HOW TO POPULARIZE "AD ORENTEM" WITHOUT DISORIENTING THE LAITY IN THE NAVE

rcg said...

Why is there concern for going BACK to ad orientem when there was no hesitation to turn versus populum? The same bishops who are concerned that turning back is a shock for the most part have memories of ad orientem while there was no living memory of facing the congregation. The hesitation is that people will naturally ask about what is going on and why we turned this way to begin with. The answer would not improve the reputation of many of our bishops.

January 5, 2018 at 9:44 PM

ByzRC said...

I'm not sure what else can be said on this topic other the tone is set at the top. Though Pope Francis and others have modeled ad orientem in the past, it is only done intermittently or, the totally wrong tone has been set by assuming this position only during a penitential season such as Lent. Experiencing this posture several times per week, I struggle to see how such a change would be as traumatic for all involved as some would lead us to believe. When the priest addresses the faithful, he faces the faithful. When the priest addresses our Lord, he turns to face the New Jerusalem. It is so simple and makes such perfect sense.

The Benedictine Arrangement, though a laudable interim step, probably by now has been employed by those inclined to do so or, interested priest(s) are waiting to be transferred to better circumstances where they then can employ.

January 5, 2018 at 10:04 PM

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Joseph Johnson said...

I am a 7th grade PRE teacher at my parish. It has long been my practice to explain to the students that the Crucifix is an external artistic representation (likeness, like a statue or picture) of the Second Person of the Triune God (Jesus) and that we should face the Crucifix as we pray, with the internal focus and intention of directing our prayers to the omnipresent Triune God. We start and end each class session with prayers facing the Crucifix on the classroom wall.

January 5, 2018 at 10:24 PM

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Fr Martin Fox said...

Father:

Here's what we've been doing in my parish the past three years.

Building on my admirable predecessor, who cultivated reverent liturgy and more fervent faith in many ways, I began talking about ad orientem about 2-1/2 years ago in homilies, daily and Sunday, and in the bulletin.

Meanwhile, from my first day here, I was doing many of the things Father Pope talks about: turning toward the tabernacle at various points.

After talking about ad orientem awhile, I began doing it at one daily Mass (in the OF; we were already doing the EF 1x a week and 1x a month). After gauging reaction (two or three mild disapprovals; many enthusiastic approvals), I added a second daily Mass offered at the high altar -- i.e., ad orientem. When that didn't cause any problems, I most recently started offering the biggest Mass for holy days ad orientem. I might mention, this was already a "high Mass" -- i.e., we have a team of altar boys who handle incense, use torces during the Eucharistic Prayer, and this Mass has a lot of chanting. So adding ad orientem was seemless. I offered Midnight Mass on Christmas ad orientem this past year, with no objections and much rejoicing. The altar boys really loved it.

So, in 2018, we will continue this, and I am looking at the Triduum.

Occasionally a couple will ask for their wedding to be ad orientem, including a couple being married as I write this (my predecessor came back for that). I expect, at this rate, to add a Sunday Mass before long.

Will we end up with 100% Masses ad orientem? I cannot foresee that. I am not unmindful of those who prefer the priest facing the people, and that would be a needless battle. Thus far, everything is going so well.

January 6, 2018 at 1:41 PM

Joseph Johnson said...

Regarding the issue of bishops' preferences being the primary hindrance to the restoration of ad orientem, it is my gut feeling that we will not see any significant changes on this front until the current older baby-boom generation of bishops (generally speaking, those born before 1960) is retired and replaced by a younger episcopate.

January 6, 2018 at 3:07 PM

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Henry said...

A local pastor started introducing ad orientem celebrating gradually this past Advent, without any big fanfare. No big deal, no 10-part series explaining a bunch of history and theology that no one cared about. Just started doing it the first Sunday of Advent. Just some low-key mention the two preceding weeks, nothing to make it sound traumatic or the greatest thing since sliced bread.

His strategy was to select one of the three OF Masses each Sunday at random, not the same one twice in a row, for ad orientem celebration, without comment or prior announcement. Just do it. Not having made it seem earth-shaking, no parish trauma occurred. Generally positive reaction, but no jumping up and down either way. On Jan. 1 (Solemnity of Mother of God) I attended a Mass there that turned out to be ad orientem, the first hint that it would be, being the altar crucifix and Benedictine candles set up on the back rather than the front of the altar. Everyone acted as though it was perfectly normal.

My guess is that (with some exceptions) most bishops are not so focused on liturgy as to care much how their priests celebrate Mass. So long as everything's going smoothly, everyone's happy and attendance and collections are up--as they are at the parish mentioned--if the folks are happy, then the bishop is happy too. Am I right?

January 6, 2018 at 4:41 PM

TJM said...

Henry,

Ah, you just described the bishop manager instead of a bishop shepherd!

January 7, 2018 at 2:09 AM

ByzRC said...

Fr. Fox -

You are to be commended for your efforts. It is a shame, however, that to this end, a mass schedule similar to Protestant traditional/contemporary style worship results. That said, those who find verses populum to be enriching should be tended to the way those attached to tradition were not 50+ years ago as nothing is to be gained/nothing would be more distructive than a 'see how you like it' approach of all or nothing.

January 7, 2018 at 7:39 PM