The altar turned around

  • Thread starter Thread starter CyrilSebastian
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I hope that Traditionalists do not have a problem with an altar not up-against-a-wall because that was never a universal fact. It has been discussed here how many monastic traditions arranged their churches differently and with a freestanding altar. The Byzantine church arrangement, I believe, always uses a freestanding altar; in these two arrangements the clerics could gather freely around each side and be facing in different directions. However, the true tradition that should be preserved is ad orientem worship, because that was the norm, and preserved in the Mass of Paul VI, but in the post-VII dust-up, it was decided that ad orientem was too old-fashioned or something, and since freestanding altars had a provision for versus populum, it was ushered in to sweep away the old way.

Mass can still be offered ad orientem at any freestanding altar. It is just extremely unpopular now.
 
Elizium23 said:
I hope that Traditionalists do not have a problem with an altar not up-against-a-wall because that was never a universal fact. It has been discussed here how many monastic traditions arranged their churches differently and with a freestanding altar. The Byzantine church arrangement, I believe, always uses a freestanding altar; in these two arrangements the clerics could gather freely around each side and be facing in different directions. However, the true tradition that should be preserved is ad orientem worship, because that was the norm, and preserved in the Mass of Paul VI, but in the post-VII dust-up, it was decided that ad orientem was too old-fashioned or something, and since freestanding altars had a provision for versus populum, it was ushered in to sweep away the old way.

Mass can still be offered ad orientem at any freestanding altar. It is just extremely unpopular now.
Click to expand...
Elizium23 is exactly correct about the altar. The freestanding table altar is rooted deep in monasticism. It stems from the idea of enclosure.

The monastic enclosure is physical - it keeps out what is not good for the soul of the monk and allows in that which is good. There is the enclosure of your heart where you guard and protect your thoughts and desires. Enclosure is also a fraternal bond - a family - the same way your family is bound together within the physical enclosure of your own home.

The monks are brothers first. Priests are chosen from the brothers to serve the sacramental needs of the monastic community. The priests are not above the brothers but serve the brothers spiritual and sacramental needs. They gather around the altar as an enclosed family. It is an ancient tradition since the time of St. Benedict.

There are pictures on the internet of freestanding altars in Abbey Churches from the 1100’s. People think it is Protestant, that Martin Luther brought it into the Church, but Luther was an Augustinian monk and so he brought the monastic altar into the Lutheran Church.

A freestanding altar is more correctly a monastic altar. I believe that the move away from high altars toward freestanding altars is a move toward a more monastic spirituality. That’s what I think about when I see a freestanding altar.

I was privileged to have been invited into the sanctuary with the Cistercian monks at the Monastery of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit in Conyers Georgia. The Brothers welcomed a group of men on vocations retreat as brothers and invited us to join them around the altar during consecration. It is something I will never forget. A picture of the altar is below. It was built circa 1946. Notice where the ambo is - down near the brothers where they sit in the choir stalls. The ambo/chior stalls is where the Liturgy of the Word takes place. During the Liturgy of the Eucharist the family of brothers all move into the sanctuary. Meanwhile the public are way in the back where the photograph was taken. The public enters the enclosure only to receive the Eucharist and then return to the pews in the back.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

-Tim-
 
We order that the prescriptions of this Constitution go into effect November 30th of this year, the first Sunday of Advent.
Click to expand...
We wish that these Our decrees and prescriptions may be firm and effective now and in the future, notwithstanding, to the extent necessary, the apostolic constitutions and ordinances issued by Our predecessors, and other prescriptions, even those deserving particular mention and derogation.
Click to expand...
Given at Rome, at Saint Peter’s, Holy Thursday, April 3 1969, the sixth year of Our pontificate.
Click to expand...
This is from the document that Paul VI wrote to promulgate the new Roman Missal. I found this on vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19690403_missale-romanum_en.html
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top