Tabernacle Positioning

[goldenchild17]

Definitely like it best in plain view in the center. I think that's where it should be. The Eucharist is the reason we go to Mass, why hide it on the side or in a completely different room until it's time to partake?

[Guest T-Bone]

Because having it in the center, behind the altar, isn't touchy/feely/happy-koom-bah-ya/modern/community-building/interactive/goobeldy gook for some people.

[jiyoung]

My church has it positioned interestingly...the tabernacle is straight in the center, but it's on a freestanding pillar kind of thing in its own room, and the wall/doors that separate the sanctuary and the adoration chapel are glass.

Basically, the diocese (LA archdiocese, mind you) said to create a chapel for it, but our priests wanted Jesus in the center behind the altar. So it was sort of a compromise.

During Mass until somewhere around consecration (I can't remember when exactly right now) the doors are closed. The doors are really nice--frosted glass of two angels praying, and clouds, so it makes me think of the doors to heaven opening at the consecration-->heavenly liturgy in Revelations-->inspiring deeper reverence. I think it was really clever how our priests were able to work it out. Yay OMV

[prose]

[quote]
Quick tell the Pope!! The tabernacle in St. Peters is in a chapel on the rights side of the church.[/quote]

[Fides_et_Ratio]

[quote name='Mercy me' post='995756' date='Jun 3 2006, 12:24 AM']
Quick tell the Pope!! The tabernacle in St. Peters is in a chapel on the rights side of the church.
[/quote]
Because there are so many visitors to St. Peter's, they keep the Blessed Sacrament off to the side in a Chapel with an attendant standing just outside it watching who goes in and what goes on. No pictures, no camcorders, no nothing is allowed out of respect for the Eucharist.

Were it in the middle they would have to keep shifting everything (especially people) before Mass... and it would be a lot harder to have the Eucharist enclosed and away from those who are merely tourists taking pictures... it would be much harder to protect the dignity and sacredness that the Eucharist is.

The Basilica is not a parish with a regular community, etc. ... and besides, everyone knows, you do as Rome says, not as Romes does.

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Mercy me' post='995756' date='Jun 2 2006, 08:24 PM']
Quick tell the Pope!! The tabernacle in St. Peters is in a chapel on the rights side of the church.
[/quote]
Cathedral Churches in the West during the late middle ages would sometimes have a "Eucharistic Chapel" where the tabernacle (always placed upon the altar of sacrifice) would contain the reserved sacrament, but this practice has never been common in parish Churches of the West, and this innovative practice has never been a part of the tradition of the Eastern Churches.

[Apotheoun]

Disputes about the placement of the tabernacle are a modern Roman problem, because in a Byzantine Church building there is only a single altar of sacrifice, and the artophorion (i.e., tabernacle) is always placed at the center of the altar. In fact the tabernacle and the altar are intrinsically bound together as one sacred mystery, and so to separate them is imprudent and theologically problematic to say the least, and this truth was highlighted by Pope Pius XII in an allocution he delivered at the International Congress on Pastoral Liturgy in September 1956. In that allocution the Pope made reference to modern attempts to separate the altar and the tabernacle, and lamented the ". . . lessening of esteem for the presence and action of Christ in the tabernacle," and how the "sacrifice of the altar is held sufficient, and the importance of Him who accomplishes it is reduced. Yet the person of our Lord must hold the central place in worship, for it is His person that unifies the relations of the altar and the tabernacle and gives them their meaning. It is through the sacrifice of the altar, first of all, that the Lord becomes present in the Eucharist, and He is in the tabernacle only as the [i]memoria sacrificii et passionis suae[/i]. [b]To separate tabernacle from altar is to separate two things which by their origin and their nature should remain united[/b]." [Pope Pius XII, "Allocution to the International Congress on Pastoral Liturgy," from the book, [u]Papal Teachings: The Liturgy[/u] (Boston: Daughters of St. Paul, 1962), page 514] Clearly, the altar is the proper place for the reservation of the consecrated elements, because the reserved sacrament is intimately connected to Christ's sacrificial action, and should in fact be seen as an extension of His one oblation over time. As a consequence, the altar and the artophorion (i.e., tabernacle) should always be together.

[Maria]

I think I might prefer if it were always at the centre, just because it makes life so much simpler. When I go to old churches with built in centre tabernacles, I don't always know if it's actually being used as a tabernacle, especially if the sanctuary lamp is so high up (suspended from the ceiling) that I don't notice it.
The church our parish is rents (it belongs to the french parish) has the tabernacle in a side chapel. It's a beautiful tabernacle, but I've fallen out of the practice of genuflecting when I enter a church, because the tabernacle isn't in the same room.
And then, when the tabernacle is in the centre, are readers who have to cross the centre (either they're coming up from the nave or they're seated on the wrong side) supposed to genuflect, or bow to the altar? I just don't know, and the camp we go to has the tabernacle at the centre. Some genuflect and some bow. I bow, because that's what I've been taught to do, but it feels a little wrong (as would genuflecting).
Anyway, having it in one consistent place would make life easier, although some of the old altars are so ornate that it isn't that easy to find the tabernacle there, either.

[VoTeckam]

Our tabernacle is in a chapel off to the side of the sanctuary… the only side effect is that people genuflect in the wrong direction. lol...then they look at me strange when I genuflect in the direction of the tabernacle. I must admit it is nice to have the tabernacle in a side chapel for adoration. It seems to add to the intimacy.

[catholicinsd]

In my Church the main santuary and the little chapel share a Tabernacle.

[jezic]

I think that Tabernacles should be directly behind the altar (and on one of it's own if possible) They should be in the middle of the Nave of the Church. Our eyes should focus on it automatically.

I go to a couple different Churches because of my work schedule. I like the ones with the Tabernacle in the middle the best. It just seems like that is where it should be.

[missionarybelle]

Because of how our parish is built, we can't put it directly behind the altar. It used to be a normal church but when they needed to expand, the only place they had room was behind the altar. So we have an Altar area with pews on each side.

[DemonSlayer]

It used to be in the choir area, but they've moved it slightly to the right onto the side of the altar

[Dreamweaver]

My parish has the tabernacle located on a side altar, but its a beautiful altar and tabernacle, not merely tucked into a corner.

Whether the tabernacle is off to the side or in the center, a tabernacle should be fitting to its purpose. Sometimes I get confused and flustered if I can't tell where or what the tabernacle is supposed to be, like if its some crazy modern sculpture.

I've only visited 1 parish which houses the tabernacle in a side room.

[magnificat]

The Cathedral here has a Blessed Sacrament chapel...where the Blessed Sacrament is. Though I generally prefer it in the center behind the altar, it makes sense for the Cathedral because of all the tourists that trapse through. And it's elegantly done so I don't mind much.

[heavenseeker]

the parish i go to most often has it centered but the one im thinking about moving to has it off to the right side.

i think as long as it is on the alter it doesnt matter where it is

[C Frances]

We have an absolutely gorgeous gold tabernacle at my parish; it's pretty old, as well. It's got a lot of intricate engravings all over it and sliding doors. It's off to the left side of the altar; a huge wooden statue of Mary is above and behind it, watching over her Son.
I think that when the tabernacle is in the center of the Church, it makes His Real Presence a more central focus to church-goers, and makes that Presence known to all. I rather prefer it that way. However, the "setup" at my church is nice enough, so I can't complain too much.

In our parish chapel, however, which is in the parish center (used to be where the nuns lived 50 years ago), the Tabernacle is right behind the altar.

Edited June 8, 2006 by *Totus Tuus*

[Semperviva]

i think it is very important that the tabernacle be in the center of the church... just on a practical common sense level... its what u look at first... this is not merely fanciful or symbolic... as the body is a complete body-soul union... what the body does the soul does and what the soul does the body "does" (or, is made manifest in the body)... when we see and face God first with our bodies our soul relects this, or, not reflects but symultaneously experiences and knows this, there is a unity/ a harmony of knowledge between what the mind/body/soul know as truth... when you take away that physical reality you also hence change the spitual reality that takes place... u creat a disharmony of a kind... an order in which God becomes secondary... not just what we see second... but eventually on all levels... and God is then, hence not first (this is not to take away the power of free will, but just on a practical level)
<3

ps- just from a little observance i grew up in the metuchen diocese which is known to be one of the most liberal int eh country and never knew of any church that had the tabernacle in the center for the longest time... it def. changes mass from a sacrifice to a soprtof a business meeting type atmosphere... a self-help session... which is the point-- SELF help... a social gathering... something for ones own enjoyment and not visibly manifested towatrds God

Edited June 9, 2006 by Semperviva

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

[quote name='Semperviva' post='1000973' date='Jun 8 2006, 09:21 PM'] i think it is very important that the tabernacle be in the center of the church... just on a practical common sense level... its what u look at first... this is not merely fanciful or symbolic... as the body is a complete body-soul union... what the body does the soul does and what the soul does the body "does" (or, is made manifest in the body)... when we see and face God first with our bodies our soul relects this, or, not reflects but symultaneously experiences and knows this, there is a unity/ a harmony of knowledge between what the mind/body/soul know as truth... when you take away that physical reality you also hence change the spitual reality that takes place... u creat a disharmony of a kind... an order in which God becomes secondary... not just what we see second... but eventually on all levels... and God is then, hence not first (this is not to take away the power of free will, but just on a practical level)
<3

ps- just from a little observance i grew up in the metuchen diocese which is known to be one of the most liberal int eh country and never knew of any church that had the tabernacle in the center for the longest time... it def. changes mass from a sacrifice to a soprtof a business meeting type atmosphere... a self-help session... which is the point-- SELF help... a social gathering... something for ones own enjoyment and not visibly manifested towatrds God [/quote] I like how you compare the atmosphere to 'self-help'... it is a good way to put it I think...

[FutureIHMNJ]

Our tabernacle is in the center (behind the altar)...its very pretty