The Crucifix

[alynn]

Hello!

My parish has had the large crucifix hanging behind the sanctuary covered since Holy Week. It was covered with a black cloth on Good Friday and is currently covered with a white cloth. There is a risen “trimuphant” Jesus statue in a ledge behind the sanctuary. The only other cross at the alter/sanctuary is a cross with the risen Christ on it. Is this licit, to not have any cross with a corpus displayed during the liturgy during the Easter season?

Thanks!

 

[dylanschrader]

From The General Instruction of the Roman Missal

1. There is also to be a cross, with the figure of Christ crucified upon it, either on the altar or near it, where it is clearly visible to the assembled congregation. It is appropriate that such a cross, which calls to mind for the faithful the saving Passion of the Lord, remain near the altar even outside of liturgical celebrations.

 

[Orionthehunter]

I have been told that there have been many local traditions for hundreds of years to do as your church is doing during the Easter Season.

The reason is simple and consistent w/ the Church liturgical year. During Lent, we focus on bringing ourselves to the Cross and unite our suffering and sins to the Passion and Death of our Lord. During Advent, we focus on the Incarnation and the love of our God to willingly and freely out of love to come and live among us. And during the Easter season, we focus on the fact that the Risen Christ has “made all things new”. The world is eternally different now.

In fact, I’ve been told that the reason non-Catholic Christians removed the corpus from the cross derives out of our tradition of covering the corpus with white cloth. They wanted to make the point that they are an “Easter people” and not a dour people stuck on Christ of the Cross.

Could our reaction when we see this be a reaction based in “not appearing Protestant” even if it denies a long-standing tradition prior to the Reformation?

This being said, Dylan is correct that there should be a crucifix on or near the altar even if it isn’t as prominent as it is this gift from which all other gifts flow.

 

[alynn]

So are you saying that covering the crucifix during the Easter season is licit?

 

[Orionthehunter]

So are you saying that covering the crucifix during the Easter season is licit?

I know of no specific prohibition and I know it is a long-standing tradition (centuries before the reformation) in some Catholic communities. I also know that the GIRM requires that there be a crucifix as Dylan points out be near or on the altar.

With regard to it being licit (lawful), I don’t know. In some matters the Church allows flexibility unless prohibited. It is in this flexibility from which many of our traditions, local cultural customs, and devotions have evolved and developed.

In other matters, it says there is no flexibility unless flexibility is spelled out. But, being that it is a tradition that goes back centuries, unless later prohibited, my suspicion is it a matter left to either the Bishop and in some cases to Pastors.

Whether it is allowed in your Diocese by your Shepherd, I don’t know. I can imagine that a Bishop could say “all cover in white” for uniformity and a teaching moment diocese wide. I can imagine that a Bishop could say “none covered” for purpose of uniformity. I can imagine a Bishop saying this is a matter I delegate to the Pastor.

 

[dylanschrader]

Paschales Solemnitatis allows for the covering of crosses during Lent and the Triduum.

1. The practice of covering the crosses and images in the church may be observed, if the episcopal conference should so decide. The crosses are to be covered until the end of the celebration of the Lord’s passion on Good Friday. Images are to remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil.

1. After Mass the altar should be stripped. It is fitting that any crosses in the church be covered with a red or purple veil, unless they have already been veiled on the Saturday before the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Lamps should not be lit before the images of saints.

It is silent about covering them from the point the Easter Vigil begins.