How and why did the Tabernacle get put to the side?

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How and why did post VII parishes start placing the Tabernacles to the side of the altar, and is it technically against Canon Law?
 
I don’t know how or why. Back in the 1980s and so at my parish, the altar was in front like it should be. Now it’s off to the side,whether this was some new thing of the church’s I don’t know, but i don’t care for it.They have it this way at my parish now.
I wish the church would go back to the old ways of doing things, even the old mass,which I don’t really need to hear in latin, just want the old forumla.
 
well you have to remember Jesus resides at the tabernacle. So he was probably getting in the way of the mass so they moved it to the side.
 
My church has the tabernacle WAY off to the side, almost 90 degrees from the front, in its own little “room” or cove. One almost has to search for it to figure out where it is. Lots of people who genuflect before entering their pews obviously don’t know what they are doing since they genuflect towards the front of the church (the altar) rather than turning 90 degrees to the side and genuflecting towards the tabernacle. It’s like Christ is “out of sight, out of mind.” 😦 Can’t understand why someone thought this was a good design in ANY decade. 🤷
 
I think it’s right to say that many old churches used to have a specific chapel for the blessed sacrament. Certainly in Cathedrals, the seat of the bishop takes the central position.
 
TommyWommy said:
My church has the tabernacle WAY off to the side, almost 90 degrees from the front, in its own little “room” or cove. One almost has to search for it to figure out where it is. Lots of people who genuflect before entering their pews obviously don’t know what they are doing since they genuflect towards the front of the church (the altar) rather than turning 90 degrees to the side and genuflecting towards the tabernacle. It’s like Christ is “out of sight, out of mind.” 😦 Can’t understand why someone thought this was a good design in ANY decade. 🤷
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Tabernacles off in its own room is a good idea for parishes that has regular adoration.
 
There are stated reasons and often those stated reasons are merely a smokescreen for the actual reasons.

IMO, in many cases the actual reason was a desire to de-emphasize that “embarassingly peculiar” (their notion, not mine) catholic notion of a real, physical, substantial presence of Christ in the host and to over-emphasize the community sacred meal gathering aspect.
 
T_More said:
How and why did post VII parishes start placing the Tabernacles to the side of the altar, and is it technically against Canon Law?
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I don’t understand why it happened. There is only one church around me that has it set to the side, about 90 degrees to the right. All around behind the altar are plants and imitation trees instead. I try to avoid this particular church when I can because of many other “modern” issues.

The rest of the catholic churches near me have the tabernacle in the middle. Since you asked this question I guess it is a popular problem.
 
manualman said:
There are stated reasons and often those stated reasons are merely a smokescreen for the actual reasons.

IMO, in many cases the actual reason was a desire to de-emphasize that “embarassingly peculiar” (their notion, not mine) catholic notion of a real, physical, substantial presence of Christ in the host and to over-emphasize the community sacred meal gathering aspect.
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Your opinion is nonsense. As ConstantineTG said, "Tabernacles off in its own room is a good idea for parishes that has regular adoration. " Adoration has been growing in many parishes. It is a GOOD thing.
 
I don’t see how tossing Christ off to the side is a good thing.
 
Adoration requires a monstrance, not a tabernacle. Adoration is not a reason to move a tabernacle to a side chapel.

If, as a priest, you feel uncomfortable saying Mass with your back to the tabernacle, then that would be a reason to move it. But not a good one.

i.e. One normally genuflects to the tabernacle. Saying Mass with your back to it might feel peculiar.
 
InquisitorMax said:
Adoration requires a monstrance, not a tabernacle. Adoration is not a reason to move a tabernacle to a side chapel.

If, as a priest, you feel uncomfortable saying Mass with your back to the tabernacle, then that would be a reason to move it. But not a good one.

i.e. One normally genuflects to the tabernacle. Saying Mass with your back to it might feel peculiar.
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Or he could just turn around and face the tabernacle. Problem solved:D
 
FightingFat said:
I think it’s right to say that many old churches used to have a specific chapel for the blessed sacrament. Certainly in Cathedrals, the seat of the bishop takes the central position.
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This is the case of many monasteries as well, and predates by a LONG time Vatican II.
 
Hm. Churches that have Adoration have to stick the tabernacle in a little side room? Why not have adoration in the main church? Mine does it that way. Works marvelously, too.
 
It is quite a sad occurence when I enter a church and cannot find the tabernacle. It has always been my understanding that “nothing and no one” was to above the height of the tabernacle, which was to be on the main altar. If you look at the older churches not only is the tabernacle on the main alter, but is is on a level that is higher than the priest when he is standing or sitting. On many he must reach “up” to open and close the tabernacle doors.

I do not know if this is 100% accurate, but in a few articles I have read one of the sources has been laid at the feet of both the architect and the Bishop approving the design, with the majority of new church architects being protestant in belief, they do not design for the catholic teaching of the True Presence. However, even if that is true, it should never get pass the Bishops. Likewise, this is the same case for churches being designed without “kneelers” - also a predominantly protestant feature.

Adoration is a very weak excuse to “move” JESUS from HIS altar and place HIM below the level of the priest. That is not adortion, that is abuse through ignorance and denial.

The church I attend now while I am working out of town, does not have the tabernacle anywhere in sight. It does not have the stations of the cross. The altar has this trapazoid shape that resembles a stage. And except for the kneelers, it can be anyones, any organizations, any companys assembly, community or presentation room .

It is very sad, but I have found two Franciscan churches that honor JESUS and I will be attending there.
 
OraLabora said:
This is the case of many monasteries as well, and predates by a LONG time Vatican II.
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True. It was St. Francis who, while restoring chapels, put the tabernacle either on or above the altar because there was no other place to put it. Because of the success and spreading of the Franciscan order the placement of the tabernacle found its way to be on or above the altar throughout Europe. During the previous centuries, the tabernacle was placed in a side chapel for prayer and adoration. St. Francis put the tabernacle where he did because of lack of space and nothing else. There is no nefarious reason for putting the tabernacle in a side chapel (regardless of those here who think Jesus is being cast aside). As stated already, the great cathedrals have the tabernacle in side chapels, too.

"Adoration is a very weak excuse to “move” JESUS from HIS altar and place HIM below the level of the priest. That is not adortion, that is abuse through ignorance and denial. "

This is nothing but personal passion, devoid of knowledge about the subject at hand. It certainly is NOT an abuse - if it were, then St. Peters at Rome would be the chief villain - and the only ignorance here is thinking such things.
 
Side chapels are also used in large cathedrals and places of pilgrimage (and have been for centuries because the thongs of tourists (many of whom are not Catholic today), create a poor atmosphere of reverence.
 
There are these things called Rubrics, which are the regulations by which the liturgy functions. They do mention this about the tabernacle:

"54. ‘The eucharist is to be reserved in a solid and secure tabernacle, placed in the middle of the main altar or on a minor, but truly worthy altar, or else, depending on lawful custom and in particular cases approved by the local Ordinary, in another, special, and properly adorned part of the church.’

‘It is also lawful to celebrate Mass facing the people even on an altar where there is a small but becoming tabernacle.’[115]

Here is the link if you would like to see more:
catholicliturgy.com/index.cfm/FuseAction/documentText/Index/2/SubIndex/11/ContentIndex/348/Start/338
 
A couple of the older churches in my area have such a high main altar that it seems that the priest could accidentally pull the ciborium down on himself and lose balance and fall over, with consecrated hosts spilling out all over the place. It almost looks like someone reaching for a hot casserole in a too-high microwave oven (no disrespect intended to the Blessed Sacrament, believe me!) Just plain scary-looking. In those cases I’ve seen the reserved Sacrament in a tabernacle on a side altar, which has a safer reach to it.
 
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