In the post-Vatican II Church, the priest’s chair becomes throne like, bishop-like and elevates the priest over all, even our Lord when the tabernacle is displaced in its central location with the priest’s chair. Here are two examples of pretentious presiding chairs:
This is St.John Abbey’s Church built prior to Vatican II but anticipating the elevation of the priest after Vatican II, placing him, not the altar, at the apex or highest level of the church:
And here’s a chair some priests might contemplate purchasing for their church:
When I was growing up, prior to Vatican II, we knew the bishop was coming to our parish when the pastor erected a bishop’s “throne” and on the Gospel side of the sanctuary. It had a canopy and bunting. Even if we didn’t see the bishop, only those at the Confirmation Liturgy would see him, we knew he was coming.
In the pre-Vatican II Church, the priest’s chair was to the side on the Epistle side of the sanctuary. He did not preside from his chair for any prayers, it was the place he rested while the choir completed the Gloria or Credo. In the Low Mass, the priest never sits.
In the pontifical Mass of the pre-Vatican II Mass, now called in the post-Vatican II era, the Extraordinary Form, the bishop does preside at the throne and after the Prayers at the foot of the altar, for the Gloria, Collect and Credo.
Today’s Ordinary Form Mass has no differences for how a bishop celebrates a Mass and a lowly priest does. Both use the same chair in a parish church, although a lowly priest celebrating Mass in the Cathedral would not use the bishop’s throne, everrr, unless he wants to push the envelope.
Is it a good idea for the priest’s chair to be throne-like as though the priest is the bishop of his parish/Mass? I ask; you answer.
12 comments:
No.
The the symbolism of an abbatial chair (your B&W pic) in a monastery and a presider's chair in a parish church are not entirely comparable.
The abbot's chair is akin to the cathedra of a bishop. The symbolism of the presider's chair, while derivative, is less about his authority than it is about his ministry of service to a particular parish community.
No throne or appearance thereof, with or without canopy-ette or "bunting," is appropriate for a seat designed for a servant.
No
An anonymous Benedictine explains the difference, in ecclesiological terms, of the priest presiding from the altar rather than the chair like a bishop http://civitas-dei.eu/sixties_reforms.htm
Clericalism at its finest.
What about the setup of the ancient Roman basilicas such as Santa Sabina and Santa Marian in Trastevere?
A @ 3:04 PM, what about them?
In grade school I was told the the name of the chair the priest sits in is “the bishops chair”. It was always larger than the other chairs, but never ornate. The church itself wasn’t ornate, so I guess it should probably follow the style of the rest of the church. I recall seeing a picture of Charlemagne’s throne, simple in design.
Even in the very liberal Episcopal Church, I have never seen the priest's chair in the middle, always to the side. And most Episcopal parishes retain their altar rails.
The ancient roman basilicas have a setup where there is a free standing altar with a celebrant's chair directly behind it under the apse. It seems to be a legitimate part of the roman liturgical tradition and not something just imagined by 1960s radicals.
No
C R @ 9:54, I understand that this is the Basilica Floor plan and the throne placement is reserved ( I hope) for the abbot or bishop. But at this abbey church, the throne is 9 steps higher than the altar. You have to have a very non humble bishop, abbot or priest who loves that and in the fabricated new liturgy he sits there pontificating in a royal way as the little people do readings, etc. it was an organic development and quite a marvelous one at that, when the altar was placed at the highest point and the cathedra on the side wall of the sanctuary’s Gospel side and step(s) lower. At our Cathedral Basically, the old high altar is one step higher than the Bishop’s throne. The new free standing altar is thee steps lower than the throne and ambo. That is corrupt!
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