Vatican Liturgy Chief Urges Priests to Celebrate Mass Facing East [ad orientam]

The Catholic Herald (UK) ^ | 5/26/16 | Staff Reporter

[Campion]

“East” in this case is “liturgical east” (toward the altar) not “compass east”. If the high priest faced the Holy of Holies, he was facing “liturgical east”.

[marshmallow]

And they travelled WEST to greet the Messiah.

Whose star rose in the east? And the star symbolized whom?

Jesus, perhaps?

Explain to us why Jesus uses symbolism which represents "opposition to God".

[rjsimmon]

The ‘wise men’ were, most-likely, the remnant of the Hebrews that remained after the Babylonian/Persian captivity. Since they knew of the coming King of the Jews from their historical documents and oral history, they would be looking for signs from Heaven. These would be the arrangement of planets within the aphorisms of the stars, all of which begin to show in the East as sundown approaches.

All of the symbolism with regard to direction in the Old Testament points to the East as being the direction in opposition to God. It is the way Cain took when he left the Garden. It is where the troubles that came against Israel emerged. Moving East signifies moving to wickedness.

[marshmallow]

Matthew's Gospel tells us that Jesus's star was seen in the east.

Symbolically, this is an important statement which says, far, far more than your trite statement about the stars coming out at "sundown". Jesus is the Son of God. Yet you're telling us that the east represents opposition to God.

So why does Matthew go to the trouble of telling us that His star rose in that direction?

[Petrosius]

Note to everyone: Cardinal Sarah is speaking about liturgical east, not geographical. Early churches were built with the altar at the east end of the building. When Mass was being said the priest and the congregation would both face east toward the altar, facing in the same direction as the sacrifice was offered to the Father. Even when the church is built with a different orientation, the rubrics would call the direction that the congregation would face toward the altar "east".

What Cardinal Sarah is speaking of is the priest and the congregation facing the altar together. This is opposed to the general current practice of the priest standing on the other side of the altar and facing the congregation, called "versus populum." This recent innovation tends to suggest that the Mass is merely a communal meal recreating the Last Supper. The ancient orientation (which by the way literally means "toward the east") brings out more clearly the Mass as a sacrifice with the priest and congregation joined together in addressing God the Father.

[opus1]

Thank you! To elaborate a bit more:

Liturgical and geographical east were the same thing, and not only in the “early” days but up until almost present day. “Ad orientem” literally means “toward the east” or “facing east” which we now modify to “toward the altar”.

Canon Law required churches to be built toward the east in actuality, not figuratively; it was literal. Look at any Catholic church more than 100 years old, and many more recent, and it faces precisely east by the compass. Dispensation was required to build it otherwise (eg: if required by topography).

Recall no “vigil” mass existed either. Everyone was at morning mass, facing east, the priest and people together, as the sun rose, symbolic of course of the Son, and shone upon them. To allow this light in was the reason for rose windows and stained glass windows on the eastern side of churches.

[Mr. M.J.B.]

Get ready to rhumble!