Altar cards

As a canon table is called a liturgical object in the Catholic Church, which came in 1968 in the course of the liturgical reform disuse. In the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite ( the so-called Tridentine Mass ), the panels are still the liturgical standard.

Purpose and history of the panels

In a Tridentine Mass are on the cafeteria of the high altar three inscribed tablets, the framed pictures look similar. They serve the celebrant to read fixed texts in the liturgy, the reading from the missal for the liturgical sequence would be cumbersome. Secular terms, one could also refer to the tables as a special kind of " Spickzetteln " that should spare the priest at certain times, in certain places of the altar, the circumstantial view of the Missal. The middle panel came from the 15th century, in use, the other two about 100 years later; the use sat down by the world. The Synod of Avignon wrote the middle panel in 1594 before binding in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. The panels are written in Latin, in the transitional period between the Tridentine Rite of Mass and the Novus Ordo of 1968, there were from 1965, including those in the national language. Since in the new Order of the Mass in 1968 changed the corresponding liturgical sequences or other parts like the final gospel completely broken down by, no longer needed, the panels were from that time. At a celebration in the direction of community, although only allows the new Rite of Mass of 1968, but which commonly became the rule, the panels would even be disruptive.

Middle panel

In the middle of the altar table, before the tabernacle, is a big board on which excerpts from the Canon Missae are. Usually she wears left the text of the Gloria and the Credo right, center the Eucharistic Prayer with particularly highlighted words of consecration. In the Tridentine Mass the priest stands at the Gloria and Credo upright in front of the center of the altar and the tabernacle, designed as a place of God's presence. He can read in the side lying on the canteen Missal prayers badly. At the completion of the conversion he is even bowed deeply at the same place on the altar, and can also not see in the laterally placed Missal, to pray the required text. The great canon table contains these passages, it is in line of sight in front of him and he can - in the conversion in bent position - easily read the words to be spoken by her.

Is the medium, large canon table made ​​of heavy material, is often at the top of an ornate eye through which the priest can stretch the middle finger to lift it when you open the tabernacle to the side. The liturgical norms prohibit the Tridentine Mass the priest after the completion of the conversion thumb and index finger on both hands to loosen them, to prevent the dropping of possibly befindlicher between particles of the order held in the conversion Host. Only after the finger ablution, in the course of taking place towards the end of the fair purification, but he should open his fingers again. Therefore, the mean canon panel must always be moved in the course of measurement with closed thumb and index fingers to open and close the tabernacle can. For this purpose, offering the said eyelet.

Right panel

On the Epistle side (right side of the altar ), a smaller panel is with two texts: the prayer to the sink and the prayer for mixing wine with water. It is also called Lavabotafel. Since the priest has the right altar end standing, in addition to perform various actions, such as pouring or mixing water and wine as well as hand washing and drying, it would be impractical having to open up the Missal at the same time. Again, this is why he stand right in front of the blackboard and eyes can easily read them the prayers at the manual rites.

Left panel

On the gospel side (left side of the altar ) there is also a small plaque with the beginning of John's Gospel, which is always read after the blessing, the left altar as a terminal gospel. The left panel - also called Gospels panel - this replaces the elsewhere of the altar on a stand dormant Missal, which would otherwise have borne only by a cause altar.