Ad Orientum

[Cam42]

[quote name='ardillacid' date='Apr 21 2005, 12:06 AM'] why cannot we have both. like have the 1st mass in the parish be ad orientum and another novus ordo?

Ardillacid who eats taco cow bell [/quote]
ad orientam is not a separate Mass, but rather the posture of the celebrant. Ad orientam is Latin for of the orientation.

Which way is the priest oriented toward the people. Is it facing the people or facing God in the tabernacle. The norm is the latter, the indult is the former. This is clear in the GIRM and Sacrosanctum Concilium.....unfortunately most today don't read or choose not to read the rubrics of the Mass.

Cam

[ardillacid]

so is one or the other forbidden?

ardillacid

[DemonSlayer]

I wouldn't mind that.

[toledo_jesus]

no, there is an indult for the priest to face the people.
Cam, ad orientam means towards the East. Which really makes you wonder what happens when these churches play fast and loose with where they put the altar. We might be praying to the South or something.

[Aloysius]

Ad Orientum has come to mean facing the "spiritual east", however, and if the priest faces at least the same way as the people it would still be called "Ad Orientum"

But if we really really wanna get back to the symbolic roots and have them face the actual east... well: In St. Peter's Basilica where the altar faces the people, i.e. it is to the west of them, the entire congregation used to turn around at the moment of the congregation.

And the liberals cry "they're turning their back on the priest!" or "they do not have visibility of the host, what if the priest puts poison in it?!"

Everyone symbolically faces the direction from whence Christ himself said He would come at the moment He comes under the Most Blessed Sacrament.

[Cam42]

[quote name='toledo_jesus' date='Apr 21 2005, 07:16 AM'] no, there is an indult for the priest to face the people.
Cam, ad orientam means towards the East. Which really makes you wonder what happens when these churches play fast and loose with where they put the altar. We might be praying to the South or something. [/quote]
the word orientam is not East in Latin. I was giving the literal translation, as it is germaine to the conversation. This is not a debate, insofar as we agree in priniciple as to what ad orientam is all about.


[quote]so is one or the other forbidden?[/quote]

No. Take a look at [url="http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html"]Sacrosanctum Coniclium[/url] and the [url="http://www.vci.net/~inmanmj/library/girm2000.htm"]GIRM[/url].

They are clear.

Cam