Grace Thompson
The Catholic Church's altars have historically been the focus of attention, with the priest standing at the head of the congregation. However, following the Second Vatican Council (1963-65), altars were repositioned so that the priest faced the congregation. This change was based on claims that it was a return to early Church customs, but some argue that it was a reversal of the ancient tradition of the priest and congregation facing east during worship. The reform sparked debate, with some advocating for a return to the traditional arrangement, while others support the new orientation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for moving altars | To face the congregation |
| Date of change | 1963-65 |
| Who initiated the change | Second Vatican Council |
| Who opposed the change | Father Gamber |
| Who supported the change | Cardinal Ratzinger |
| Reason for opposition | The change was not based on historical evidence |
| Reason for support | To focus on God and maintain the sacred character of worship |
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What You'll Learn
The Second Vatican Council (1963-65)
The change in the altar's position was justified by claims that it was a return to the customs of the early Church. However, this assertion has been disputed by some, including Father Gamber, who argue that it was actually a departure from ancient traditions. The decision to alter the altars was influenced by a desire to encourage active participation from the congregation and foster a sense of community assembly.
The "New Mass", introduced in US parishes on November 29, 1964, a year after the Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy was enacted, reflected these changes. Parishioners noticed significant differences, including the priest standing behind a new altar in the middle of the sanctuary and encouraging the congregation to recite prayers in their own language. The distribution of Communion was also modified.
While the Second Vatican Council did not explicitly instruct changes to church buildings or altars, it did authorise the construction of new churches and the restoration of old ones to facilitate the participation of the faithful. This led to the widespread adoption of altars positioned for the priest to face the congregation. The Council's liturgical reforms were implemented by the Consilium group, which included experts like Father Godfrey Diekmann, a monk and liturgist from St. John's in Collegeville, Minnesota.
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The priest facing the congregation
The Catholic Church has a long and complex history when it comes to the orientation of its altars and the position of the priest during Mass. The traditional arrangement, which prevailed for centuries, had the priest standing at the head of the congregation, with his back to the worshippers and facing the altar, often towards the east.
However, this changed in the 1960s following the Second Vatican Council (1963-65). The Council's reforms included a new emphasis on the liturgy and encouraged the active participation of the congregation. As a result, many Catholic churches physically rearranged their altars so that the priest would face the congregation during Mass. This change was based on the idea that the priest should be a "presider" or "facilitator" of the community assembly, making eye contact with the people and directing his words to them.
The implementation of this change varied across the Catholic world. Some churches removed their old altars entirely, replacing them with wooden tables or stone blocks that allowed the priest to face the congregation. In other cases, new altars were constructed in the middle of the sanctuary, with the priest standing behind it facing the people. This new arrangement became known as the "New Mass".
The change was not without controversy. Some Catholics, particularly traditionalists, viewed the alteration of altars as an unnecessary and costly destruction of church sanctuaries. They argued that the change was not, in fact, a return to early Church practice, as was often claimed, but a reversal of the ancient tradition of the priest and congregation facing east during worship. Despite this, the reform was generally accepted by priests and parishes, and it remains the standard arrangement in Catholic churches today.
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The altar as a table
The altar in the Catholic Church is a table or structure on which Mass is celebrated. The earliest altars for celebrating the Eucharist were made of wood and were identical in form with ordinary house tables, as was likely used at the Last Supper. In the New Law, the altar is the table on which the Eucharistic Sacrifice is offered. Mass may sometimes be celebrated outside a sacred place, but never without an altar or at least an altar stone.
In the early centuries of Christianity, altars were probably made of wood. During the persecutions when Christians were forced to move from one place to another, Mass was celebrated in crypts, private houses, the open air, and catacombs. It is believed that the altars during this time were made of wood, likely wooden chests carried about by bishops, on the lid of which the Eucharistic Sacrifice was celebrated.
In the Catholic Church, relics of martyrs or other saints are commonly set into the altar. The altar is typically centrally located in the sanctuary and is the focus of attention in the church. The priest first reverences the altar with a kiss and then goes to the chair to preside over the Introductory Rites and the Liturgy of the Word.
Following the Second Vatican Council, there were reforms that included the priest facing the congregation during Mass. This led to altars being replaced with tables of wood and blocks of stone to facilitate this new orientation. The change in the position of the altar was not a decree of the Council, and there is no historical data to support the claim that altars in the early Church were turned toward the people. The "turned-around" altars were meant to encourage the idea of a common meal rather than a sacrifice.
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The eastward position
The "ad orientem" position, or eastward position, has been a longstanding tradition in Christianity, including among early Christians and the Roman Catholic Church. The practice involves the priest and congregation facing the altar, which is located at the eastern end of the church, during Mass. This tradition symbolises prayer towards the rising sun and has its roots in the belief that the Orient, or East, is the original home of mankind and the site of the earthly paradise.
The orientation of churches and altars has also been influenced by geographical constraints and local topography, giving rise to the concept of "liturgical East," which refers to the end of the church where the altar is placed, regardless of its geographical direction. Some churches, such as St. Paul's Outside the Walls in Rome, are built slightly off-centre from facing east, while others, like the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, face southwest.
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The removal of altar rails
Altar rails, also known as Communion rails or balustrades, were once common in Catholic churches, with communicants kneeling at the railings to receive the Eucharist from a priest. After the Second Vatican Council (1963-1965), many parishes removed their altar rails, giving rise to the misconception that the council or the Holy See mandated this change. This decision was often justified as being consistent with the liturgical changes introduced by the Vatican Council's 1963 Constitution of the Liturgy, which emphasised the Mass as a community event.
However, no official document from the council explicitly mandated or suggested the removal of altar rails. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, for example, only states that the sanctuary should be "appropriately marked off from the body of the church" without specifically mentioning altar rails. Some have argued that altar rails were not a barrier to the participation of the laity and that their removal was unnecessary. Additionally, some churches have recognised the artistic and historical value of altar rails, preserving them even during renovations.
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Frequently asked questions
Catholics moved their altars following the Second Vatican Council (1963-65).
The altar was moved so that the priest could face the congregation. This was done to encourage participation from the congregation and to promote the idea of a common meal.
The earliest Christian altars were made of wood and resembled ordinary house tables. Churches were built with an east-west axis, with the priest facing east, towards the direction of Christ's second coming.
