Kissing the Altar
Date: April 19, 2026
Author: Fr. Edward McNamara, LC
Question: I greatly appreciate your article on the Roles of Instituted Acolyte as Mass. I was instituted as acolyte recently and have begun serving daily Mass at our local parish. One question has come up that I am having trouble with: Should an acolyte kiss the altar along with the priest at the beginning and end of Mass? — T.K., Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania
Answer: The short answer is no. Nothing in the rubrics suggests that anybody except an ordained minister ever kisses the altar. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal clearly distinguishes the different ministers.
It first gives the general criteria for the entrance procession and details several concrete situations. To wit:
"49. When they have arrived at the sanctuary, the Priest, the Deacon, and the ministers reverence the altar with a profound bow. Moreover, as an expression of veneration, the Priest and Deacon then kiss the altar itself; the Priest, if appropriate, also incenses the cross and the altar."
In a Mass with just a priest:
"123. The Priest goes up to the altar and venerates it with a kiss. Then, if appropriate, he incenses the cross and the altar, walking around the latter.
"168. Immediately after the Blessing, with hands joined, the Priest adds, Ite, missa est (Go forth, the Mass is ended) and all reply, Thanks be to God.
"169. Then the Priest venerates the altar as usual with a kiss and, after making a profound bow with the lay ministers, he withdraws with them."
In a Mass with priest and deacon:
"173. When he [the Deacon] reaches the altar, if he is carrying the Book of the Gospels, he omits the sign of reverence and goes up to the altar. It is a praiseworthy practice for him to place the Book of the Gospels on the altar, after which, together with the Priest, he venerates the altar with a kiss. If, however, he is not carrying the Book of the Gospels, he makes a profound bow to the altar with the Priest in the customary way and with him venerates the altar with a kiss.
"186. Then, together with the Priest, the Deacon venerates the altar with a kiss, makes a profound bow, and withdraws in a manner similar to the Entrance Procession."
During a concelebration:
"211. On arriving at the altar, the concelebrants and the principal celebrant, after making a profound bow, venerate the altar with a kiss, then go to their designated seats. As for the principal celebrant, if appropriate, he incenses the cross and the altar and then goes to the chair.
"251. Before leaving the altar, the concelebrants make a profound bow to the altar. For his part, the principal celebrant, along with the Deacon, venerates the altar as usual with a kiss."
During a Mass with only a priest and one minister:
"256. The Priest approaches the altar and, after making a profound bow along with the minister, venerates the altar with a kiss and goes to the chair. If he wishes, the Priest may remain at the altar; in which case, the Missal is also prepared there. Then the minister or the Priest says the Entrance Antiphon.
"272. The Concluding Rites are carried out as at a Mass with the people, but the Ite, missa est (Go forth, the Mass is ended) is omitted. The Priest venerates the altar as usual with a kiss and, after making a profound bow with the minister, withdraws."
From all the above, it should be clear that during Mass this rite is reserved for the ordained minister.
The same principle holds for the solemn celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours in which only the priest and/or deacon kiss the altar at the beginning and end of the celebration.
These overall principles are also applied during the distribution of Communion during a Celebration of the Word. In this case, the altar is not kissed even by the ordained minister.
The rites, however, do clearly distinguish the respective roles of an ordinary and extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, a role which includes one of the possible functions of an instituted acolyte.
Among the norms issued by various dioceses we find the following points:
The altar candles are lit. A corporal is open on the altar. The key is in the tabernacle.
The celebration begins without a procession.
The extraordinary minister genuflects if the Most Blessed Sacrament is in the sanctuary. If not, he or she bows profoundly before the altar and stands in front of the assembly in a central place that is apart from the altar and from the presidential chair reserved for the ordained minister.
After the concluding rites, the extraordinary minister genuflects or bows as the case may be and recesses. An appropriate psalm or chant may be sung by all.
The reservation of the rite of kissing the altar to the ordained is well delineated in the rites of ordination of some Eastern Catholic Churches which still reserve the ministries of lector and acolyte (usually called subdeacon) to candidates for the priesthood. Hence, they are not considered as lay ministries as in the Latin rite even though some of their functions can be carried out by laity in the absence of the established ministers.
The installation or ordination of each level is carried out in a different part of the sanctuary getting closer to the altar at each passage. Lectors at the first step, subdeacons before the altar itself and deacons, after their ordination, are led by the bishop to kiss the altar for the first time.
This reservation of venerating the altar to the ordained is not a privilege but a symbol of the respective and interrelated consecration of both the altar and the ordained minister. The altar has been consecrated and separated from any profane use so as to be reserved for the celebration of the holy Eucharistic sacrifice.
The priest and deacon have also been consecrated primarily to serve and lead the people in prayer through the celebration of Christ's sacrifice upon the altar. Kissing the altar underlines this specific role of service and also honors Christ who is represented by the altar as our cornerstone (cf. Ephesians 2:20), our priest and our sacrifice.
In this way, kissing the altar at the beginning of Mass encourages both ministers and assembly to focus and align heart and soul on the centrality of what the liturgy is all about. Kissing at the end is a sign that the mission from Christ who has given himself for us continues in all the other facets of our lives.
Historically, the practice of kissing the altar and other sacred objects is known from at least the fourth century.
Over the centuries the practice has waxed and waned as to frequency. Current practice has greatly reduced the number of kisses used in the Eucharistic liturgy but has retained, and thus probably enhanced in meaning and symbolic weight, those of truly central importance.
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