Altar (Catholic Church)

The altar of the parish church of Gampern, Upper Austria

The altar in the Catholic Church is used for celebrating the Sacrifice of the Mass.[1]

The altar, typically centrally located in the sanctuary, is to be the focus of attention in the church.[2] At the beginning of the Roman Rite of Mass, the priest first of all reverences the altar with a kiss and only after that goes to the chair at which he presides over the Introductory Rites and the Liturgy of the Word.[3] Except in Solemn Mass, a priest celebrating Tridentine Mass remains at the altar the whole time after saying the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar.

The rite of Dedication of a church and of the altar points out that the celebration of the Eucharist is "the principal and the most ancient part of the whole rite, because the celebration of the eucharist is in the closest harmony with the rite of the dedication of a church", and "the eucharist, which sanctifies the hearts of those who receive it, in a sense consecrates the altar and the place of celebration, as the ancient Fathers of the Church often assert: 'This altar should be an object of awe: by nature it is stone, but it is made holy when it receives the body of Christ.'"[4]

In Greek and some other languages used in the Byzantine Rite, the same word (βωμός in Greek) is used for an altar (in general) and for the area surrounding it; that is to say, the entire sanctuary. To refer unambiguously to the altar itself the terms "Holy Table" (Greek Ἁγία Τράπεζα) or "Throne" (chu Prestól) are used.[5]

  1. ^ Hardon, John. "Modern Catholic Dictionary: Altar". Catholic Culture.
  2. ^ Edward McNamara, "Central Focus at Mass"
  3. ^ The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, No. 49–50.
  4. ^ Dedication of a Church and an Altar, Introductions, No. 17
  5. ^ Abbot Joseph. "The Byzantine Altar". New Liturgical Movement.