The use of the Latin Altar?

[Thomas48]

Hi I am a Knanaya Catholic but on some days I visit my local Latin Parish. What I have begun to notice is the altar is barely used. Almost 90% of the Holy Mass the priest seems to be standing or sitting with the deacon near their chairs. This was interesting to see because at the Knanaya Church the priest is at the altar almost the entire time. Is the altars only purpose in the Latin Rite to consecrate the Body and Blood?

 

[datritle]

good question. i never noticed this until i started attending the EF Mass. The priest never sits.

 

[Rand_Al_Thor]

I have noticed it is more common for a priest to say Mass from the altar for a daily Mass. I believe the reason for the change from the EF, where the whole Mass was said from the altar, was to make the sacrifice of the Mass stand out more. I kind of prefer Mass being said from the altar, rather than a lot of it from the side, but I think that is the reason for it.

 

[Elizium23]

I don’t know about 90%. On the contrary, 50% of the Mass is the Liturgy of the Eucharist, which is done entirely at and on the altar. The other 50% being the Liturgy of the Word, most of which does not involve the priest himself, since it usually falls to the laity to read the readings and the deacon who reads the gospel and may even preach the homily. The altar of sacrifice is not needed for these things. In contrast, the ambo is considered the “altar of the Word”. During the Liturgy of the Word, we venerate Sacred Scripture and are nourished from this table, just as the Eucharist nourishes us spiritually, the Word nourishes us by teaching.

 

[Aramis]

I have noticed it is more common for a priest to say Mass from the altar for a daily Mass. I believe the reason for the change from the EF, where the whole Mass was said from the altar, was to make the sacrifice of the Mass stand out more. I kind of prefer Mass being said from the altar, rather than a lot of it from the side, but I think that is the reason for it.

The rubrics of the OF missal permit the entire mass to be said standing, and from the altar (excepting the reception of the gifts from the faithful and the readings). As it currently sets, the rubrics allow the celebrant to say the majority of the introit from the presidential thrones or from the altar. During the liturgy of the word, the word is to be proclaimed from the ambo (lectern). The celebrant is permitted to sit during the lections, and during the preparation of the gifts by the deacon, and during the post-communion reflection, but is not required to do so.

A lot of people also don’t realize that the Roman Missal rubrics do not specify vs populem nor ad orientam… it specifies at the altar, at the thrones, or at the ambo.

The choice of whether the introit and blessing of the gospellier (be he deacon or concelebrant) usually has more to do with whether or not there’s a server to hold the altar missal.