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JillD
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Visalia, California USA |
| Posts: | 754 |
| First Name: | Jill | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | heathen, EvFree, Messianic, LC-MS, Catholic 2007 |
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Posted: Sun Aug 5th, 2007 08:44 pm |
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| A friend went to a Catholic Church in the LA area today and and was surprised to see no crucifix in the sanctuary. Is that kosher???
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"I praise you, for I am wondrously made. Wonderful are our works! My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret." Ps 139
"Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men." Ps 140
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David W. Emery
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Brownsville, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 2034 |
| First Name: | David | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic |
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Posted: Sun Aug 5th, 2007 09:58 pm |
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I assume you are referring to a permanent crucifix. No, it is not necessary so long as the processional crucifix is kept near the altar during Mass.
David
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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5310 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Sun Aug 5th, 2007 10:08 pm |
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JillD wrote: A friend went to a Catholic Church in the LA area today and and was surprised to see no crucifix in the sanctuary. Is that kosher???
From the document, "Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship":
The Cross
§ 91 § The cross with the image of Christ crucified is a reminder of Christ's paschal mystery. It draws us into the mystery of suffering and makes tangible our belief that our suffering when united with the passion and death of Christ leads to redemption. Since a crucifix placed on the altar and large enough to be seen by the congregation might well obstruct the view of the action taking place on the altar, other alternatives may be more appropriate. The crucifix may be suspended over the altar or affixed to the sanctuary wall. A processional cross of sufficient size, placed in a stand visible to the people following the entrance procession is another option. If the processional cross is to be used for this purpose, the size and weight of the cross should not preclude its being carried in procession. If there is already a cross in the sanctuary, the processional cross is placed out of view of the congregation following the procession.
There should be a crucifix "positioned either on the altar or near it, and . . . clearly visible to the people gathered there."
And from the General Instructions of the Roman Missal:
122: "The cross adorned with the figure of Christ crucified and which has been carried in procession, is placed near the altar so that it may become the altar cross, which ought then to be the only cross used; otherwise it is set aside."
308: "There is also to be a cross, with the figure of Christ crucified upon it, positioned either on the altar or near it, and which is clearly visible to the people gathered together. It is fitting that a cross of this kind, recalling for the faithful the saving passion of the Lord, remain near the altar even outside of liturgical celebrations."
So the answer to your question is yes, a crucifix is required. A church building constructed at a time when this requirement was not in place (or not enforced by the local bishop) should include at least small crucifix on or near the altar, but "clearly visible to the people gathered there". A cross without a corpus or a figure of the risen Christ does not meet the norms. We were saved through Christ on the cross, not the empty cross or the resurrected Jesus. From the Congregation for Divine Worship, National Conference of Catholic Bishops, Book of Blessings [BB] (1988), no. 1233: "Of all sacred images, the ‘figure of the precious, life-giving cross of Christ' is pre-eminent, because it is the symbol of the entire paschal mystery. The cross is the image most cherished by the Christian people and the most ancient; it represents Christ's suffering and victory and at the same time, as the Fathers of the Church have taught, it points to his Second Coming."
The empty cross or the resurrected Jesus point to victory, not to the sacrifice by which we are redeemed.
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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