Pope Pius XII saying Mass in his private chapel, St. Peter’s. (This photo is from the Catholic Monarchist, who has several other nice ones.) Notice how, though he is facing the people (as is the tradition of the Roman basilicas), he is also facing the crucifix which is planted squarely between him and the people. Cardinal Ratzinger discusses this very thing in The Spirit of the Liturgy and counsels a return to it. We are waiting, papa!
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Great picture illustrating the importance of facing the crucifix and Ratzinger’s point. This was a great find.
As I recall it is only in St. Peter’s that the Pope celebrades ad versus populum because the Church is built facing west, and it has always been the tradition that the Mass is said facing East, if at all possible. So in this case, ad versus populum is ad Orientum which is the tradition.
In St. Peters, the faithful would fill the nave to the east of the Pontifical Altar and also the transept to the north and south, with the choir and clergy west of the altar and the Pope’s Throne at the very West end of the basilica.
I have a picture of Pope St. Pius X celebrating in another basilica where he faces ad Orientum but away from the people. Perhaps I’ll post it when I can get it scanned in.
Ideally Churches were built to face east, so the priests faced toward the East where tradition hold Christ will return from. In this way he is leading the faithful toward Christ. So like a general leading his army in battle, he faces away from us leading us toward our Redeemer.
In St. Peter’s only the Pope or Cardinals authorized by the Pope could celebrate Mass at the Pontifical Altar.
Cool, thanks for the info, Ian. Yeah, it would be great to see that picture of Pius X.
There’s also the basilica of San Clemente in Rome which has had a ‘versus populum’ high altar since time immemorial. The layout of the church makes it impossible for the people to assemble ‘behind’ the priest.
I remember talking to old priests who informed me that when they first celebrated at San Clemente they had difficulty figuring out the ‘gospel side’ and the ‘epistle side’.
Just a question — what do you do when in a modern Church because of the property it is constructed on it is faced North or South?