Facing East
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There has been a lot of buzz in St. Blogs over the Pope celebrating the Solemnity of the Baptism of our Lord using the Sistine Chapel's original altar and praying the Mass Ad Orientum. In previous years a wooden platform was built over the original altar with a smaller altar placed on it.
Zadok the Roman has found and example of highly ironic reporting on this.
In a departure from tradition, Benedict did not celebrate the Mass at a small altar set up to face the congregation.
No doubt we are in for a rash of stories of the Pope turning his back on the people as we got as journalistic boilerplate in coverage of the Motu Proprio. Anybody who has read then-Cardinal Ratzinger's book Spirit of the Liturgy know precisely the Pope's view of celebrating Mass Ad Orientum. Fr. Z. says "I contend that more damage was done by turning around the orientation of Mass than perhaps any single other change." and I am inclined to agree with him. Facing the people can too easily lead to "Ad Entertainer."
Good coverage of this can be found at:
Teresa at Blog by the Sea.The New Liturgical Movement
Amy Welborn
Hermeneutic of Continuity
Known as 
In my seminary days, our feminist liturgy prof always pointed to the papal Masses as examples of good liturgy...especially when Marini managed to choreograph something against the rubrics...so, now I have to wonder: can priest ignore the recent custom of turning our backs on God and start praying with the people again? I mean, the Pope just said Mass in Rome doing exactly that!
I know there's no rubrical prohibition, etc. but custom is powerful...
Fr. Philip, OP
Just go for it, Fr. Philip. It's the only way the Pope's reform of the liturgy will be effective. Priests need to step up and implement it, even in the face of opposition.
Should it be "Ad Entertain'em"?
Ad Entertainem, lol.
Praying with the people, go for it. It's not about how many come to Mass.