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Altar Stones + Relics


AugustineA

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Soo.. I'm sort of curious what happened to all the altar stones and relics that were removed following the second Vatican council? I've seen in many churches they were replaced and sometimes even broken up, but what about the relics inside and where do the relics now go in churches without altar stones? 

 

When I converted, my local parish was a tiny church but pastored by a monsignor who it seems was sent there to live a nice quiet life. The church housed a traditional altar stone plus two other stone holdings with relics in them. The small parish hall had the vestments of one of the Pius popes in glass, a gift to the monsignor. I wish I was more interested in tradition at the time. 

 

 

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Fidei Defensor

My first parish that I went to as a child had a beautiful array of relics in the altar. I miss that Church :( If I had reliable transportation, I would return to that parish.

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truthfinder

Sadly, some orders collected relics and then burnt them after the council.  In other places, the stones (and whole altars) were destroyed, some landing in garbage dumps, or otherwise forgotten in church attics and the like.

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Really Truth? :( I'm actually really really... Really saddened by that. I remember reading about how the first liturgical calendar was so tied to worshipping near the remains of slain Christians.

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  • 2 weeks later...
AugustineA

Was just reading in my missal that at traditional Mass when the priest kisses the altar, he is honouring the remnants of the dead Saints while asking their intercession. Amazin' tradition. 

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The Code of Canon Law states:

 

CHAPTER IV.

ALTARS

Can.  1235 §1. An altar, or a table upon which the eucharistic sacrifice is celebrated, is called fixed if it is so constructed that it adheres to the floor and thus cannot be moved; it is called movable if it can be removed.

§2. It is desirable to have a fixed altar in every church, but a fixed or a movable altar in other places designated for sacred celebrations.

 

Can.  1236 §1. According to the traditional practice of the Church, the table of a fixed altar is to be of stone, and indeed of a single natural stone. Nevertheless, another worthy and solid material can also be used in the judgment of the conference of bishops. The supports or base, however, can be made of any material.

§2. A movable altar can be constructed of any solid material suitable for liturgical use.

 

Can.  1237 §1. Fixed altars must be dedicated, and movable altars must be dedicated or blessed, according to the rites prescribed in the liturgical books.

§2. The ancient tradition of placing relics of martyrs or other saints under a fixed altar is to be preserved, according to the norms given in the liturgical books.

 

 

Rite of Dedication of a Church and an Altar  "It is fitting to continue the tradition in the Roman liturgy of placing relics of martyrs or other saints beneath the altar." Ch4 n11

 

 

 

Can.  1238 §1. An altar loses its dedication or blessing according to the norm of ⇒ can. 1212.

§2. Altars, whether fixed or movable, do not lose their dedication or blessing if the church or other sacred place is relegated to profane uses.

 

Can.  1239 §1. An altar, whether fixed or movable, must be reserved for divine worship alone, to the absolute exclusion of any profane use.

§2. A body is not to be buried beneath an altar; otherwise, it is not permitted to celebrate Mass on the altar.

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AugustineA

Cool. I hope this practice returns to predominance again in the newly constructed churches. It reminds me of the early stories of the Saints we had to read in freshman year. 

 

In places with solid concrete blocks or other funny altars are they working around Canon 1237 somehow? 

Edited by AugustineA
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