Is it permissable to leave the tabernacle door open with the key in it?

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Ostiarius

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For many years, the lay ministers at my parish would unlock and open the tabernacle door and leave the key in it, while setting up for Mass. The problem was they would often then go back into the sacristy or elsewhere and the Most Blessed Sacrament (yes, God was in repose) would be exposed to possible profanation/theft with no one in the (very public, downtown) church.

Our last pastor finally cracked down and forbid the practice. He took away all the excuses. He added a wrist strap to the key for those who claimed they had no place to keep the key (laypeople used to bring the Blessed Sacrament to the altar from the tabernacle, back when our tabernacle was located in the hinterlands.) He had the locking mechanism serviced so it wouldn’t “make too much noise during Mass.”

Now we have a new and better pastor. The tabernacle has been relocated back to the rear center of the sanctuary (hallelujah!) Once again about half of the people who set up for Mass have reverted to unlocking/opening/leaving the key in the door while setting up. I discreetly checked and this is not due to permission or direction from the new pastor.

Today I went to our 12:10 daily Mass. I got there early, about 11:45. I entered my downtown church. No one insider. Everything was set-up for Mass and sure enough the tabernacle was open with the key in the door. I entered the sanctuary and very reverently checked the contents of the ciboriums. God was definitely in repose. I locked the tabernacle, entered the sacristy and placed the key on the hook in the “secret” location and then went back to my pew.

Nearly 10 minutes later, the Mass “captain” (who did the set-up) returned to the church. She wandered through the sanctuary to “check on things” and noticed the tabernacle was locked. She retrieved the key, unlocked it again, and once more left the key in the lock.

Before I complain to my pastor, am I missing something? Is this practice allowed? Not only does it harm security it also says loads from a belief in the Real Presence to me.
 
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I think it’s inappropriate if not totally disrespectful. The only time one should leave the tabernacle unlocked, let alone with the key in it, is if someone is there to keep an eye on it.
 
Unless the new pastor explicitly changed the rule, which it doesn’t sound like he did, then the people should be continuing to follow the rule already in place, which it doesn’t sound like they are.

I doubt that the people don’t believe in the Real Presence. More like they have just gotten lazy and figure nothing bad will happen.
 
We do that too, although we wouldn’t need to if we had enough discipline to keep an accurate log in the sacristy.

I think that’s always bad practice, because as you note, problems arise and they wouldn’t if it was simply not allowed. I believe procedures that surround the Most Blessed Sacrament must be as tight as possible.
 
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This actually happened at our church I talked with the sacristan and lay ministers they dismissed me so I finally told our parish priest he also dismissed all their excuses.
 
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A similar ish situation happened my parish (tabernacle locked but key left out in the sanctuary in an empty church between masses on Sunday).

The priests didn’t seem to care though… what do you do in that situation?
 
The only time the tabernacle door should be open is from after the Mass on the Thursday before Easter until Easter Vigil when Christ is placed back in the tabernacle.

The key to the tabernacle is kept in a locked cupboard. Once I spent 15 minutes looking for it as a visiting priest put is somewhere else and didn’t inform us of where.
 
OP, what may help is suggesting that the tabernacle key is placed with the chalice so that it’s accessible to Father at the Agnus Dei…
 
One day I arrived at church for a meeting and as I walked in I spotted something beside the tabernacle. With heart pounding I approached to find a lidless ciborium partially filled with Hosts just sitting there. Hoping against hope that they were unconsecrated I looked and saw pieces of the concelebration host we used to use. Father had forgotten to put the ciborium in the tabernacle at the end of that afternoon’s funeral.

I retrieved the key and reposed Jesus in the tabernacle.
 
HeDa said:
The only time the tabernacle door should be open is from after the Mass on the Thursday before Easter until Easter Vigil when Christ is placed back in the tabernacle.
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That’s not true. Anytime the Church is used for a major, non-liturgical use (e.g. a pro-life rally), the Most Blessed Sacrament should be removed, and securely reposed elsewhere. The tabernacle door should be left open, the key placed in its typical secure storage location and the eternal light extinguished.
 
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It’s still bad practice because mistakes are still made as you note.
 
It’s been a long time since I was an altar server. 40 years or so. But I recall seeing the priest place the key on top of the lace covered paperboard that goes on the chalice after he cleans it after Communion, and then set the chalice to the side. I guess he would retrieve it from the altar table after Mass.

Other times, I remember seeing the priest take the key out of his pocket, unlock the tabernacle, and put the key back in his pocket during Mass.

Aside from security, is there a reason for locking the tabernacle?
 
on_the_hill said:
It’s been a long time since I was an altar server. 40 years or so. But I recall seeing the priest place the key on top of the lace covered paperboard that goes on the chalice after he cleans it after Communion, and then set the chalice to the side. I guess he would retrieve it from the altar table after Mass.

Other times, I remember seeing the priest take the key out of his pocket, unlock the tabernacle, and put the key back in his pocket during Mass.

Aside from security, is there a reason for locking the tabernacle?
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Can. 938 §1. The Most Holy Eucharist is to be reserved habitually in only one tabernacle of a church or oratory.

§2. The tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved is to be situated in some part of the church or oratory which is distinguished, conspicuous, beautifully decorated, and suitable for prayer.

§3. The tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved habitually is to be immovable, made of solid and opaque material, and locked in such a way that the danger of profanation is avoided as much as possible.

§4. For a grave cause, it is permitted to reserve the Most Holy Eucharist in some other fitting and more secure place, especially at night.

§5. The person responsible for the church or oratory is to take care that the key of the tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved is safeguarded most diligently.
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Somehow I don’t think that leaving it in a cupboard with a flimsy lock, the key to which is accessible to anyone who opens the drawer below it, is what they had in mind.
 
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