The Importance of the Tabernacle, Rubrics and other Rituals - Bp. Jenky of Peoria

I must give a sword-tip to Father Z. on this story:

The following is a story from the Catholic Post which is the Catholic newspaper from the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois. The story explains a recent directive from Bishop Jenky regarding the placement of the Tabernacle in all Churches in the Diocese.

The following is the article from the Post [Emphasis and Comments]:

Saying that placing the Blessed Sacrament at the physical center of the church puts Christ at the center of our spiritual lives as well, Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, is asking that the tabernacle be located “in the direct center at the back of the sanctuary” in all churches and chapels in the Diocese of Peoria.
The bishop’s letter was issued on Holy Thursday, the day when Catholics around the world gather for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and celebrate the institution of the Eucharist.
"A gift in the bishop’s letter is that he is giving people five years,” said Msgr. Stanley Deptula, director of the diocesan Office of Divine Worship. “Some of those parishes, for architectural, financial and catechetical reasons, will need to take some time to revisit the Eucharist. . . . They have five years to pray over this moment of renewal.”
Following is the full text of Bishop Jenky's directive:
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April 1, 2010
+Holy Thursday
Dear Priests, Deacons, Religious and Faithful of the Diocese of Peoria,
The Mass, of course, is our most important act of worship -- the very source and summit of all we do as a Church. A profound reverence for the Reserved Sacrament is also intrinsically related to the Eucharistic liturgy.
The Reserved Sacrament must therefore be treated with the greatest possible respect, because at all times the Blessed Sacrament within that tabernacle, as in the Eucharistic Liturgy, is to be given that worship called latria, which is the adoration given to Almighty God. This intentional honor is incomparably greater than the reverence we give to sacramentals, sacred images, the Baptistry, the Holy Oils, or the Paschal Candle. The Sacrament is reserved not only so that the Eucharist can be brought to the dying and to those unable to attend Mass, but also as the heart and locus of a parish’s prayer and devotion. [The reservation of the Eucharist isn't a "garage" for "leftover" Host. It is the "heart and locus" of the Parish's prayer and devotion... in other words the essence or purpose of the Parish.]
There is a kind of bundle of rituals in our Catholic tradition with which we surround the Tabernacle. As we enter or leave the church, we bless ourselves with holy water, we genuflect towards the Tabernacle [This is important... we must know why we do what we do... when and if we do it.], we prepare for Mass or give thanks after Mass, consciously in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament. At prayers and devotions, during the Liturgy of the Hours, in any private prayer which takes place in a Catholic Church, we truly pray before the Risen Christ substantially and really present in the Sacrament reserved in the Tabernacle.
These core Catholic convictions and their architectural ramifications have recently been reaffirmed by many Bishops in the United States. As bishop of this Diocese, I am also convinced that where we place the Tabernacle -- and how we ritually reverence the Reserved Sacrament -- is as important for the continuing Eucharistic catechesis as is all our preaching and teaching. [What he means here is: the placement of the Tabernacle and how we treat it says something about us as individuals, a parish, and what we believe in teach in relation to the True Presence in the Eucharist. Actions speak louder than words.] With Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament at the physical center of our places of worship, how can He not also more firmly become the center of our spiritual lives as well?
After consultation with my Presbyteral Council, [In other words this isn't simply the Charism or Catechsis of one man and his idea.] I am therefore asking that those few parish churches and chapels where the tabernacle is not in the direct center at the back of the sanctuary, that these spaces be redesigned in such a way that the Reserved Sacrament would be placed at the center. In some cases, this change can be easily achieved, but given financial and design restraints, plans for redesign may be submitted to the Office of Divine Worship at any time during the next five years. Monastic communities whose chapels are open to the faithful as
semi-public oratories may also request a dispensation from this general regulation according to the norms of their particular liturgical tradition. There may also be some very tiny chapels where a change could be impossible. These requests should be submitted in writing to my office.
I would also like to remind everyone in our Diocese that at Mass, in accord with the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, the Tabernacle should only be reverenced at the beginning and end of the liturgy or when the Sacrament is being taken from or returned to the Tabernacle. At all other moments and movements in the liturgy it is the Altar of Sacrifice that is to be reverenced.
It is my conviction that Eucharistic Liturgy and Eucharistic devotion are never in competition but rather inform and strengthen our shared worship and reverence. May all in our Diocese grow in greater love and appreciation of the gift of the Eucharist.


Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C.
BISHOP OF PEORIA

This concept, this letter, this idea is very important to think about. Where else should the Tabernacle be? What does it matter where it is or how we treat it?

Let me explain my theory of the "House of Cards" as it relates to customs/traditions/rituals/beliefs/rubrics in our faith and the importance of following them. I will do this by showing how ignoring a small thing in one area can lead to big implications somewhere else.

What is the  first thing you see when you walk into a Church where the Tabernacle is not in the center? Maybe the Crucifix. So then where do you genuflect? Towards the Crucifix or towards the Tabernacle? Why do you genuflect? Let's say the Tabernacle is off to the side, and you genuflect anyways towards the Cross or the Altar? What does this say about your belief in the True Presence and the Eucharist? Now, what do you do before the reception of Communion? Do you bow or kneel? Why do you do this? What about AT reception? Do you take in your hand or mouth? Kneeling or standing? Again, why do you do what you do?

So you see, our posture in one instance bleeds into another. Sure moving the Tabernacle towards the center of the Church doesn't fix this automatically but it offers the opportunity at proper Catechesis. It allows the priest to explain WHY we do what we do, and what our focus should be - The True Presence of Christ.

This is true for other things as well. There MUST be a CONTINUITY in what we do in relation to the Rubrics of the Mass and the Catechism of our Liturgical Faith. We cannot pick and choose what we believe or do, simply because some appeal to us while others don't. On top of that, we must be INTENTIONAL  about why and what we do in relation to the important rituals and functions of our Faith. Bishop Jenky calls these things "Architectural Ramifications."