Wreckovation
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''Wreckovation'' is a
portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsSecond Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
.


Background

In the Tridentine
Roman Missal The Roman Missal ( la, Missale Romanum) is the title of several missals used in the celebration of the Roman Rite. Along with other liturgical books of the Roman Rite, the Roman Missal contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the m ...
, the altar is assumed to be ''ad orientem'' (towards the East) even when it is ''versus populum'' (facing the people): "''Si altare sit ad orientem, versus populum, celebrans versa facie ad populum, non vertit humeros ad altare, cum dicturus est ''Dóminus vobiscum, Oráte, fratres, Ite, missa est,'' vel daturus benedictionem''" (If the altar is ''ad orientem'', towards the people, the celebrant, facing the people, does not turn his back to the altar when about to say ''
Dominus vobiscum ''Dominus vobiscum'' (Latin: "The Lord be with you") is an ancient salutation and blessing traditionally used by the clergy in the Masses of the Catholic Church and other liturgies, as well as liturgies of other Western Christian denominations, s ...
'' The Lord be with you" '' Orate, fratres'' he introduction to the prayer over the offerings of bread and wine and ''
Ite, missa est ''Ite, missa est'' are the concluding Latin words addressed to the people in the Mass of the Roman Rite, as well as the Lutheran Divine Service. Until the reforms of 1962, at Masses without the Gloria, ''Benedicamus Domino'' was said instead. ...
'' he dismissal at the conclusion of the Mass or about to give the blessing). The wording remained unchanged in all later editions of the Tridentine Missal, even the last. A
tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...
containing the consecrated
Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
was commonly placed on the main altar of a church (this also was not envisaged in the 1570 Roman Missal and only later became normal (see Church tabernacle#History)


Holy See initiative on church design

In November 2011,
Antonio Cañizares Llovera Antonio Cañizares Llovera (; born 15 October 1945) is a Spanish cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who was the Archbishop of Valencia from 2014 to 2022. He was prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacramen ...
, Prefect of the
Congregation for Divine Worship it, Dicastero per il Culto Divino e la Disciplina dei Sacramenti , type = Dicastery , seal = Coat of arms Holy See.svg , seal_size = 100px , seal_caption = Coat of arms of the Holy See , logo = , p ...
, established a "Liturgical Art and Sacred Music Commission" which will be responsible for evaluating both new construction and renovation projects as well as music used during the celebration of Mass to ensure that they comply with Church guidelines. He had the full support of
Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
, who considered the commission's task "very urgent."


Criticism

Opponents of wreckovation also charge that such changes are
iconoclastic Iconoclasm (from Greek: grc, εἰκών, lit=figure, icon, translit=eikṓn, label=none + grc, κλάω, lit=to break, translit=kláō, label=none)From grc, εἰκών + κλάω, lit=image-breaking. ''Iconoclasm'' may also be conside ...
and produce results that look more like
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
churches,
theaters Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
,
airport terminals An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfac ...
, or
barns A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G. N ...
rather than Catholic churches. A major concern is that the design of renovated churches downplays the sense of the
sacred Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
in favor of focus on the congregation. Critics see this as inconsistent with the traditional Catholic understanding of communal worship. Meanwhile, more liberal Catholics have referred to the renovations as necessary steps in order to emphasise the role of the congregation in worship, in accord with the wishes of the Second Vatican Council. Conservative Catholics charge that this is a misinterpretation of the documents of Vatican II. Some churches are reversing prior renovations and returning to the historical Catholic liturgical setup.


Related renovation controversies

* Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (Los Angeles) § Criticism * Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (Milwaukee) § Renovation and controversy


References


Further reading


''U.S. Catholic'''s "Who Moved the Tabernacle?" article

US Conference of Catholic Bishops write on ''Environment and Art in Catholic Worship''
* {{Second Vatican Council Neologisms Catholic architecture