Altar stone (liturgy)

The Gertrude carrying altar from the Guelph Treasure . The altar stone made of reddish porphyry is clearly visible on the top

Portable altar made of wood with inlaid altar stone

Modern altar stone with reliquary container ( sepulchrum ) and engraved crosses at the anointing points

An altar stone (also known as Trag [e] altar or Latin Altare portatile , "portable altar ") was part of the decoration of altars in the Roman Catholic Church that were not made of stone or permanently attached.

Historical and liturgical background

In the High Middle Ages, only bishops or “high clergymen” were allowed to celebrate Holy Mass on support altars using an altar stone . Other priests had to apply for formal permission to use an altar stone. The Council of Trent prescribed a fixed altar with a stone canteen for the celebration of Holy Mass , in which relics of saints were set. An altar stone with relics had to be inserted into wooden altars, which were common since the baroque period . Canon law of 1917 stipulated that in addition to consecration by a bishop or a priest specially commissioned by him, relics had to be embedded in an altar . The background is the early Christian tradition of celebrating the Eucharist over a martyr 's grave. Since there were not such graves everywhere, one started early on to bury relics under the base of the altar or the altar plate.

Traveling priests had to carry a carrying altar when they wanted to celebrate Holy Mass outside of churches, for example on mission trips or on military campaigns. Until around the 8th century, the carrying altar was reduced from the table to a plate or board that could easily be attached to a raised surface. The altar stone was therefore a portable reliquary, consisting of a natural stone slab that was consecrated by the bishop and anointed with chrism at the five places provided and engraved with a cross, and in which a container with relics, the sepulchrum ( lat. "Grave"), was inserted has been. The stone slab had to be of sufficient stability to protect the altar stone from desecration. At the same time, it had to be large enough to enable the dignified celebration of Holy Mass with the associated setting down of the chalice and the paten during prayer . Such a tabula with relics and an inscription from 1137, probably originally intended for the Beyharting Abbey , is kept in the Diocesan Museum in Freising . Altar stones were later mainly used by priests in missions and field chaplains .

Antimension

In the Orthodox tradition it had become common since the early Middle Ages to use an antimension (Ἀντιμήνσιον) instead of an altar stone , a cloth made of linen or silk with sewn relics.

During the Second World War , when performing their duties, the Catholic Field Bishop of the Wehrmacht allowed military pastors to use a textile antimensium instead of an altar stone on which the corporal was then placed. This also applied to soldiers who were priests during private celebrations .

literature

• Beda Kleinschmidt : The medieval portable altar. In: Journal for Christian Art Volume 16 (1903), pp. 299–304 digitized version , Heidelberg University Library , p. 323–340 digitized version , Heidelberg University Library ; Volume 17 (1904), pp. 13–22 Digitalisat, Heidelberg University Library , pp. 35–50 Digitalisat, Heidelberg University Library , pp. 65–80 Digitalisat, Heidelberg University Library , p. 97–108 Digitalisat, Heidelberg University Library , p. 145– 152 Digitalisat, Heidelberg University Library , pp. 161–166 Digitalisat, Heidelberg University Library .

Web links

Commons : Altar stone  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Monica Sinderhauf: Altar stone and antimensium . Catholic military chaplaincy

Individual evidence

1. ^ Franz Niehoff: Altar. IV. Art history . In: Walter Kasper (Ed.): Lexicon for Theology and Church . 3. Edition. tape 1 . Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1993, Sp. 438 .
2. ^ Albert Gerhards and Klaus Wintz: Altar. III. Liturgical . In: Walter Kasper (Ed.): Lexicon for Theology and Church . 3. Edition. tape 1 . Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1993, Sp. 437 .
3. ↑ Joseph Braun : The Christian altar in its historical development. Volume 1: Types, components, altar grave, consecration, symbolism. Old Masters Guenther Koch & Co., Munich 1924, DNB 365353035 ; Reprint: nova & vetera, Bonn 2007. ISBN 978-3-936741-08-7 , p. 72ff ( [1] ).
4. ^ Augustin Joseph Schulte: Portable Altar . In: The Catholic Encyclopedia , Volume 1. Robert Appleton Company, New York 1907.
5. ↑ Martin Bitschnau , Hannes Obermair : Tiroler Urkundenbuch, II. Department: The documents on the history of the Inn, Eisack and Pustertal valleys. Volume 1: By the year 1140 . Universitätsverlag Wagner, Innsbruck 2009, ISBN 978-3-7030-0469-8 , p. 296, No. 352 .
6. ↑ Monica Sinderhauf: Antimensium . ( Memento of the original from March 25, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. kathische-militaerseelsorge.de, accessed on March 22, 2016.