The first norms governing tabernacles were only promulgated in the Middle Ages. While monastic communities internally developed some norms and practices, there were no uniform customs regarding where tabernacles were to be located in churches. The Church had been operating for more than 1200 years.

The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) decreed that the Blessed Sacrament be kept in a secure receptacle and placed in a clean, conspicuous place. The Synods of Cologne (1281) and Munster (1279) stipulated that the Blessed Sacrament be kept above the altar, sometimes in tabernacles shaped like doves and suspended by chains. Overall, during these times, the Blessed Sacrament was reserved in four possible ways: in a locked cabinet in the sacristy, a custom originating in the early Church; in a cabinet in the wall of the choir area, or in a cabinet called the “Sacrament House,” which was constructed like a tower and attached to a wall near the altar; in a “dove” receptacle suspended from the baldachino [an ornamental canopy over an altar, usually supported by columns]; and in a tabernacle on the altar itself or in the reredos of the altar. [A reredos is an ornamental screen covering the wall at the back of an altar.]

In the sixteenth century, the Blessed Sacrament became customarily reserved in a tabernacle that was placed on the altar or part of the reredos. However, only in 1863 did the Sacred Congregation of Rites prohibit the use of suspended doves and sacrament houses.

The liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council prompted a “rethinking” of the location of the tabernacle in the church. Two important points were kept in mind: First, reverence for the holy Eucharist must be preserved and promoted. The “Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy” reminded us that the holy Eucharist is “a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace and a pledge of future glory is given to us” (No. 46).

Second, the significance of the offering of the Mass itself, where the holy Eucharist is confected, must be preserved and promoted. The “Dogmatic Constitution on the Church” asserted, “Taking part in the Eucharistic sacrifice, the source and summit of the Christian life, they offer the divine victim to God and themselves along with it” (No.11).

With those principles in place, what impact would the reforms of Vatican II have on the placement of the tabernacle in Catholic Churches – especially the ones being designed and built in the years following Vatican II? Check back tomorrow!

Image credit: G. Corrigan, CANVA, CC-BY-NC