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The Space for Worship
Many campus ministry chapels were built following principles
laid out in Environment and Art in Catholic Worship, a 1978 statement of
the Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy. In 2000, the full body of bishops
approved a new document, Built of Living Stones:
Art, Architecture, and Worship, which "builds on and replaces Environment
and Art" (9). This document also refers back to universal norms in chapter 5
of the General
Instruction of the Roman Missal. The key principle, as stated in Built of
Living Stones, is that "decisions about church art and architecture
should always be based upon the theology of the eucharistic assembly and its
liturgical action and the understanding of the Church as the house of God on
earth" (11).
The Church Building
§ 16 § Just as the term
Church refers to the living temple, God's People, the term
church also has been used to describe "the building in which the
Christian community gathers to hear the word of God, to pray together, to
receive the sacraments, and celebrate the eucharist." That building is both
the house of God on earth (domus Dei) and a house fit for the prayers
of the saints (domus ecclesiae). Such a house of prayer must be
expressive of the presence of God and suited for the celebration of the
sacrifice of Christ, as well as reflective of the community that celebrates
there.
§ 17 § The church is the proper place for
the liturgical prayer of the parish community, especially the celebration of
the Eucharist on Sunday. It is also the privileged place for adoration of the
Blessed Sacrament and reservation of the Eucharist for Communion for the sick.
Whenever communities have built houses for worship, the design of the building
has been of critical importance. Churches are never "simply gathering spaces
but signify and make visible the Church living in [a particular] place, the
dwelling of God" among us, now "reconciled and united in Christ." As such, the
building itself becomes "a sign of the pilgrim Church on earth and reflects
the Church dwelling in heaven." Every church building is a gathering place for
the assembly, a resting place, a place of encounter with God, as well as a
point of departure on the Church's unfinished journey toward the reign of God.
§ 18 § Churches, therefore, must be places "suited
to sacred celebrations," "dignified," and beautiful. Their suitability for
worship is determined by their ability through the architectural design of
space and the application of artistic gifts to embody God's initiative and the
community's faithful response. Church buildings and the religious artworks
that beautify them are forms of worship themselves and both inspire and
reflect the prayer of the community as well as the inner life of grace.
Conversely, church buildings and religious artifacts that are trivial,
contrived, or lack beauty can detract from the community's liturgy.
Architecture and art become the joint work of the Holy Spirit and the local
community, that of preparing human hearts to receive God's word and to enter
more fully into communion with God.
Christ's Presence in Sign and
Symbol
§ 22 § In the liturgical
assembly, Christ's presence is realized in all the baptized who gather
in his name, in the word of God proclaimed in the assembly, in the
person of the priest through whom Christ offers himself to the Father
and gathers the assembly, in sacramental celebrations, and especially,
in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. In building a house for the
Church that is also the house of God on earth, all the expressions of Christ's
presence have prominence of place that reflects their proper nature. Among
these, the eucharistic species is accorded supreme prominence. From the very
beginning of the planning and design process, parishes will want to reflect
upon the relationship of the altar, the ambo, the tabernacle, the chair of the
priest celebrant, and the space for congregation.
The Eucharist
§ 49 § The celebration of the
Eucharist is the center of the entire Christian life, both for the universal
Church and for local faith communities. The other sacraments, like every other
ministry of the Church and every work of the apostolate, are linked with the
Holy Eucharist and have it as their end. The celebration of the Sunday
Eucharist is the appropriate starting point for understanding the demands of
space, sound, and visibility made upon a church building. An analysis of these
requirements will include attention to the place for the congregation, for the
preaching of the word, and for the celebration of the Liturgy of the
Eucharist, with special care for the location of the altar, the ambo, and the
chairs for the priest celebrant and deacon, as necessary. Considerations about
the narthex and the environment of the building flow from the central action
of the Eucharist. The celebration of the Easter Vigil and of the Sunday
Eucharist are appropriate starting points. In addition, special consideration
should be given to the place for the reservation of the Blessed
Sacrament.
The Congregation's
Area:
§ 51 § The space within the
church building for the faithful other than the priest celebrant and the
ministers is sometimes called the nave. This space is critical in the
overall plan because it accommodates a variety of ritual actions: processions
during the Eucharist, the singing of the prayers, movement during baptismal
rites, the sprinkling of the congregation with blessed water, the rites during
the wedding and funeral liturgies, and personal devotion. This area is not
comparable to the audience's space in a theater or public arena because in the
liturgical assembly, there is no audience. Rather, the entire congregation
acts.
The Sanctuary Area
§ 54 § The sanctuary is the
space where the altar and the ambo stand, and "where the priest, deacon and
other ministers exercise their offices." The special character of the
sanctuary is emphasized and enhanced by the distinctiveness of its design and
furnishings, or by its elevation. The challenge to those responsible for its
design is to convey the unique quality of the actions that take place in this
area while at the same time expressing the organic relationship between those
actions and the prayer and actions of the entire liturgical assembly. The
sanctuary must be spacious enough to accommodate the full celebration of the
various rituals of word and Eucharist with their accompanying movement, as
well as those of the other sacraments celebrated there.
The Altar
§ 57 § The altar is the natural
focal point of the sanctuary and is to be "freestanding to allow the [priest]
to walk around it easily and Mass to be celebrated facing the people."
Ordinarily, it should be fixed (with the base affixed to the floor) and with a
table or mensa made of natural stone, since it represents Christ Jesus, the
Living Stone (1 Pt 2:4). ... In the United States it is permissible to use
materials other than natural stone for a fixed altar, provided these materials
are worthy, solid, properly constructed, and subject to the further judgment
of the local ordinary.
The Ambo
§ 61 § The central focus of the area in
which the word of God is proclaimed during the liturgy is the ambo. The
design of the ambo and its prominent placement reflects the dignity and
nobility of that saving word and draws the attention of those present to the
proclamation of the word.... An ample area around the ambo is needed to allow
a Gospel procession with a full complement of ministers bearing candles and
incense.
The Chair for the Priest
Celebrant
§ 63 § The chair of the priest
celebrant stands "as a symbol of his office of presiding over the assembly and
of directing prayer." An appropriate placement of the chair allows the priest
celebrant to be visible to all in the congregation. The chair reflects the
dignity of the one who leads the community in the person of Christ, but is
never intended to be remote or grandiose. The priest celebrant's chair is
distinguished from the seating for other ministers by its design and
placement. "The seat for the deacon should be placed near that of the
celebrant."
The Baptistry
§ 66 § The rites of baptism,
the first of the sacraments of initiation, require a prominent place for
celebration.... Because the rites of initiation of the Church begin with
baptism and are completed by the reception of the Eucharist, the baptismal
font and its location reflect the Christian's journey through the
waters of baptism to the altar. This integral relationship between the
baptismal font and the altar can be demonstrated in a variety of ways, such as
placing the font and altar on the same architectural axis, using natural or
artificial lighting, using the same floor patterns, and using common or
similar materials and elements of design.
§ 67 § ...
Through the waters of baptism the faithful enter the life of Christ. For this
reason the font should be visible and accessible to all who enter the church
building.
The Reservation of the
Eucharist
§ 72 § The general law of the
Church provides norms concerning the tabernacle and the place for the
reservation of the Eucharist that express the importance Christians place on
the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. The Code of Canon Law directs
that the Eucharist be reserved "in a part of the church that is prominent,
conspicuous, beautifully decorated and suitable for prayer." It directs that
regularly there be "only one tabernacle" in the church. It should be worthy of
the Blessed Sacrament—beautifully designed and in harmony with the overall
decor of the rest of the church. To provide for the security of the Blessed
Sacrament the tabernacle should be "solid," "immovable," "opaque," and
"locked." The tabernacle may be situated on a fixed pillar or stand, or it may
be attached to or embedded in one of the walls. A special oil lamp or a lamp
with a wax candle burns continuously near the tabernacle as an indication of
Christ's presence.
Accommodating the Liturgical
Postures of the Congregation
§ 86 § Since the liturgy
requires various postures and movements, the space and furniture for the
congregation should accommodate them well. Styles of benches, pews, or chairs
can be found that comfortably accommodate the human form. Kneelers or kneeling
cushions should also be provided so that the whole congregation can easily
kneel when the liturgy calls for it. Parishes will want to choose a seating
arrangement that calls the congregation to active participation and that
avoids any semblance of a theater or an arena.
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. There should be a crucifix "positioned either on the
altar or near it, and . . . clearly visible to the people gathered
there."
The Place for the Sacred Oils
§ 117
§ The consecrated oil of chrism for initiation, ordination,
and the dedication of churches, as well as the blessed oils of the sick and of
catechumens, are traditionally housed in a special place called an ambry or
repository. These oils consecrated or blessed by the bishop at the Mass of
Chrism deserve the special care of the community to which they have been
entrusted. The style of the ambry may take different forms. A parish church
might choose a simple, dignified, and secure niche in the baptistry or in the
wall of the sanctuary or a small case for the oils.
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