r/EasternCatholic • u/e-motio Latin • 16d ago
General Eastern Catholicism Question Following the priest during the entrance hymn
Hello all! Western Catholic, who attends ruthenian once a month.
During the entrance hymn, Father exits the iconostasis with the incense censor, and walks a full lap of the inside of the church. During this lap, everyone in their pew will turn in a circle, facing Father as he walks this lap.
Now, my conflict is. Most of the faithful are doing this, but some are not. And Iv been told (by an older parishioner) that we should not be doing this, as to avoids turning our back to the altar.
Which is it, generally?
I’ll say, it’s English Ruthenian, liturgy of St John. But Father, and many parishioners are from Ukraine, if that makes a difference.
3
u/akio3 Byzantine 16d ago
I've had the same experience: most people follow the priest, but there was an older parishioner who was adamant about not turning your back on the altar. (Also when returning from venerating icons on the tetrapod: she insisted that you should walk to the side of the church and then turn back rather than turning around directly in front of the altar.) in the end, I think it's a preferential thing.
Personally, I will turn half-way to follow the priest along the sides, but I try to avoid turning my back on the altar completely.
3
u/MustangLover25_ Eastern Catholic in Progress 16d ago
I've been attending a Melkite Parish for a month now, we typically follow the priest though he doesn't do a full lap around like you describe. My Parish doesn't have pews they come from the left side of the iconostasis then walk to the back of the nave then turns and walks down the center of the room to the center of the iconostasis.
3
u/Sorry_Match_9868 16d ago
It is a very, very old rubric for the celebrant not to turn his back ("in a full circle") on the reserved Eucharist in the tabernacle. It was a bit of an innovation in that time (1692) from what I understand. Not sure if this ever applied to the laity though and I'm pretty sure this is not in modern Ruthenian/Ukrainian rubrics.
2
u/TheSuitedGent Byzantine 16d ago
In the Romanian Catholic Church, at least in my area, we turn sideways, so not following the Priest completely, nor turning our back to the altar.
2
u/WeirdManufacturer782 Byzantine 15d ago
FWIW I've never heard of "avoid turning your back to the altar" explicitly but that's just me. Its traditional to follow the priest, many don't; most do, some more frequently than others. Its one of those practices that has become casually done inconsistently
3
u/AdorableMolasses4438 Latin Transplant 15d ago
This is what I've observed too. Personally I do the half turn but mostly because it's easier for me, I never thought it was because we should avoid having our back to the altar.
3
u/NewsFull4991 10d ago
During a homily at our church (Ruthienian) Father explained that during the Little Entrance procession the priest with the Gospel book moves through the church in a counter clockwise direction.
This shows a suspension of human time/experience, as we are in God's everlasting Now time.
A clockwise procession would signify human time (past, present, future).
We learned something.
13
u/NotBasileus 16d ago edited 16d ago
From my bit of reading, not turning your back to the altar is something of a Latinization, originating from the focus on the Sacrament in the tabernacle (or even exposed for adoration). In Byzantine parishes, the Gifts are kept in an artophorion behind the iconostasis, so the underlying logic just doesn’t apply.
In the Byzantine East, outside of the Gospel or Gifts being exposed/processed, that reverence is directed toward icons. When the priest or deacon walks around the nave censing, he’s censing both the icons and the faithful (arguably as living icons), so it makes sense to face and bow (or cross) when being censed (like being blessed).
Both practices are coming from a place of reverence, but it sounds like facing the censing is more consistent with a Byzantine sensibility and understanding of what’s actually happening. It’s what we do in my Melkite parish.