Placing a Tabernacle in Church: Catholic Canon Law

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. I entered the main doors, walked up a flight of stairs, down a hallway, and into the main part of the Church. I looked around for a second, desiring to kneel in the direction of the Eucharist reposed in the tabernacle. I turned to the left, then to the right. Dismayed as to where the tabernacle was located, I just kneeled reverently, knowing that it had to be somewhere within the Church.

At the time, I was perturbed. I was shocked to walk into a Catholic Cathedral and to discover that the tabernacle was so inconspicuously places that I couldn’t even find it. As it turns out, the designers of the Cathedral decided that they would keep the tabernacle in a separate chapel enclosed within one of the massive pillars on the side of the church. I wouldn’t have known it was there if I hadn’t asked. When I did walk inside the chapel, I discovered that it could only accommodate a handful of worshipers. The decor was drab and the room was Claustrophobic. “Does not Our Lord deserves better?”, I thought to myself.  ”Shouldn’t the Eucharist, which is the source and summit of our faith, be front and center in our Churches?” I felt cheated that I was unable to genuflect toward the Eucharist and pay proper reverence. As I left the Cathedral I was convinced that there was something wrong with the placement of the tabernacle.

Cardinal Arinze, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, commented on the role of genuflection and the proper placement of the tabernacle during a keynote talk at Westminster Cathedral in 2006:

“As for those who may ignore the significance of this gesture [ie. genuflection], it may be well to remember that we are not pure spirits like the angels. A Protestant once was visiting a Catholic church in the company of a Catholic friend. They passed across the tabernacle area. The Protestant asked the Catholic what that box was and why a little lamp was burning near it. The Catholic explained that Jesus the Lord is present there. The Protestant then put the vital question: “If you believe that your Lord and God is here present, then why don’t you genuflect, even prostrate and crawl?” The superficial Catholic got the message. He genuflected. Everyone can thus see why the tabernacle of the Most Blessed Sacrament is located in a central or at least prominent place in our churches. It is the centre of our attention and prayer. The October 2005 Synod of Bishops emphasised this point (cf Prop., 6, 28, 34). In some of our churches some misguided person has relegated the tabernacle to an obscure section of the church. Sometimes it is even so difficult for a visitor to locate where the tabernacle is, that the visitor can say with truth with St Mary Magdalene: “They have taken my Lord, and I do not know where they laid him” (Jn 20:13).”

Cardinal Arinze’s statement that the tabernacle should be at “a central or at least prominent place in our churches” is not merely his personal opinion. His clearly based his statement on the Code of Canon Law, 1983:

“The tabernacle in which the blessed Eucharist is reserved should be sited in a distinguished place in a church or oratory, a place which is conspicuous, suitably adorned and conducive to prayer.” - Canon 938 §2

However, much to my surprise, it is worth noting that Canon 938 does not prohibit the use of Blessed Sacrament Chapels. Nor does it contradict Eucharisticum Mysterium, which states:

“The place in a church or oratory where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved in the tabernacle should be truly prominent. It ought to be suitable for private prayer so that the faithful may easily and fruitfully, by private devotion also, continue to honor Our Lord in this sacrament. It is therefore recommended that, as far as possible, the tabernacle be placed in a chapel distinct from the middle or central part of the church, above all in those churches where marriages and funerals take place frequently and in places which are much visited for their artistic or historical treasures” - “Sacred Congregation for Rites, Eucharisticum Mysterium, (1967) no. 53:

As Monsignor Peter J. Elliott points out, the Church not only permits Blessed Sacrament chapels, but even prefers then in certain circumstance:

“[…] as indicated in Eucharisticum Mysterium, no. 53, and its adapted repetition in 1973, there are situations when a Blessed Sacrament chapel is appropriate, for example, in a cathedral or major church frequented by crowds of tourists or pilgrims, such as the Roman basilicas, or where a safe place is required for perpetual adoration. The chapel may also be appropriate in the rare case where the tabernacle would seem very distant and inaccessible if placed at the back of a deep sanctuary. Moreover, the Ceremonial of Bishops, no. 49, citing a very ancient tradition, recommends a chapel for cathedrals.”

However, it is important to remember that Canon law always establishes what is licit and legal, but does not necessarily resolve what is best in any particular situation. It is important to remember St. Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 1:8-9 (RSV):

“Now we know that the law is good, if any one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient […]”.

The aim of our Church leaders must not be mere compliance with the law, for the law is laid down to constrain the disobedient. Their aim of all faithful leaders must be “love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith.” (1 Timothy 1:5) The question is therefore not whether the placement of the tabernacle is licit, or even whether the tabernacle is in “a distinguished place … conspicuous, suitably adorned and conducive to prayer.” The question is whether it is conspicuous so as to draw the faithful into the presence of God, adorned to instill reverence and awe, and conducive to inspired adoration of the One True God who is the center time, space and existence.

I am convinced that by this standard the Eucharistic Chapel at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is horribly wanting. Our Lord does deserve better.

SOURCES:

Cardinal Arinze, “Keynote talk at Westminster Cathedral ‘Hearts and Minds’ event”, (London: Apr 3, 2006)

<http://www.cardinalrating.com/cardinal_7__article_3628.htm>.

Monsignor Peter J. Elliott, “Where Should We Put the Tabernacle? A conspicuously located tabernacle is mandated by the liturgical norms and Canon Law” Vol 3 Adoremus No. 9 (Online Edition: Dec 1997/Jan 1998)

<http://www.adoremus.org/98-01_elliott.htm>.