In
Catholicism and other
Christian groups an
altar can take one of two forms. Both serve the same function as the place upon which the
Eucharist is
confected or
blessed.
Until very recently most Christian groups regularly
practicing an
established Eucharistic liturgy used altars designed so that the
priest or
minister would have his, in a few cases her,
back towards the
congregation. In
Catholic and
Orthodox circles the
axis of the
church is designed so that the priest at the altar can face
East while
celebrating the liturgy. While Orthodox communities are very consistent about eastern orientation of churches, Catholic churches frequently face in non-
easterly directions. In the
Catholic instance different interpretations are used to "make up" for the lack of physical eastern orientations for altars. Common is the idea that the priest and people face towards the figurative East of the coming
Christ.
In the early 20th
century many
scholars called for the "turning around" of altars so that the priest or minister faces the congregation at all times during the liturgy.
Catholicism rapidly switched to the
versus populum position from the mid 1960s to the early 1970s.
Conversion to the new
posture of "facing the people", at least in the
United States, is nearly
universal in Catholicism and common in
Lutheran and
Episcopalian/
Anglican communities.
Orthodoxy has generally not
warmed to non-eastern altar orientations. I only know of one "eastern" liturgy, the
Maronite, that uses altars facing the people. These communities are in union with
Rome, whose
Latin Rite frequenly uses
freestanding altars.
Much
controversy surrounds the way an altar is situated in a church. Many like the
prayerful,
symbolic position of the priest/minister facing away from the congregation, a position that may add an element of
mystery of the liturgy. Proponents of a fully
visible liturgy contend that the congregation can only fully participate in the action of the liturgy when every action of the priest/minister is before them. Certain liturgies may only be practiced in the "eastern" orientation; in Catholicism, the
Tridentine liturgy. It's interesting that an
issue like altar orientation can cause so much
passion between certain
Christians.