3 Big Differences
My first trip to Europe was on a Viking River cruise in and around Bordeaux, France. During this 7-day cruise, I explored many beautiful churches. There is so much beauty and art in the old medieval churches. However, what I noticed almost immediately was that there were no pews in these massive churches.
Some of the churches had chairs, while others had benches without kneelers. I did see some churches with kneelers attached to the benches, but the kneelers were nothing more than a slab of wood. Where were the cushions?
After researching this further, I found that it was typical for churches to be open spaces with no seating of any kind. This seemed to be the practice for the first 1,400 years of Christianity. The Catholic Mass and all other church services were standing room only events. The history of the pew began with the Protestant Reformation. Seating became necessary as people would come to Protestant services to listen to preaching about Jesus for several hours. Pews then became a fundraising opportunity as families would purchase their box pews to promote social status.
Catholics, primarily in England and the United States, began using pews in their churches following Protestant practices. This resulted in much debate over the use of pews. One of the arguments against this practice was that pews cause the laity to be nothing more than passive observers. Another argument was that pews teach the laity to want Christian life to be without inconvenience. The opposing arguments stated that the pews with kneelers (and pads) are helpful because they make it easier to kneel for long stretches of time. Also, because we live in a literate age, the pew has made it convenient to have a place to put down and pick up our prayer books and hymnals.
People on both sides of the argument, however, agree that the most important posture during the Mass was to stand for the Gospel and kneel during the Consecration. In those large medieval churches with no seating available, people would stand for all parts of the Mass and then kneel on the marble floors during the Consecration.
I tried to kneel on the unpadded kneelers while in France. I lasted for a total of three seconds. Kneeling on the floor without a kneeler is not a concern. However, getting up is a totally different story! I for one am very grateful for the pew, the kneeler, and the cushions on the kneelers and offer a big thank you to my Protestant brothers and sisters for this wonderful invention!
The second difference noted was the placement of the ambo. The ambo is the official Catholic term for the place where the Gospel is read. This is also referred to as a lectern or a pulpit. The location of the ambo in Catholic churches in the United States is at the front of the church to left of the altar. However, in the old European medieval churches, the ambo is in the left center of the church.
Across from the ambo in these medieval churches is the crucifix. This is the third noted difference from what we are used to in the United States. The crucifix, in churches in the United States, is almost always at the front of the church above the altar and is the common point of focus for the priest and the laity.
Puzzled by the placement of the ambo in these medieval churches, I asked one of the priests at my parish why this was done. The explanation has to do with the ability to hear the priest at a time when there was no electricity and no microphones. These marvelous medieval structures were built for sound.
The dome assumes a critical role acoustically and provides properties similar to a concert hall. The location of the ambo in the medieval churches is critical for two purposes. The first is for sound. The second purpose was to provide an opportunity for the laity, who remained standing during the Mass, to reposition as they followed the priest from the altar to the ambo.
As I learned more about the acoustics of the medieval churches, I was reminded of a beautiful video by Andrea Bocelli and Aida Garifullina. This rendition of the Ave Maria was performed at the Basilica of Saint Anastasia in Verona, Italy. I am sure you will agree that this is an amazing performance.
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Thank you and God bless!
