Prior to entering pew or crossing the main aisle

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So I’ve been taught by my parents to genuflect and do a full sign of the cross when entering my pew or walking across the main aisle of the church.

Is a genuflect, bow at the waist, sign of the cross, or head bow all just as appropriate?

Note: I’m asking about Catholic Masses and Churches. Even though my username is Episcopalian, I was raised Catholic and still attend on High Holidays if the rest of my family is going.
 
It depends. This is a reverent practice, not a theological doctrine. It is polite and respectful to make a gesture of reverence to the Body of Christ reserved in the Tabernacle. That can be a head bow and SOTC or a full genuflection.

I’d use common sense, if there are many people in the aisle, genuflection may cause people to stumble. If you have trouble getting to your knees, a profound bow (from the waist) might be best.

Note, remember, when the Eucharist is not reposed in the Tabernacle, a bow of the head toward the Altar is all that is needed.
 
I was taught that one genuflects to the Tabernacle. If one can’t physically genuflect, for instance due to disability, one bows, or does whatever respectful gesture one can do. Obviously, use common sense and don’t genuflect if it might cause others to trip or you don’t have room in a huge crowd.

If the Tabernacle is not located behind the altar, but is rather off in the corner someplace, then you should direct your genuflection or other reverent gesture to the spot where the Tabernacle is, rather than to the altar.

By doing this gesture you are acknowledging the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

On Good Friday, when the Tabernacle stands open and empty, we don’t genuflect because Jesus isn’t there.
 
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You genuflect to Eucharist present in the tabernacle upon entering the Church, which may or may not be behind the altar. For most, that means genuflecting as you enter your pew. Oh, and the sign of the cross is made when you use holy water upon entering the church or exiting. Some make the sign of the cross when they genuflect.

You bow to the altar, for example if the tabernacle is not in the main sanctuary but rather in a chapel. (Shouldn’t really be the case, but it may be for various reasons).

These are all pious traditions and not regulated by the rubrics of the mass.

During the mass the rubrics of the mass give direction on gestures, and you do not genuflect or bow as you pass the tabernacle, go in and out of pew, etc. these rubrics also cover readers and servers as well as priests and deacons.

We bow during the words of the Incarnation in the Creed, and before receiving communion. We beat our breast 3 times during the Confiteor. Those are the prescribed gesture rubrics of those in the pew other than kneeling and standing.
 
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From the 1984 Ceremonial of Bishops :

“69 A genuflection, made by bending only the right knee to the ground, signifies adoration, and is therefore reserved for the blessed sacrament, whether exposed or reserved in the tabernacle, and for the holy cross from the time of the solemn adoration in the liturgical celebration of Good Friday until the beginning of the Easter Vigil.

70 Neither a genuflection nor a deep bow is made by those who are carrying articles used in a celebration, for example, the cross, candlesticks, the Book of the Gospels.

Reverence toward the blessed sacrament

71 No one who enters a church should fail to adore the blessed sacrament, either by visiting the blessed sacrament chapel or at least by genuflecting.

Similarly, those who pass before the blessed sacrament genuflect, except when they are walking in procession.

Reverence toward the altar

72 A deep bow is made to the altar by all who enter the sanctuary (chancel), leave it, or pass before the altar.”

From the 2010 English translation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, n. 274:

“During Mass, three genuflections are made by the Priest Celebrant: namely, after the elevation of the host, after the elevation 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).

If, however, the tabernacle with the Most Blessed Sacrament is situated 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.

Otherwise, all who pass before the Most Blessed Sacrament genuflect, unless they are moving in procession.

Ministers carrying the processional cross or candles bow their head instead of genuflecting.”

The Sign of the Cross is not part of a genuflection.

[Excerpt from the English translation of Ceremonial of Bishops © 1989, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). Excerpt from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, ICEL. All rights reserved.]
 
It’s not a reverent practice unless you know who you are targeting your reverence to…and its not the pew!

Bow when crossing the altar, genuflect when crossing the tabernacle…bowing or genuflecting to take a seat is not an act of reverence, but rather a show.
 
MagdalenaRita said:
When we enter our pew, we genuflect or bow.
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You bow or genuflect TO what? That was my point…we don’t bow or genuflect as a meaningless act of choreography before taking a seat…we bow to the altar as an act of reverence acknowledging it as the place where the sacrifice of the mass occurs, or we genuflect to the tabernacle containing the body of the Lord.
 
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My understanding is that you genuflect on one knee when passing in front of the closed tabernacle (if the sanctuary light is lit and Our Lord is in the tabernacle), you genuflect on both knees (i.e. kneel) when passing the exposed Eucharist (in the monstrance or elsewhere) and if you are passing the altar which has no tabernacle behind it or no exposed Eucharist then you make a simple bow. If entering or leaving a pew (except when going to or coming from Communion during Mass, or going to or coming back from reading etc) then genuflect in the direction of the tabernacle.
 
Brendan_64 wrote:

“My understanding is that you genuflect on one knee when passing in front of the closed tabernacle (if the sanctuary light is lit and Our Lord is in the tabernacle), you genuflect on both knees (i.e. kneel) when passing the exposed Eucharist (in the monstrance or elsewhere)”.

This is not what it has in the current liturgical books for the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

From the 1984 Ceremonial of Bishops, Chapter 22, Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction:

“1103 Genuflection in the presence of the blessed sacrament exposed for public adoration is on one knee.”

This ends with footnote 394, referring to Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass, n. 84.

This has:

“84. A single genuflection is made in the presence of the blessed sacrament, whether reserved in the tabernacle or exposed for public adoration.”

[Excerpt from the English translation of Ceremonial of Bishops © 1989, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL). Excerpt from the English translation of Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass © 1974, ICEL. All rights reserved.]
 
Thank you. This is a good reminder. I frequently see people genuflect out of habit and not from paying any attention, as the tabernacle may be empty or in a different direction. Not my place to judge, but it is a pet peeve nonetheless.
 
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