Should Mass be offered Ad Orientem?

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semper_catholicus

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Greetings.

I’ve made this thread due to a request by another member on CAF.

So, what are your opinions? Do you think the Mass, specifically the New Mass, be offered Ad Orientem? Or, do you think it shouldn’t?
 
Versus Populum (VP) and Ad Orientem (AO) both have equal liturgical value and heritage, IMO. Both should be used and embraced, and neither stuffed into the closet for being too 'protestant or ‘archaic’.
 
Yes, I think that would be fine if more priests exercised that option.
 
Which direction did Jesus face when he instituted the Sacrament ?

The priest is Jesus, en persona at the Mass and should do as Jesus did, in memory of Him.

Jim
 
Facing God (the east) > facing fellow man.

Yes, I think he might care a little bit if they turn their backs to him.
 
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This Thread is starting to affect me…
 
Well, if Jesus is in the Blessed Sacrament is in the middle behind the altar as He should be, then you are turning your back to God.
 
Well, then why aren’t we all reclining at couches around the Altar, if Mass should be held just as Christ held the Last Supper?

(I’m just playing Devil’s Advocate- I love the symbolism and meaning behind both)
 
Yes, but before that, He is also reserved in the tabernacle.
 
semper_catholicus said:
Yes, I think he might care a little bit if they turn their backs to him.
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Do you seriously believe that God is in the east, anymore than he is in the west, or any other direction?

You are aware that, since Trent, “ad orientem” does not mean facing true east, but toward some contrived “liturgical east”, which could be in any direction?

And you do realize that every time the priest prays together with the people during the Tridentine Mass, he turns his back to the altar and faces the people, or liturgical west?
 
Yes, I am aware of those things. But, the priest in the Latin Mass, before he turns around, kisses the altar almost to “apologize” for turning around, and he off-centers himself a little bit so as not to turn his back directly to God.
 
Because it would be impractical in the West.

The reason for Ad Orientem had to do with the Emperor Constantine, when he wrote the edict of religious tolerance for Christianity, he donated Roman public buildings.

Those buildings had large shelves attached to the front wall of the building, which was used to hold legal documents.

The Church began using them to place Scripture and use them for altars, which made the priest facing with his back to the people practical. As books were extremely heavy, the large self is where the Bible and eventually liturgical text could be kept while Mass was being said.

However, the early Church before Constantine’s edict, Masses were celebrated in secret in homes, catacombs and out in the wilderness areas. The celebrant faced the people.

Jim
 
Yes, because that is what I’ve heard from a priest who offers the latin mass himself.

I know that “apologize” isn’t the best word, but that’s sort of what it is like.
 
I think this rests on the faulty premise that God is not everywhere. No matter where we face, we’re not facing away from God, if God is truly omnipresent.

Of course, speaking metaphorically, we can “turn our backs on God” by sinning. But physical direction-wise is not the same.
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Obviously, he is symbolically facing God. Symbolism is important and is used throughout the liturgy. Tradition and symbolism connect us to our past in meaningful ways. We don’t need to reinvent worship for every generation.

I think we should only discard ancient and long-standing traditions of the Church with great care.

I don’t mind it in the Latin Rite if the priest faces the people, but I would find it very disorienting to have it done in my own rite.
 
The problem that I have with the priest with his back to the people, is it sometimes makes it a lot harder to understand.

I guess if its a Latin mass, it doesn’t make a diff, as you can’t understand him anyhow.
 
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