I met today with our pastor about setting up a tabernacle in the perpetual adoration chapel that is being built and was perplexed about several things. He told me that we could only have one tabernacle in the entire church, and that was in the main sanctuary, so the adoration chapel could not have one.
This position frustrated me because the benefit of having a tabernacle in the chapel is that if someone has to leave the Blessed Sacrament unadored, they can close the tabernacle doors (where the monstrace is exposing Jesus for adoration), and so then we are following the Church’s rules on proper respect for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
But my pastor said it is against canon law or the liturgical norms to have multiple tabernacles in a parish, so we cannot have it. In practice this will mean that when (probably not “if”) someone has to leave the Blessed Sacrament unadored because someone does not make their scheduled hour, then Jesus will be unadored and not properly behind a closed and locked tabernacle.
I am going to verify that canon law or the liturgical norms say this. One parish that has perpetual adoration in our diocese does it this way (with a tabernacle that automatically locks when closed), so I don’t understand why they were allowed to do that if it is against the Church’s guidelines on such matters.
Tuesday, 30. August 2005
He’s is right and I have heard this before.
Can. 938 §1. The Most Holy Eucharist is to be reserved habitually in only one tabernacle of a church or oratory.
You can verify it for yourself at the Vatican’s site.
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P3C.HTM
Oh and I wouldn’t be too surprised about a parish violating canon law with regards to the tabenacle. If you read the whole section in canon law - I have seen many violations such as movable tabernacles or ones with non-opaque doors.
Wednesday, 31. August 2005
Thanks for the information, Jeff. I would have had difficulty finding it myself.
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Our pastor did say that we would have to turn the chapel into an oratory to do it. I need to
learn to be more humble and obedient to his authority and wisdom.
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The bright side of this matter is, he is still okay with us starting perpetual adoration, so
God willing, we will be able to.
Wednesday, 31. August 2005
I think that it is a bit of a rigid position to suggest that the cited canon statute would completely preclude a second tabernacle in a chapel which is separate from the main sanctuary. As EWTN’s Colin Donovan wrote:
One evident difficulty seems to arise in connection with 1) having a chapel of reservation and 2) complying with canon 938, 1. In some places it seems there is a tendency to read these in an absolutist sense not found elsewhere. By that I mean, if anywhere within the external walls of the church building there is a chapel of reservation then the law is satisfied and furthermore there cannot be a tabernacle in the main church. It is my experience that this interpretation does not prevail in other places, least of all Rome. When the chapel of reservation is at the front end of a side aisle of a church, or prominently off of a side aisle (i.e. so that it is truly prominent and conspicuous from the main body of the church) then it will contain the only tabernacle in the church building. It is also thereby convenient for prayer and for retrieving and reserving the Eucharist at the time of Mass.
Source: http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/tabernacle_placement.htm (The rest of his comments are welll worth reading, as well.
However, when there is a Eucharistic chapel that is not so prominent and conspicuous from the main body of the church, even though it be in the same church building, there will also be a tabernacle in the main body of the church serving as a sign of the Lord’s Presence there. This can certainly be verified by a visit to Rome’s many churches.
However, as you suggest, humility and recognition of proper authority is the best route to take. To have perpetual adoration is a great gift. May God richly bless your parish through adoration!
Wednesday, 31. August 2005
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Wow, you guys really know where to dig to find stuff! Thanks for this additional information, David.
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I read both links that you guys indicated, and it seems as if there is latitude for individual bishops to make decisions regarding where tabernacles may be placed for a given parish, depending on various factors, and attempting to comply with these canons. My pastor explicitly said that our bishop was the one who told him that he would not consecrate any chapel that had a tabernacle in it. I don’t know how the other parish that does this accomplished it, maybe it just never came to the attention of the bishop.
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I found this comment by Fr. Donovan interesting:
“Ultimately, complying with the mind of the Church on the placement of the tabernacle rests with the bishop. As the Concilium letter noted, it is impossible to make universal law for all the particular circumstances of construction that may occur. Even though it is within the authority of the bishop, the laity certainly have a right to make their desires known to him. Considering the loss of faith in the Real Presence that is evidenced by recent polls of Catholics and the obligation to foster adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, it would seem opportune to suggest to our pastors that the time has come to return the Tabernacle to a truly prominent place of honor in the main body of the Church. Some bishops have already concluded this and are doing it.”
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Thank you for your prayers for us!