Why Have Tabernacles Disappeared?

[brandelynmarie]

[quote name='Veridicus' date='12 March 2010 - 03:40 AM' timestamp='1268376006' post='2071620']
I have a church in the city in my diocese that has no tabernacle and never reserves any of the Blessed Sacrament. There are multiple churches where the tabernacle has been removed from the sanctuary and placed in chapels (closets) to "facilitate the Eucharistic Devotion of the laity." In one of these churches the tabernacle is 180degrees on the opposite end of the central aisle from the sanctuary such that if you want to genuflect you have to completely around with your back to the sanctuary before entering your pew....also there are no kneelers and half the pews are oriented at a 90degree angle with the nebulous sanctuary so that you literally have to turn to your right to bring the altar out of your peripheral vision...this Church was almost made our cathedral. In another Church the priest hands his ciborium to an EMHC after distributing communion and then sits in the nave with the laity while a female sacristan cleans the 'glass' Sacred Vessels and clears off the altar. Basically these parishes are run by wacky priests and are liberal so its no surprise at all.

Ick.

And mortify, I found Alcuin's point quite interesting where he distinguishes between the ideas of 'actual participation' and 'active particpiation' in reference to the liturgy.
[/quote]


It just seems so...schizophrenic...split. I've been in several churches with Eucharistic chapels in the back of the church & it truly does not feel right or even feel "organic"... It's relegating Christ to the back seat, so to speak. And in light of the Mass it just does not make sense...

[Happy_Catholic]

This has been happening in NZL for years now. I remember my parents fought tooth and nail to keep the Tabanacle on the altar at our church over 10 years ago. They lost.

Now it seems every Catholic Church church I go into looks like a Protestant church.

Its sad.

Church is God's house. Its about God. Its not about the people, its about the people worshipping GOD, how can we do that as Catholics if they hide it away like its our dirty little secret?