Tabernacle In The Church

[Kevirish01]

I have hesitated wading into this – but here goes:

I want to thank those of you who are defending Christ’s real presence *par excellance *in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

God bless you all.

What follows is from the catechism. (please forgive me if these have been posted)

The presence of Christ by the power of his word and the Holy Spirit

[1373](http://javascript:OpenPopupWindow() “Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us,” is present in many ways to his Church: in his word, in his Church’s prayer, “where two or three are gathered in my name,” in the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned,199 in the sacraments of which he is the author, in the sacrifice of the Mass, and in the person of the minister. But “he is present . . . most **especially in the Eucharistic species.” **(emphasis added)

[1374](http://javascript:OpenPopupWindow()** The mode of Christ’s presence under the Eucharistic species is unique.** It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as “the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend.” In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist “the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.” “This presence is called ‘real’—by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be ‘real’ too, but because** it is presence in the fullest sense**: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present.”

[1378](http://javascript:OpenPopupWindow() Worship of the Eucharist. In the liturgy of the Mass we express our faith in the real presence of Christ under the species of bread and wine by, among other ways, genuflecting or bowing deeply as a sign of adoration of the Lord. “The Catholic Church has always offered and still offers to the sacrament of the Eucharist the cult of adoration, not only during Mass, but also outside of it, reserving the consecrated hosts with the utmost care, exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful, and carrying them in procession.”

1379 The tabernacle was first intended for the reservation of the Eucharist in a worthy place so that it could be brought to the sick and those absent, outside of Mass. As faith in the real presence of Christ in his Eucharist deepened, the Church became conscious of the meaning of silent adoration of the Lord present under the Eucharistic species. It is for this reason that the tabernacle should be located in an especially worthy place in the church and should be constructed in such a way that it emphasizes and manifests the truth of the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

Before there is someone out there who objects to those using the word “physical” – check this out from Pope Paul VI’s Mysterium Fidei (#46)

Not that there lies under those species what was already there before, but something quite different; and that not only because of the faith of the Church, but in objective reality, since after the change of the substance or nature of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, nothing remains of the bread and wine but the appearances, under which Christ, whole and entire, in His physical “reality” is bodily present, although not in the same way that bodies are present in a given place. (MF 46)

 

[Kevirish01]

Continuing…

What follows is from the Apostolic Exortation Sacramentum Caritatis (Pope Benedict XVI, Feb. 22, 2007)

Forms of eucharistic devotion
68. The personal relationship which the individual believer establishes with Jesus present in the Eucharist constantly points beyond itself to the whole communion of the Church and nourishes a fuller sense of membership in the Body of Christ. For this reason, besides encouraging individual believers to make time for personal prayer before the Sacrament of the Altar, I feel obliged to urge parishes and other church groups to set aside times for collective adoration. Naturally, already existing forms of eucharistic piety retain their full value. I am thinking, for example, of processions with the Blessed Sacrament, especially the traditional procession on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Forty Hours devotion, local, national and international Eucharistic Congresses, and other similar initiatives. If suitably updated and adapted to local circumstances, these forms of devotion are still worthy of being practised today. (SC 68, italics and emphasis added)

The location of the tabernacle

1. In considering the importance of eucharistic reservation and adoration, and reverence for the sacrament of Christ’s sacrifice, the Synod of Bishops also discussed the question of the proper placement of the tabernacle in our churches. The correct positioning of the tabernacle contributes to the recognition of Christ’s real presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Therefore, the place where the eucharistic species are reserved, marked by a sanctuary lamp, should be readily visible to everyone entering the church. It is therefore necessary to take into account the building’s architecture: in churches which do not have a Blessed Sacrament chapel, and where the high altar with its tabernacle is still in place, it is appropriate to continue to use this structure for the reservation and adoration of the Eucharist, taking care not to place the celebrant’s chair in front of it. In new churches, it is good to position the Blessed Sacrament chapel close to the sanctuary; where this is not possible, it is preferable to locate the tabernacle in the sanctuary, in a sufficiently elevated place, at the centre of the apse area, or in another place where it will be equally conspicuous. Attention to these considerations will lend dignity to the tabernacle, which must always be cared for, also from an artistic standpoint. Obviously it is necessary to follow the provisions of the *General Instruction of the Roman Missal *in this regard. In any event, final judgment on these matters belongs to the Diocesan Bishop. (SC 69, italics and emphasis added)

 

[Kevirish01]

To lizaanne and down under,

God bless your faith! So edifying to see Catholics defend our Lord’s Eucharistic Presence!

For your perusal - check out Fr. John Hardon’s writings at:
www.therealpresence.org

He will give you some very good stuff there.

To Al Masetti – yes, I saw Fr. Groeschel’s show the other night. That holy priest of 70 years! – something else. He very much defended (as is the tradition in the Eastern Rite churches) keeping Christ’s Eucharistic Presence near the altar. This in no way takes away our attention from the Sacrifice of the Mass.

Where there is Eucharistic Adoration taking place – blessings come in abundance.

 

[Eilish_Maura]

actually the church teaches that God is physically present in the person of Jesus Christ body blood soul and divinity in the tabernacle in the blessed sacrament. That is a different level then when I am driving a car. or when I am eating dinner at mac’s. and there is a different and direct behavior required of me because of the different presence. so quite frankly you are dead wrong on this one and need to go back to sunday school and figure out where you got off track. we are not protesters. we believe that there is a reason to come to mass. and that reason is the reception of God himself into our bodies. without this I would not go to church. there would be no point. the catholic church becomes just another denomination. If I can recieve God the same way anywhere under any circumstances then there would be no point in priests or robes or any of it. A very slippery slop there. but one you seem ready willing and able to slide down this whole thread.

Please show where the Church teaches us that there are levels (like the bars for cell phone coverage) of just how much God is present going from most to least.

 

[Eilish_Maura]

I have hesitated wading into this – but here goes:

I want to thank those of you who are defending Christ’s real presence *par excellance *in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

God bless you all.

PLEASE SHOW ALL OF US EXACTLY WHERE THE REAL PRESENCE HAS BEEN DENIED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.

TIA

 

[Eilish_Maura]

How about highlighting what comes first in the item:

Continuing…

What follows is from the Apostolic Exortation Sacramentum Caritatis (Pope Benedict XVI, Feb. 22, 2007)

The location of the tabernacle

1. In considering the importance of eucharistic reservation and adoration, and reverence for the sacrament of Christ’s sacrifice, the Synod of Bishops also discussed the question of the proper placement of the tabernacle in our churches. The correct positioning of the tabernacle contributes to the recognition of Christ’s real presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Therefore, the place where the eucharistic species are reserved, marked by a sanctuary lamp, should be readily visible to everyone entering the church. It is therefore necessary to take into account the building’s architecture: in churches which do not have a Blessed Sacrament chapel, and where the high altar with its tabernacle is still in place, it is appropriate to continue to use this structure for the reservation and adoration of the Eucharist, taking care not to place the celebrant’s chair in front of it. In new churches, it is good to position the Blessed Sacrament chapel close to the sanctuary; where this is not possible, it is preferable to locate the tabernacle in the sanctuary, in a sufficiently elevated place, at the centre of the apse area, or in another place where it will be equally conspicuous. Attention to these considerations will lend dignity to the tabernacle, which must always be cared for, also from an artistic standpoint. Obviously it is necessary to follow the provisions of the *General Instruction of the Roman Missal *in this regard. In any event, final judgment on these matters belongs to the Diocesan Bishop. (SC 69, italics and emphasis added)

 

[down_under]

Kevirish01;3650027:

I have hesitated wading into this – but here goes:

I want to thank those of you who are defending Christ’s real presence *par excellance *in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

God bless you all.

PLEASE SHOW ALL OF US EXACTLY WHERE THE REAL PRESENCE HAS BEEN DENIED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.

TIA
You have been dening it for about 20 posts. or at least down playing it to the point that it has no real meaning. God is present in the holy sacrament in a way he is not present everywhere else. God is not present the same everywhere. when you say God is everywhere in this context you are dening that the real presence is anything special that you could not accomplish in your living room.

 

[down_under]

How about highlighting what comes first in the item:

Thank you for highlighting our point. I have never seen a church where it would be 'Not Possible" if it was attempted. things could be moved people just don’t want to. but that aside it keeps going back to putting it close to the sancturay. or in a highly elevated place near there. not in a closet in some far away place. you might also notice the points made about it no longer being the primary purpose of the tabernacle to mearly hold additional hosts that have already been blessed.

 

[Kevirish01]

Eilish,

Thank you for your reply.

I did not say folks on this thread were denying Christ’s Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

I said: “I want to thank those of you who are defending Christ’s real presence par excellance”
**
God bless,
Kev

 

[Kevirish01]

Eilishi,

You post in reply to me you highlight:

The location of the tabernacle

1. In considering the importance of eucharistic reservation and adoration, and reverence for the sacrament of Christ’s sacrifice, the Synod of Bishops also discussed the question of the proper placement of the tabernacle in our churches. The correct positioning of the tabernacle contributes to the recognition of Christ’s real presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Therefore, the place where the eucharistic species are reserved, marked by a sanctuary lamp, should be readily visible to everyone entering the church. It is therefore necessary to take into account the building’s architecture: in churches which do not have a Blessed Sacrament chapel, and where the high altar with its tabernacle is still in place, it is appropriate to continue to use this structure for the reservation and adoration of the Eucharist, taking care not to place the celebrant’s chair in front of it. In new churches, it is good to position the Blessed Sacrament chapel close to the sanctuary; where this is not possible, it is preferable to locate the tabernacle in the sanctuary, in a sufficiently elevated place, at the centre of the apse area, or in another place where it will be equally conspicuous. Attention to these considerations will lend dignity to the tabernacle, which must always be cared for, also from an artistic standpoint. Obviously it is necessary to follow the provisions of the *General Instruction of the Roman Missal *in this regard. In any event, final judgment on these matters belongs to the Diocesan Bishop. (SC 69, italics and emphasis added)

I have no problem with your highights at all.

However, as it says, “…it is **preferable **to locate the tabernacle in the sanctuary, in a sufficiently elevated place, at the centre of the apse area, or in another place equally conspicuous” – It is clear, Holy Mother Church, prefers the tabernacle to be in the sanctuary – whenever possible.

Pretty clear I believe.

 

[Eilish_Maura]

Eilishi,

You post in reply to me you highlight:

The location of the tabernacle

1. In considering the importance of eucharistic reservation and adoration, and reverence for the sacrament of Christ’s sacrifice, the Synod of Bishops also discussed the question of the proper placement of the tabernacle in our churches. The correct positioning of the tabernacle contributes to the recognition of Christ’s real presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Therefore, the place where the eucharistic species are reserved, marked by a sanctuary lamp, should be readily visible to everyone entering the church. It is therefore necessary to take into account the building’s architecture: in churches which do not have a Blessed Sacrament chapel, and where the high altar with its tabernacle is still in place, it is appropriate to continue to use this structure for the reservation and adoration of the Eucharist, taking care not to place the celebrant’s chair in front of it. In new churches, it is good to position the Blessed Sacrament chapel close to the sanctuary; where this is not possible, it is preferable to locate the tabernacle in the sanctuary, in a sufficiently elevated place, at the centre of the apse area, or in another place where it will be equally conspicuous. Attention to these considerations will lend dignity to the tabernacle, which must always be cared for, also from an artistic standpoint. Obviously it is necessary to follow the provisions of the *General Instruction of the Roman Missal *in this regard. In any event, final judgment on these matters belongs to the Diocesan Bishop. (SC 69, italics and emphasis added)

I have no problem with your highights at all.

However, as it says, “…it is **preferable **to locate the tabernacle in the sanctuary, in a sufficiently elevated place, at the centre of the apse area, or in another place equally conspicuous” – It is clear, Holy Mother Church, prefers the tabernacle to be in the sanctuary – whenever possible.

Pretty clear I believe.

I guess - if you leave out the other parts in the quote.

 

[Eilish_Maura]

Eilish,

Thank you for your reply.

I did not say folks on this thread were denying Christ’s Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

I said: “I want to thank those of you who are defending Christ’s real presence par excellance”
**
God bless,
Kev

You specified two people who did make out that others were ‘not getting it’ - so exactly where do you see this happening?

 

[Eric_Olsen]

My church has an adoration chapel and we do have the tabernacle placed in there. The tabernacle should be placed near the main altar.

It sounds like your friend’s church has a separate Adoration Chapel. If that is the case, it is acceptable. This article explains location of the tabernacle.

 

[Eric_Olsen]

what ever happened to genuflecting before the tabernacle?
Or did the so called “spirit of vatican II” do away with that also?

Ok, I’ll give you that. That’s why I prefaced my post with “If I recall correctly”.

I certainly bow after opening it and before closing it When I pass in front of the altar, I bow, but to be honest with you, I’m not sure if I’m bowing to the altar or the tabernacle (or both - which is what I think I’m doing).

But in any event, it seems it is certainly worthwhile:

 

[Eilish_Maura]

Thank you for highlighting our point. I have never seen a church where it would be 'Not Possible" if it was attempted. things could be moved people just don’t want to. but that aside it keeps going back to putting it close to the sancturay. or in a highly elevated place near there. not in a closet in some far away place. you might also notice the points made about it no longer being the primary purpose of the tabernacle to mearly hold additional hosts that have already been blessed.

The tabernacle is either empty or it contains reserved Blessed Sacrament. It has only one purpose. But that goes back to the issues I brought up earlier in the thread that you claimed were not important (or other terms to that effect).

Keeping it in the sanctuary is listed as a backup plan to making a separate chapel - it is not listed as preferable overall choice.

 

[Eilish_Maura]

what ever happened to genuflecting before the tabernacle?
Or did the so called “spirit of vatican II” do away with that also?

We were speaking specifically about DURING Mass.

 

[Eric_Olsen]

why does that matter?
I remember people genuflecting before, durring and after mass.
Is not the sacrament the same all the time?

We were speaking specifically about DURING Mass.

 

[Eilish_Maura]

Eilish Maura;3650108:

You have been dening it for about 20 posts. or at least down playing it to the point that it has no real meaning. God is present in the holy sacrament in a way he is not present everywhere else. God is not present the same everywhere. when you say God is everywhere in this context you are dening that the real presence is anything special that you could not accomplish in your living room.

I strongly object to you misrepresenting my posts (and the posts of others here) this way.

There has been no denial by anyone on this thread of anything other than the tabernacle needing to be in the sanctuary - and those have been made with appropriate explanations and documentation.

 

[Eilish_Maura]

why does that matter?
I remember people genuflecting before, durring and after mass.
Is not the sacrament the same all the time?

Reading the posts in context does make a difference.

 

[down_under]

The tabernacle is either empty or it contains reserved Blessed Sacrament. It has only one purpose. But that goes back to the issues I brought up earlier in the thread that you claimed were not important (or other terms to that effect).

Keeping it in the sanctuary is listed as a backup plan to making a separate chapel - it is not listed as preferable overall choice.

you are not reading anything but what you want to read. you are not even looking at the clear meaning of the church teaching you are being presented with. There is no point in even talking to you anymore. have a nice day.