Cardinal Pell of Australia Hopes That Ad Orientem Be Made Mandatory

For the Canon, at least, the cardinal said in an interview that the priest should not face the people. The faithful at Mass should all be facing the altar where the holy sacrifice is taking place. Some interesting remarks.  Read more of the interview here.

Asked, “Where do you think the liturgical development is heading?” Cardinal Pell responded, “I don’t know. I’m not a professional liturgist. I am keen that we strengthen the vertical dimension of the liturgy, if we can, in the popular understanding, so that it’s very obviously not just community-centred, it’s God-centred, it’s an act of worship. I’m very sympathetic to that. I’m even sympathetic for the Canon of the Mass that the priest has his back to the people.” Asked, “As something obligatory?” he replied, “Yes. Now there’s nothing like a consensus in favour of that at the moment. I think I would be in favour of it because it makes it patently clear that the priest is not the centre of the show, that this an act of worship of the one true God, and the people are joining with the priest for that.”