Posted on 06/24/2014 10:31:08 AM PDT by NYer
His Excellency Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki; Ars celebrandi et adorandi
The art of celebrating the liturgy properly and adoring the Lord in the Eucharist devoutly (ars celebrandi et adorandi) is the key to fostering the active participation of the People of God in divine worship. (Part 1 of series)
18. While the Holy Eucharist is reserved in the tabernacle of every parish church in our diocese, the faithful in some places do not frequently come to pray before the tabernacle to be in the presence of the Lord. Several reasons for this certainly exist, but one among them is the reality that the tabernacle is not always easily found in many of our churches today. Over the past few decades, tabernacles all too often were moved from prominent places in the sanctuary to obscure and remote rooms that in some cases were previously supply closets.
19. The present legislation of the Church concerning the placement of the tabernacle states, “In accordance with the structure of each church and legitimate local customs, the Most Blessed Sacrament should be reserved in a tabernacle in a part of the church that is truly noble, prominent, conspicuous, worthily decorated, and suitable for prayer.”13
Regrettably, this is not always followed.
20. In some churches and chapels, the tabernacle is set on a “side” altar in such a way that the tabernacle, though noble, is neither prominent nor readily visible. The same is often the case with the location of some Eucharistic chapels, whether they be in the nave itself, behind the sanctuary, or in another room. They are not always prominent or readily visible.
21. The great majority of our parish churches and chapels were designed to house the tabernacle in the center of the sanctuary; removing the tabernacle from these sanctuaries has left a visible emptiness within the sacred space, almost as though the building itself longed for the return of the tabernacle. With the removal of the tabernacle from the center of the sanctuary, the architectural integrity of many churches and chapels has been severely compromised.14
22. Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his Post-Synodal Exhortation on the Eucharist in 2007, “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. … In any event, final judgment on these matters belongs to the Diocesan Bishop.”15
23. With this in mind, in order that more of the faithful will be able to spend time in adoration and prayer in the presence of the Eucharistic Lord, I direct that in the churches and chapels of our diocese, tabernacles that were formerly in the center of the sanctuary, but have been moved, are to be returned as soon as possible to the center of the sanctuary in accord with the original architectural design. Tabernacles that are not in the center of the sanctuary or are otherwise not in a visible, prominent and noble space are to be moved to the center of the sanctuary; tabernacles that are not in the center of the sanctuary but are in a visible, prominent and noble space may remain.
24. Some may object to this directive and point, by means of example, to the Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome to suggest that tabernacles should not be located in the sanctuary. Saint Peter’s, of course, is different from the average church or chapel in many respects. Chief among these differences is the number of tourists who visit the Basilica each day, with no intention of praying to the Lord therein. These tourists enter this remarkable edifice built to the honor of the Prince of the Apostles simply to look around, to see the architectural beauty and perhaps to see some aspect of Catholic worship, but not to pray. The Eucharist is reserved in a special chapel into which tour groups are not permitted so that the reverence and adoration due the Eucharist can be properly accorded him by pilgrims seeking to speak with him.
25. At the same time, it should be noted that the Eucharistic chapel in Saint Peter’s is itself larger than many of our parish churches. There is more than enough room to accommodate all those who wish to pray in the presence of the Eucharistic Lord in the chapel; it is not always so with every Eucharistic chapel in this Diocese.
26. This deep-seated desire to be in the presence of the Lord resounds in the heart of every person, even if they cannot at first name this desire for what it truly is. We should therefore do all that we can to help them encounter the Lord who waits for them to seek and find him. In this regard, I strongly encourage keeping our churches open to the public in so far as can be done with the safety of people and the building in mind. Pope Francis spoke about this in his Apostolic Exhortation on the Joy of the Gospel, Evangelii Gaudium: “The Church is called to be the house of the Father, with doors always wide open. One concrete sign of such openness is that our church doors should always be open, so that if someone, moved by the Spirit, comes there looking for God, he or she will not find a closed door” (no. 47).
27. Regularly scheduled times for exposition of the Most Holy Eucharist in a monstrance or pyx, as well as an annual solemn and lengthier exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament, are highly commended as ways to stimulate the faithful to spiritual union with Christ which culminates in sacramental communion. The norms in the liturgical books for Eucharistic exposition and benediction are to be observed.16
Why isn’t Pope Francis saying this? More important to get to the next joint Catholic-Muslim prayer session on time?
Ingres. He painted this several times, with different saints.
In building our new church the words “The tabernacle will be in the center of the sanctuary!” were the first words out of our priest’s mouth!
The problem in many parishes is vandalism and theft. The exposed Monstrance is quite expensive and a prime target.
Our tabernacle is in the center of the altar space, but it’s locked and I’m willing to believe it’s bolted down. We also have an adoration chapel. It’s not easy to find if you don’t know where to look. That’s where we have the monstrance. We also are supposed to have someone there 24/7. I visit our Lord both places.
Well... they could lock the doors until the next Mass, couldn’t they?
It’s often an interesting exercise to step into a strange church and play the game of “where do I genuflect?” I remember visiting one particularly awful modernistic church that looked more like the lobby of some alpine hotel than a place of worship. The tabernacle had been consigned to some “meditation room” off to the side.
Been in a couple of churches here where I had to ask -
As it should be and has been for centuries until Vatican II played fast and loose with that concept.
No tabernacle in the sanctuary gives the feeling that the Most Important Person for Whom the building was erected is not present.
Quit your bitchin’. Acknowledge where good is being done, and promote it.
Let’s not forget the principle of subsidarity, where the local ordinary handles these types of matters in his diocese.
He can refer to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments if he needs further general guidance.
This does not pertain to the Mass. This pertains to the availability of the Christ's Eucharistic Body for private meditation and adoration by the Catholic Faithful outside of Mass.
Would this be an option for private meditation outside of Mass?
In these kinds of discussions, often used by as an excuse for poor leadership by papal apologists.
Why even have a pope if the issues closest to the faithful and most important to them are decided parish by parish? That's what protestants do. The church needs uniformity in liturgy and form (within a rite), as had been the case for centuries. The only way you ensure this is top down.
I hope your parish has someone in the Adoration Chapel 24/7.
I’ve been to one of those too, and I don’t like it.
Because a Bishop is the head of a diocese, not just one parish. The Bishop is sovereign in his diocese, and is able to exercise prudential judgement.
The Pope is sovereign in the diocese of Rome, and Vatican City. The Church is the laity, in conjunction with Bishops, supporting the Pope. The Bishops, in union with the Pope, provide authoritative teaching, guidance, and direction to their dioceses.
Thus, there may be an issue in one diocese, but not another, and is best handled by the local ordinary.
So, no, this isn’t a leadership issue, nor an apologetic for the Pope. Rather, it is the explanation of how leadership is exercised at the appropriate level of organization.
Since the mid-60s, seems to be a failed model.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.