| Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
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| Use of Menorah | Martha | Thursday, June 12, 2008 |
Question: Our new pastor has placed a menorah (9 branched as is used in the celebration of Hannukah) on top of the tabernacle in our church. There are many people who are offended by this. His explanation is that Jesus is the fullness of the Jewish "bread of presence" and that the menorah (lampstand) was part of the Jewish temple sacrifices in the O.T. Personally, I don't find this offensive but it does seem odd to me. I've been a member of many parishes and visited countless others and have never seen nor heard of this. And... this may be nitpicking... but based on the pastor's reasoning, shouldn't he at least find a seven branched menorah? When I had a personal conversation with our pastor about this, he was very "upfront" that he isn't concerned with "liturgical correctness" -- he just thinks that displaying the menorah is the right thing to do "in honor" of our Jewish brothers and sisters. He also told me that he received a letter from a Jewish man who attended Mass while visiting a relative stating that he was offended by the menorah. I was thinking the Jewish man's thoughts/feelings (in addition to those parishoners who find this distasteful) should have given the pastor cause to re-think the presence of the menorah but evidently it didn't. My understanding is that nothing (words, symbols, furnishings, etc.) is to be added to the liturgy. If even to "err" on the side of caution, if something isn't there--it shouldn't be done. I would like to know your thoughts about this... Thank You |
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| Question Answered by Mr. Jacob Slavek
Dear Martha, I have never seen any reference in liturgical documents to displaying a menorah in a catholic church. Seems to me that since it is a catholic church, then CATHOLIC or christian objects, symbols and artwork should be displayed, especially those pieces which are used to focus attention on the tabernacle and the Holy Eucharist. It's not that I trying to take honor away from Jewish faith, but rather I'm saying that particular pieces have their own appropriate places. This seems to be especially true in your case, since the menorah display is creating more problems than good it seems. Mr. Slavek Footer Notes: (a) A Eucharistic Minister is clergy (Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion). Laity are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and should never be called Eucharistic Ministers. (b) There is no such Mass called the Novus Ordo. The Current Mass is the Roman Missal of 2000, or the Oridinary Form of the Mass. The Tridentine Mass is the Roman Missal of 1962, or the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. Please refrain from using the term, Novus Ordo. Thanks. (c) The titles of Acolyte and Lector belong exclusively to the Installed Offices of Acolyte and Lector, who are men (only) appointed by the Bishop. These roles performed by others are Altar Servers and Readers, respectively. |
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