer mandated, so anyone who doesn’t is not to be thought lacking in reverence.

It would be very wrong to bow at the name of Mary. She is not God!l
 
paperwight66 said:
It would be very wrong to bow at the name of Mary. She is not God!l
Click to expand...
It is correct to bow one’s head at the mention of the name of:


  1. *]Jesus,
    *]Mary, and
    *]the saint of the day or in whose honour the liturgy is being celebrated
 
ConstantineTG said:
Bowing is a sign of reverence, not worship
Click to expand...
Well considering that it’s a common thing to bow one’s head to a king (women curtsy) which is courtesy and politeness in action. This doesn’t have anything to do with a queen or a king being worshiped in the common sense of worship. It is just a display of who is in charge or of higher rank. Concerning the (German) military I had to salute anybody who was of higher rank, starting with NCO’s. I wouldn’t have considered this being any more than just common courtesy though.
Why would it then have anything to do with worship when it comes to said Catholic movements?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top