Posted on 07/16/2009 2:02:07 PM PDT by marshmallow
Bishop John D'Arcy of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, has issued a directive that the tabernacle should be centrally placed in all churches of that diocese. "My experience is that our people, with their instinct of faith, have always desired that the tabernacle be central and visible," Bishop D'Arcy said in a letter announcing the new diocesan norms.
His letter was accompanied by a series of new norms for the diocese, explaining the theological rationale for the policy and encouraging greater reverence for the Eucharist. The norms made it clear:
In the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, the Bishop has judged that the tabernacle is normally to be prominently located in the sanctuary of the church, along the central axis behind the main altar.
To Priests, Deacons, Religious, and to All the Faithful,
The presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament is at the center of our faith and of the devotional life of our Catholic people.
In recent years, the place of the tabernacle in our churches has become a source of controversy. This should not be. The Eucharist, whether we are referring to its celebration or to the place of reservation, should always be a means of unity and communion, and never of division.
The place of the tabernacle in our church should reflect our faith in the real presence of Christ, and should always be guided by church documents.
My experience is that our people, with their instinct of faith, have always desired that the tabernacle be central and visible. They find it confusing when the tabernacle in their churches is not visible, and if possible, central.
Because of my responsibility to foster the devotional life of our people, and to keep it sound, I have asked our Office of Worship to prepare norms for the placement and design of the tabernacle in this diocese. These norms were brought before the Presbyteral Council, the Liturgical Commission and the Environment and Arts Committee. Suitable refinements and improvements were prepared.
These norms are promulgated to the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend on June 14, 2009, the feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of the Lord. They will be effective on Aug. 4, 2009, the feast of St. John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of priests, in whose honor the present Year for Priests has been dedicated by the Holy Father Benedict XVI.
I urge all priests to follow these norms carefully and completely, and most importantly — to foster devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.
Sincerely yours in our Lord,
Most Reverend John M. D’Arcy
A very holy woooo hoooooo!!!!
I’ve noticed that at the churches I’ve been attending in the New Orleans area have been doing that. I remember attending a Catholic Church a few years ago in the suburbs where they had the tabernacle so far away from the main altar that it was right outside the door for the restrooms.
The tabernacle in that church was not even in the main body of the church, but off to one side of the worship area, with the door closed. I always thought that symbolically, it was terrible to have the tabernacle in a closed off room, as if it were your crazy aunt that you were hiding in the basement.
For centuries, the tabernacle was always situated in the center of the church building, as it should’ve been. A Catholic entering an unfamiliar Catholic Church would automatically direct his eyes toward the tabernacle which was always centrally located.
The new Co-Cathedral in Houston has its Tabernacle located to the left of the main altar which I find to be a strange arrangement.
**Indiana Bishop Requires Central Placement of Tabernacle**
I can’t wait for this to come back!
My mother’s and brother’s diocese. Excellent!
Info here: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14424a.htm
So, he finally read the 2000 GIRM. Good for him. It always bugs me when people genuflect toward the altar when there’s no Tabernacle there. This should fix that problem.
One time, when my husband and I were visiting Texas for a pro-life event, we asked the priest who was conducting Mass after the service why the tabernacle was placed to the side of the altar. He replied that it was a place of honor, which we thought was a very strange reply.
Later in the evening there was a banquet and a bishop was to be the guest speaker. He was seated in a prominent position at the head table in the center. My husband was tempted to ask the priest if the bishop should not be seated somewhere on the side, which would have been a “place of honor”.
In many places Jesus is relegated to 2nd place, don’t you know?
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