Bows Toward the Altar and the Celebrant
Date: October 20, 2024
Author: Fr. Edward McNamara, LC
Question: In churches where the tabernacle with the Body of Christ is just behind the altar, the first and last reverence is to be made with a genuflection toward the tabernacle, but all other acts of reverence are to be made by bowing toward the altar and not toward the tabernacle. Is that correct? The readers, before going up to the sanctuary, should make a small bow. Should they also bow toward the altar before starting the reading? -- M.C.G., Munich, Germany
Answer: The first question basically refers to the overall norms found in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) when speaking about genuflections:
“274. A genuflection, made by bending the right knee to the ground, signifies adoration, and therefore it is reserved for the Most Blessed Sacrament, as well as for the Holy Cross from the solemn adoration during the liturgical celebration on Good Friday until the beginning of the Easter Vigil. During Mass, three genuflections are made by the priest celebrant: namely, after the showing of the host, after the showing of the chalice, and before Communion. Certain specific features to be observed in a concelebrated Mass are noted in their proper place (cf. nos. 210-251).
“If, however, the tabernacle with the Most Blessed Sacrament is present in the sanctuary, the priest, the deacon, and the other ministers genuflect when they approach the altar and when they depart from it, but not during the celebration of Mass itself. Otherwise, all who pass before the Most Blessed Sacrament genuflect, unless they are moving in procession. Ministers carrying the processional cross or candles bow their heads instead of genuflecting.”
Thus, the answer to the first question is affirmative. In most cases where there is liturgical movement, and the tabernacle is directly behind the altar, the bow will be toward both.
However, should it happen that the logistics of the church mean that those who are moving pass between the altar and the tabernacle, or the tabernacle is within the sanctuary but is not centered, they will only bow toward the altar during Mass.
With respect to the readings, GIRM No. 59 states:
"By tradition, the function of proclaiming the readings is ministerial, not presidential. The readings, therefore, should be proclaimed by a lector, and the Gospel by a deacon or, in his absence, a priest other than the celebrant. If, however, a deacon or another priest is not present, the priest celebrant himself should read the Gospel. Further, if another suitable lector is also not present, then the priest celebrant should also proclaim the other readings."
With respect to the bow or bows made by the reader this will depend on where the reader is placed. Sometimes readers are already within the sanctuary from the entrance procession; sometimes they enter the sanctuary from the pews.
Liturgical experts describe the practice in several ways.
Bishop Peter J. Elliott describes the reader's bow in his "Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite": "The lector (comes to the sanctuary and) makes the customary reverences; first bowing deeply to the altar …, then bowing to the celebrant, before going to the ambo ..."
In his more recent “Ceremonial for Priests,” Monsignor Marc Caron goes into more detail:
“If the reader is not seated in the sanctuary, he or she goes to the center of the main aisle and makes a profound bow to the altar at the steps of the sanctuary before approaching the ambo. If the reader, however, is already seated in the sanctuary itself and must pass before the altar while crossing the sanctuary in order to approach the ambo, he or she makes a profound bow to the altar when doing so. In addition, either immediately after making the reverence to the altar or upon arriving at the ambo, the reader makes a bow of the head towards the celebrant and turns to the ambo to begin the reading.”
Why this bow toward the celebrant? “The bow indicates the reader’s recognition that all ministries during Mass take place under the presidency of the priest celebrant. It is a gracious gesture to acknowledge the one who is moderating the exercise of various ministries into one harmonious act of worship.”
As we have seen, two bows are described. The first bow toward the altar is based on the Ceremonial of Bishops, No. 72: "A deep bow is made to the altar by all who enter the sanctuary (chancel), leave it, or pass before the altar."
This would seem to resolve the question regarding the case of when the reader has entered the sanctuary from the beginning of Mass and is located near the ambo with no need to cross in front of the altar. The bow made toward the altar on first entering the sanctuary would be deemed sufficient, and only the second bow toward the celebrant from the ambo would be made.
We must admit, however, that this second bow, toward the priest celebrant, is not explicitly prescribed in the liturgical books.
Indeed, in describing the Liturgy of the Word the Ceremonial of Bishops, No. 137, makes no mention of any bows: "After the opening prayer, the reader goes to the ambo and proclaims the first reading …"
Nor does the GIRM make any mention of this bow toward the celebrant:
“128. After the Collect, all sit. The priest may, very briefly, introduce the faithful to the Liturgy of the Word. Then the lector goes to the ambo and, from the Lectionary already placed there before Mass, proclaims the First Reading, to which all listen. At the end, the lector sings or says the acclamation: Verbum Domini (The word of the Lord ) , and all respond: Deo gratias (Thanks be to God).
“Then, as appropriate, a few moments of silence may be observed so that all may meditate on what they have heard.”
Apart from the arguments regarding the presidency, the authors we have quoted would apparently consider these bows as a logical liturgical extension of the indications for reverence toward bishops in the Ceremonial, Nos. 76-77:
"The bishop is greeted with a deep bow by the ministers or others when they approach to assist him, when they leave after assisting him, or when they pass in front of him.
"When the bishop's chair is behind the altar, the ministers should reverence either the altar or the bishop, depending on whether they are approaching the altar or approaching the bishop; out of reverence for both, ministers should, as far as possible, avoid passing between the bishop and the altar."
It may also be said that the liturgical deductions made by the authors are quite reasonable and that the custom of the bow toward the celebrant is sufficiently widespread as to be deemed a legitimate custom.
However, since the liturgical books themselves do not explicitly mention readers when referring to bows, and the norms are only applicable insofar as they enter or leave the sanctuary, or, in a very broad sense, assist the presiding celebrant, it does not appear that these bows form a stable and obligatory part of the rites for those who exercise the ministry of reader.
Therefore if, for example, the seating arrangements are such that the readers are in the sanctuary from the beginning of Mass and have no need to cross in front of the altar, they could legitimately exercise their ministry without making any of these bows.
* * *
Readers may send questions to zenit.liturgy@gmail.com. Please put the word "Liturgy" in the subject field. The text should include your initials, your city and your state, province or country. Father McNamara can only answer a small selection of the great number of questions that arrive.