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Horton
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I’m not sure ours is fixed but it certainly is not movable without mechanical help of some sort. 
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Trying2overcome
Guest
Well, I dont mean literally to the east. I use ‘ad orientem’ to mean the priest having his back to the people.
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Trying2overcome
Guest
Wow, that is a very interesting article! I really do wish that the priest “having his back” to the people was the norm in celebrating the NO Mass, during the prayers that is. Oh well, maybe one day…
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JohnLilburne
Guest
In the edition of the Roman Missal used in Australia it has in the General Instruction:
“299. The altar should be built separate from the wall, in such a way that it is possible to walk around it easily and that Mass can be celebrated at it facing the people, which is desirable whenever possible. Moreover, the altar should occupy a place where it is truly the centre toward which the attention of the whole congregation of the faithful naturally turns. 116 The altar should usually be fixed and dedicated.”
Footnote 116 has: Cf. Sacred Congregation of Rites, Instruction, Inter Oecumenici , 26 September 1964, no. 91: Acta Apostolicae Sedis 56 (1964), p. 898.
“Chapter V. Designing Churches and Altars to Facilitate Active Participation of the Faithful
I. DESIGN OF CHURCHES
The sanctuary area is to be spacious enough to accommodate the sacred rites.
III. CHAIR FOR CELEBRANT AND MINISTERS”
Following its publication in 1964 questions were asked and responses published in Notitiae in 1965, including:
“Query: For celebration of Mass facing the people is it lawful to construct a portable altar in a permanent manner in front of the main altar? Reply: Per se it is lawful, but it is not recommended. For the faithful take part very well in a Mass celebrated according to the norm of the new Ordo Missae even if the altar is made in such a way that the celebrant turns his back to them. The entire liturgy of the word is celebrated facing the people, at the chair, or at the lectern. If, in spite of this, the pastor of the church has decided to place another, portable altar in front of the main altar, this altar is to be set up as temporary. There is to be a truly observable space between both altars and the portable altar is to have enough space around it to serve as a kind of sanctuary: Not 1 (1965) 251, no. 62.”
(This is from the book Documents on the Liturgy 1963-1979, (c) 1982, ISBN 0814612814 page 108).
Continue in next post …
“299. The altar should be built separate from the wall, in such a way that it is possible to walk around it easily and that Mass can be celebrated at it facing the people, which is desirable whenever possible. Moreover, the altar should occupy a place where it is truly the centre toward which the attention of the whole congregation of the faithful naturally turns. 116 The altar should usually be fixed and dedicated.”
Footnote 116 has: Cf. Sacred Congregation of Rites, Instruction, Inter Oecumenici , 26 September 1964, no. 91: Acta Apostolicae Sedis 56 (1964), p. 898.
“Chapter V. Designing Churches and Altars to Facilitate Active Participation of the Faithful
I. DESIGN OF CHURCHES
- In building new churches or restoring and adapting old ones every care is to be taken that they are suited to celebrating liturgical services authentically and that they ensure active participation by the faithful (see SC art. 124).
- The main altar should preferably be freestanding, to permit walking around it and celebration facing the people. Its location in the place of worship should be truly central so that the attention of the whole congregation naturally focuses there.
The sanctuary area is to be spacious enough to accommodate the sacred rites.
III. CHAIR FOR CELEBRANT AND MINISTERS”
Following its publication in 1964 questions were asked and responses published in Notitiae in 1965, including:
“Query: For celebration of Mass facing the people is it lawful to construct a portable altar in a permanent manner in front of the main altar? Reply: Per se it is lawful, but it is not recommended. For the faithful take part very well in a Mass celebrated according to the norm of the new Ordo Missae even if the altar is made in such a way that the celebrant turns his back to them. The entire liturgy of the word is celebrated facing the people, at the chair, or at the lectern. If, in spite of this, the pastor of the church has decided to place another, portable altar in front of the main altar, this altar is to be set up as temporary. There is to be a truly observable space between both altars and the portable altar is to have enough space around it to serve as a kind of sanctuary: Not 1 (1965) 251, no. 62.”
(This is from the book Documents on the Liturgy 1963-1979, (c) 1982, ISBN 0814612814 page 108).
Continue in next post …
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JohnLilburne
Guest
In the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and the Order of Mass the word “facing” appears frequently. For example the Order of Mass has “facing the people” for “Behold the Lamb of God”. Then shortly after “facing the altar” when he says quietly
“May the Body of Christ
keep me safe for eternal life.”
The argument made in the article linked to above “The Normativity of Ad Orientem Worship According to the Ordinary Form’s Rubrics” is that these facing rubrics mean the normative way to celebrate Mass is with the Priest turning his back to the people.
But while instructions are provided for this situation, it is clear that the normative way, the standard way, is “91. The main altar should preferably be freestanding, to permit walking around it and celebration facing the people.” (From the 1964 Instruction Inter Oecumenici.).
[Excerpts from The Roman Missal (c) 2010 International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.]
“May the Body of Christ
keep me safe for eternal life.”
The argument made in the article linked to above “The Normativity of Ad Orientem Worship According to the Ordinary Form’s Rubrics” is that these facing rubrics mean the normative way to celebrate Mass is with the Priest turning his back to the people.
But while instructions are provided for this situation, it is clear that the normative way, the standard way, is “91. The main altar should preferably be freestanding, to permit walking around it and celebration facing the people.” (From the 1964 Instruction Inter Oecumenici.).
[Excerpts from The Roman Missal (c) 2010 International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.]
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Trying2overcome
Guest
Thanks for the info!
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dochawk
Guest
However, that was only possible (generally) once the notion of “Liturgical East” was accepted. With such designation, the Altar is considered East, geography not withstanding.Many Catholic churches built in recent times do not have the altar oriented in an east (or west) manner, so the priest is facing whatever direction the altar was built to face.
Historically, there are churches–in Rome itself–where existing building architecture meant that the altar could not be at the East end. In such churches, the priest has historically faced actual East (often facing the congregation from behind the altar).
In today’s OF (not NO; that is generally generally condescdending today, and the tittle has been changed), facing East is normative, but facing the people is an option for the priest. The rubrics assume that the priest is ad orientum, and include instructions turn to face the congregation at various times.
Both choices are licit.
As a side note, I’ve noticed (probably not statistically significant), that many of the US RC parishes where the altar is not in the east are second churches, larger ones built after growth, but on the same lot, where the original church was ad orientum.
hawk
P
poche
Guest
I do. I know of at least two parishes where the priest celebrates mass facing the people and he is also facing the east, as in ad orientum.
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