Privileged Altar
An altar is said to be privileged when, in addition to the
ordinary fruits of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, a plenary indulgence
is also granted whenever Mass is celebrated thereon, the
indulgence must be applied to the individual soul for whom Mass is
offered. The privileged altar must be a fixed, or immovable,
altar, but in a wider sense that is, it must be stationary or
permanent, whether built on a solid foundation or attached to a
wall or column, even though it be not consecrated, but have merely
a consecrated stone (portable altar) inserted in its table. The
privilege is annexed not to the altar-stone, but to the structure
itself, by reason of the title which it bears, that is, of the
mystery or saint to whom it is dedicated. Hence if the material of
the altar be changed, if the altar be transferred to another
place, if another altar be substituted for it in the same church,
provided it retains the same title, and even if the altar is
desecrated or profaned, the privilege is preserved. To gain the
indulgence, the Mass must be a Mass of Requiem, whenever the
rubrics permit it. If, on account of the superior rite of the
feast of the day, or on account of the Exposition of the Blessed
Sacrament, or for other reasons, a Requiem Mass cannot be
celebrated, the indulgence may be gained by celebrating another
Mass (S. C. Indulg., 11 April 1864). This privilege is of two
kinds, local or real and personal. It is local or real when it is
annexed to the altar as described above. Hence whoever the priest
may be who celebrates Mass at such an altar, the indulgence is
gained. It is personal when it is inherent in the priest, so that
it does not depend on the altar, but on the priest who celebrates.
Hence on whatever altar he may celebrate, whether it be a fixed or
a portable one, and in whatever church he celebrates, the altar he
uses is for the time being a privileged altar. On 2 November every
altar is privileged. The bishops of the United States have the
faculty (Facultates Extraordinariae C., fac. viii) of declaring
privileged one altar in even church and public chapel or oratory,
whether it be consecrated or not, of their dioceses, provided this
privilege had not been previously granted to any other altar in
such church under the same conditions.
A.J. SCHULTE Transcribed by Michael C. Tinkler
From the Catholic Encyclopedia, copyright � 1913 by the
Encyclopedia Press, Inc. Electronic version copyright � 1996 by
New Advent, Inc., P.O. Box 281096, Denver, Colorado, USA, 80228.
(
[email protected])
Taken from the New Advent Web Page (www.knight.org/advent).
This article is part of the Catholic Encyclopedia Project, an
effort aimed at placing the entire Catholic Encyclopedia 1913
edition on the World Wide Web. The coordinator is Kevin Knight,
editor of the New Advent Catholic Website. If you would like to
contribute to this worthwhile project, you can contact him by e-
mail at (knight.org/advent). For more information please download
the file cathen.txt/.zip.
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