Altar cloth

High altar of the Oratorian Church in Oxford, covered with an altar ceiling and an altar cloth, an antependium in front of the front

Altar cloth with lace trim. Incorporated into the tip are crosses, grapes, ears of wheat and the noun sacrum IHS

An altar cloth is used in the Christian liturgy to cover the altar . It is a sign of reverence as well as decoration and protection of the altar and the liturgical vessels . In the Orthodox churches , on the altar, lies the antimension , which also contains the relics of saints.

History and symbolism

It has been documented since the 4th century that “the wood of the altar is covered with a linen cloth”, but the practice is probably much older. The names for the parament were different in the Middle Ages: linteamen altaris , velum , pannus altaris , pallium or palla , mantile , substratorium , mappa , mensale (tablecloth), tunica altaris ("altar dress"), tobalea or toalea . However, some of these terms were used to denote other liturgical textiles. For a long time it will have been a single cloth, in the Middle Ages there were at least two and regionally up to five cloths that were required; the topmost of them was possibly identical to the corporal . It should be prevented that any spilled sacrificial wine could get onto the altar plate. In the late Middle Ages, the waxed linen cloth (telum ceratum) appeared as the bottom cloth .

Since the 2nd century the altar cloth has been seen as a symbol for the grave cloths in which Jesus was wrapped after his death on the cross; therefore it should be made of white linen. Another interpretation saw the body and soul of Jesus Christ in the two towels.

Roman Catholic Church

Altar cloths

The General Introduction to the Roman Missal of the Roman Catholic Church provides for the celebration of Holy Mass :

“As a sign of reverence for the celebration of the Lord's memory and the supper, at which the body and blood of Christ are served, the altar on which the celebration is to take place is to be covered with at least one white cloth, the shape, size and decoration of the Altars fits. "

Under the actual altar cloth, to protect the altar, which is usually made of stone or wood, there is sometimes an oilcloth blanket and two strips of linen cloth. The corporal is again placed on the altar cloth during the preparation of the gifts in Holy Mass .

The altar cloth itself is usually made of white linen and in the past was lavishly decorated with embroidery or lace on the front edge, which overhanged a few centimeters . In earlier times, silk and embroidery with gold and silver threads were also used for altar washing. Traditionally, an altar cloth was embroidered with five crosses, which symbolized the five wounds of Christ .

After the mass of the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday , the altar is ceremonially bared, that is, the altar linen, candlesticks and the altar cross are removed. During the celebration of the suffering and death of Christ on Good Friday , a corporal is only brought for the pre-sanctified communion at the communion celebration, otherwise the altar remains uncovered until the celebration of Easter vigil.

Until the liturgical reform after the Second Vatican Council , three altar cloths were required to celebrate Holy Mass. The top one had a width of 70 to 90 cm and should reach close to the floor on both narrow sides of the altar.

Corporals

At Holy Mass, from the preparation of the offering, the square corporal lies in the middle of the altar as a base for paten or host bowl and chalice .

Altar ceiling

Outside of Holy Mass, to protect the altar cloths from dust, the altar is covered with an altar cover that hangs down a little at the front and to the side. The time when the first altar covers were made is unclear. They were prescribed in the 16th century by the Milanese bishop Karl Borromeo and later also in other dioceses , but they were also used before. There are no regulations regarding the material and the color. In the early modern period they were often made of leather, later of oilcloth . Altar ceilings could be decorated with fringes or a narrow border on the edges.

Orthodox churches

Altar with altar cloths; under the Eiletón the outlines of are antimension to recognize (Orthodox St. Jacob's Chapel in the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem)

Katasárkion and Endýtion

The altar in Orthodox churches ( ancient Greek ἃγια τράπεζα Hagia trapeza 'holy table') is covered by two sheets:

The katasárkion (Κατασάρκιον, pad for the body '; Russian katasarka, priplotie or sračica) is the lowest altar cloth that extends to the floor on all four sides and consists of white silk or white linen. It is placed on the altar by the bishop at the consecration of the church and symbolizes the clean linen cloth in which Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the body of Jesus ( Mk 15.46 EU ).

The Endýtion ( ancient Greek Ἐνδύτιον , also the Endytē (Ἐνδυτή) or the Éndyma (Ἔνδυμα) 'dress, garment' or Háploma (Ἅπλομα) 'simple cloth'; Russian enditija ) is the middle altar cloth made of silk. It lies on the Katasarkion and covers the side of the altar to the floor.

Eiletón

During the service, when the cherubim hymn begins, a silk cloth, the eiletón (Εἰλητόν, Church Slavonic and Russian ilitón ) is spread over the center of the altar on the endytion . It is blessed by the bishop when a church is consecrated and kept folded under the gospel and symbolizes the handkerchief of Jesus ( Jn 20.7 EU ). During the liturgy, the antimension , which contains the relics of martyrs, is placed on or under the Eileton . The egg tone also serves to accommodate the folded antimension when it is brought to a place without a consecrated altar for the celebration of the liturgy.

Kálymma hagias trapézes

Outside of the service, the altar above the katasárkion is covered with the kálymma hagias trapézēs (Κάλυμμα ἃγιας τραπέζης, covering of the sacred table), which is made of precious fabric, often brocade .

literature

Joseph Braun : The Liturgical Paraments in the Present and Past. A manual of paramentics. 2nd, improved edition. Herder, Freiburg (Breisgau) 1924 (Reprographischer Reprint. Verlag Nova and Vetera, Bonn 2005, ISBN 3-936741-07-7 ), pp. 184-190 (altar cloth), pp. 190f. (Altar ceiling).
Altar cloth , in: Adolf Adam , Rupert Berger : Pastoralliturgisches Handlexikon. 5th edition Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1990, ISBN 3-451-18972-0 , p. 20

Individual evidence

^ Bishop Optatus of Mileve , around 370; see. Joseph Braun: The Liturgical Paraments in the Present and Past. 2nd, improved edition. Freiburg (Breisgau) 1924, pp. 184f.
^ Bishop Optatus of Mileve, around 370; see. Joseph Braun: The Liturgical Paraments in the Present and Past. 2nd, improved edition. Freiburg (Breisgau) 1924, pp. 184-190.
↑ Introduction to the Roman Missal , June 12, 2007, No. 304.
↑ Joseph Braun: The Liturgical Paraments in the present and past. 2nd, improved edition. Freiburg (Breisgau) 1924, pp. 190f.
^ Comité International d'Historie de l'Art (with the collaboration of Deborah E. Kraak): Paraments of the Christian Churches. Systematic specialist dictionary. (= Glossarium Artis, Ladenburg, Volume 4.) Third, revised and expanded edition, Walter de Gruyter (KG Sauer), Munich 2002, ISBN 3-598-11253-X , p. 136ff. [1]

[1] Bishop Optatus of Mileve , around 370; see. Joseph Braun: The Liturgical Paraments in the Present and Past. 2nd, improved edition. Freiburg (Breisgau) 1924, pp. 184f.

[2] Bishop Optatus of Mileve, around 370; see. Joseph Braun: The Liturgical Paraments in the Present and Past. 2nd, improved edition. Freiburg (Breisgau) 1924, pp. 184-190.

[3] Introduction to the Roman Missal , June 12, 2007, No. 304.

[4] Joseph Braun: The Liturgical Paraments in the present and past. 2nd, improved edition. Freiburg (Breisgau) 1924, pp. 190f.

[5] Comité International d'Historie de l'Art (with the collaboration of Deborah E. Kraak): Paraments of the Christian Churches. Systematic specialist dictionary. (= Glossarium Artis, Ladenburg, Volume 4.) Third, revised and expanded edition, Walter de Gruyter (KG Sauer), Munich 2002, ISBN 3-598-11253-X , p. 136ff. [1]