Guidelines for celebrating the EF in newer churches

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YoungTradCath said:
In the EF there is an explicit reference to that. In the OF the practice was maintained but the reference was shifted from relics to altar as symbol of Christ. So in a sense you are symbolically kissing Christ. I think that is the thinking.
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Now I’m trying to remember what I learned when I converted. I knew that there were relics under the altar, but I don’t think I ever made the explicit connection between the kissing of the altar and the relics thereunder. I think I thought that the altar was kissed because it is there that Christ is made present to us (which I think is different than thinking it was symbolically kissing Christ).
 
Lucky7 said:
Now I’m trying to remember what I learned when I converted. I knew that there were relics under the altar, but I don’t think I ever made the explicit connection between the kissing of the altar and the relics thereunder. I think I thought that the altar was kissed because it is there that Christ is made present to us (which I think is different than thinking it was symbolically kissing Christ).
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Lucky7

You have the right of it is where Christ is made present.

In our parish you bow to the alter and genuflect toward the tabernacle. Also many of the faithful aren’t aware that there are relics and that would explain why many people will say there are no relics. Also part of the mass consecrating a new church involves the installation of relics.
 
Wooden altars are not all bad, folks. Here’s the one at my parish. The lamb in the center was from our old church.
 
Sirach2 said:
Wooden altars are not all bad, folks. Here’s the one at my parish. The lamb in the center was from our old church.
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I agree, wooden altars are not always bad. Yours seems to be rather nice.
 
With regard to celebrating the Extraordinary form of the mass in a church that is neither constructed ad orientem nor has a tabernacle in the center/on the altar: would displaying the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance on the altar satisfy the requirements for “liturgical east”? Wouldn’t that be effectively the same as having the tabernacle on the altar?
 
leinadster said:
Good evening everyone, this is my first post in CAF. (If this thread belongs to the Liturgy forum please move it)

I am a novice altar server in the EF and I serve regularly. We are going to have a TLM soon in a parish near my house and I am giving basic training for the servers there. As you know, the tabernacle in most V2 churches are not in the center, but either in the epistle or gospel side, generally a few steps away from the altar. The altar is made out of wood and of course, has no relics.

My questions are:


  1. *]In which direction shall we genuflect? At the foot of the altar in the center or in the direction on where the tabernacle is?
    *]What to do when the altar has no relics of saints? What it is said at the “quorum reliquiae hic sunct” in this case?

    Any other suggestions/comments will be appreciated.

    Thank you.
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  1. As I recall if the Tabernacle is in the sanctuary ,then the genuflections would be the same as normal just turn the head a bit. if the Tabernacle isn t there then again as remember profound bows are proper. Kneeling is not affected in this area… As the response wanted ask the Priest Whether or not the Altar has a relic is the concern of the Priest and him alone
 
Vocatus said:
With regard to celebrating the Extraordinary form of the mass in a church that is neither constructed ad orientem nor has a tabernacle in the center/on the altar: would displaying the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance on the altar satisfy the requirements for “liturgical east”? Wouldn’t that be effectively the same as having the tabernacle on the altar?
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It would be odd to do that on a day to day basis. That is called Mass “coram Sanctissimo,” Mass with the Sacrament Exposed, and is a Rite unto itself. No, the solution is simply to use your altar as you have it and not worry about where the tabernacle is. It is perfectly possible to celebrate Mass on an altar in which the tabernacle is not near it.
 
YoungTradCath said:
It would be odd to do that on a day to day basis. That is called Mass “coram Sanctissimo,” Mass with the Sacrament Exposed, and is a Rite unto itself. No, the solution is simply to use your altar as you have it and not worry about where the tabernacle is. It is perfectly possible to celebrate Mass on an altar in which the tabernacle is not near it.
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As I said that is exactly how remember us doing it in similar circumstances back in the 40s and 50s We did assist at lots of different parishes and had to adapt to quite a few different stuations
 
A Mass Coram Sanctissimo was done in conjunction with the Forty Hours’ Devotion, otherwise only with the expressed permission of the bishop. Beginning in the 1950s, such Masses became less frequent and then eventually discontinued.

Whenever one celebrates the EF and the Sacrament is not present immediately behind said altar, the priest bows and the others all genuflect. This is what is done in the EF on Maundy Thursday, before the consecration.

When the Sacrament is on a side altar, the above norms still apply, according to Fortescue and O’Connell. I served at such a Mass two days ago.
 
I don’t doubt what you say but if there is no Blessed Sacrament where does the genuflection come from? More precisely what are you genuflecting to?
 
Servers and others in the sanctuary genuflect* in actu functionis*–in the act of function, to the altar, during the function, i.e., Holy Mass, but not outside of the liturgy.
 
Chatter163 said:
Servers and others in the sanctuary genuflect* in actu functionis*–in the act of function, to the altar, during the function, i.e., Holy Mass, but not outside of the liturgy.
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So basically
Code: 
                                              altar
tabernacle

If you have a situation like that, the priest genuflects at all the prescribed times except at the beginning and end of Mass.

Right?
 
leinadster said:
Good evening everyone, this is my first post in CAF. (If this thread belongs to the Liturgy forum please move it)

I am a novice altar server in the EF and I serve regularly. We are going to have a TLM soon in a parish near my house and I am giving basic training for the servers there. As you know, the tabernacle in most V2 churches are not in the center, but either in the epistle or gospel side, generally a few steps away from the altar. The altar is made out of wood and of course, has no relics.

My questions are:


  1. *]In which direction shall we genuflect? At the foot of the altar in the center or in the direction on where the tabernacle is?
    *]What to do when the altar has no relics of saints? What it is said at the “quorum reliquiae hic sunct” in this case?

    Any other suggestions/comments will be appreciated.

    Thank you.
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  1. I thought first class relics in the altar are a requirement and not an option. I didn’t know the consecration of an altar could be done if there are no relics in it.

    Canon law:

    Can. 1237 §1 Fixed altars are to be dedicated, movable ones either dedicated or blessed, according to the rites prescribed in the liturgical books.

    §2 The ancient tradition of placing relics of Martyrs or of other Saints within a fixed altar is to be retained, in accordance with the rites prescribed in the liturgical books.
 
Chatter163 said:
Servers and others in the sanctuary genuflect* in actu functionis*–in the act of function, to the altar, during the function, i.e., Holy Mass, but not outside of the liturgy.
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could you give an authoritative source? That was not what I was taught
 
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