Altars (in the Greek Churches)

The word altar (sometimes spelled oltar) is used in the Old
Slavonic and Russian languages to denote the entire space
surrounding what we know as the altar, which is included behind
the iconostasis, and is the equivalent of the Greek word bema.
Thus it corresponds in a measure to the sanctuary of the Roman
churches. Hence the altar of the Russian Orthodox or the Ruthenian
Greek Catholic churches means the sanctuary, and not merely the
altar known to Latin churches. The altar itself is called in Old
Slavonic and Russian prestol, "the throne", in allusion to Our
Lord Who reigns there as living. The altar of the Greeks, using
the Old Slavonic as their liturgical language, includes not only
the altar (prestol) but also the little side altar, or prothesis,
where the proskomide (or preparation of the bread and wine for the
Liturgy) takes place, and also the seats for the clergy and the
throne or cathedra for the bishop. In the Greek Churches these
seats and the bishop's throne are usually placed behind the altar
and on a step or elevation so that the occupants may see over the
altar.

The altar in the Greek Churches (he hagia trapeza) has remained
practically unchanged and unadorned. The Greeks, unlike the
Latins, have placed their wealth of decoration upon the
iconostasis in front of the altar. In churches of the Latin Rite
the altar itself has been added to by reredos and altar-pieces and
the like, yet altars of the older form may still he seen in Rome,
in St. Peter's, Santa Maria Maggiore, St. John Lateran, St.
Paul's, and other churches. Beside this the Western Rite has
usually placed the altar against the wall of the church; the Greek
Rite keeps it apart and isolated so that the officiating clergy
may pass around it. The Roman altar, while rectangular, is usually
longer in one direction than the other; but the Greek altar is
made square so that every measurement is equal. The top portion of
a Greek altar should be of wood, one board at least. Herein it
differs from the Roman Rite which requires that even a wooden
altar should have a stone slab or "sepulchre" wherein are enclosed
the relics of the saints. Upon the altar are the candles which are
lighted during the Liturgy, the cross, or more often the crucifix,
which in Orthodox churches is usually made only in low relief, and
also the book of the Gospels, containing the various Gospels
arranged for reading in the Liturgy for the various Sundays and
feast days during the Greek ecclesiastical year. The book of the
Gospels is usually laid flat on the altar until the time when the
sacred elements are brought for consecration; then it is stood up
on edge in front of, and almost covering the tabernacle. Besides
the Gospels, the missal, or euchologion, is also upon the altar,
from which the priests read and intone the unchangeable parts of
the Liturgy. The tabernacle containing the Blessed Sacrament,
reserved according to the Greek Rite, does not always rest upon
the altar. Often these tabernacles, beautifully built, rest upon a
pillar or other foundation about a foot or so behind the altar.
The altar in the Greek Churches, as being the place on which the
glory of the Lord rests, is vested with two coverings. The first
is of white linen next to the altar itself, and the second or
outer covering is made of rich brocade or embroidery and is called
the endyton. Besides this there is the antimension which is
usually placed on every altar and which contains the relics of
some saint. A church and its altar should be consecrated by a
bishop, but sometimes it is found impossible or inconvenient to
accomplish this, and so a priest may perform the consecration, but
he must use the antimension which has been duly consecrated by the
bishop in almost the same manner as an altar is consecrated.

The Greek consecration service, after the singing of hymns and
psalms, and the consecration of the holy water used in the
service, begins by the bishop sprinkling the altar with holy
water. He then pours into the nail holes of the altar-board a
mixture of incense and wax, and the priests then nail down the top
board to the solid part of the altar. The bishop then kneels and
prays that the Holy Ghost may descend and sanctify the temple and
altar. Then begins the ablution of the altar. While psalms are
being sung the bishop lightly rubs the top board of the altar with
soap in the form of a cross and pours water on it, and the priests
take cloths and rub the altar dry. Then the bishop takes red wine
mixed with a drop or so of rose- water and pours the mixture on
the altar in the shape of a cross and rubs it into the wood. With
some drops of the same wine he sprinkles the antimension destined
for the new altar. Then the bishop anoints the top board and the
sides of the altar with holy chrism and also anoints the
antimension. In the Byzantine Catholic Churches the altar is
washed three times while the psalms are being sung. Then begins
the vesting of the altar. First a white linen covering is placed
over the altar crosswise, and over this first cover a second one
of brilliant and embroidered material is placed, called the
endyton. There is then placed on the altar a fine large wrap or
cloth called the heileton (eileton) which is somewhat analogous to
the burse of the Latin Rite, and in it the antimension is
enfolded. All these are put in place after having been blessed and
sprinkled with holy water while the appropriate Psalms are being
chanted. After this the church is then consecrated, or it is ready
for consecration. Among the Greeks the altar is always consecrated
on Holy Thursday or on a Thursday between Easter and the Feast ot
the Ascension.

ANDREW J. SHIPMAN
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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