Wreckovation

Wreckovation is a portmanteau term coined by Catholics to describe the style of renovations which some historic Catholic cathedrals, churches, and oratories have undergone since the Second Vatican Council. Largely taking place from the 1970s through the early 2000s, though still occasionally occurring since then, these renovations included the drastic rearrangement or removal of historic High Altars, reredoses, cathedras, sacred art, iconography, and other architectural and artistic features. Although rooted in an expressed desire to follow the Spirit of Vatican II, many of the changes were not mentioned explicitly or implicitly in the documents of the council. It is felt by some Catholics, then, that these renovations were the result of either ignorance or an intentional hijacking of the teachings of the Council resulting in a modern iconoclasm.

The Interior of Augustinian Church in Würzburg, Germany as it was prior to the Second World War, in the 1970s, and in the 2010s.

Background

The essential layout of a Catholic church building had remained effectively unchanged since the Council of Trent in the 16th century, despite the great diversity of architectural styles over the centuries. Main altars were often placed against the wall of the apse to reflect the posture of the priest during Mass that is now called ad orientem, although it is not necessarily related to an eastward orientation and the Tridentine Roman Missal uses "ad orientem to mean the same as versus populum. "Si altare sit ad orientem, versus populum, celebrans versa facie ad populum, non vertit humeros ad altare, cum dicturus est Dóminus vobiscum, Oráte, fratres, Ite, missa est, vel daturus benedictionem ..." (If the altar is ad orientem, towards the people, the celebrant, facing the people, does not turn his back to the altar when about to say Dominus vobiscum ["The Lord be with you"], Orate, fratres [the introduction to the prayer over the offerings of bread and wine], and Ite, missa est [the dismissal at the conclusion of the Mass], or about to give the blessing ...).[1] The wording remained unchanged in all later editions of the Tridentine Missal, even the last.[2] A tabernacle containing the consecrated Eucharist was commonly placed on the main altar of a church (this also was not envisaged in the 1570 Roman Missal and only later became normal (see Church tabernacle#History); behind the altar an elaborate reredos often stood, in which the candlesticks and the crucifix for the altar were placed. The sanctuary, containing the altar, was intended as the abode of priests and consecrated ministers, not the laity. The altar rail or a rood screen served to distinguish the nave (place for the lay worshipper) and the sanctuary (place for the priests) as an allusion to the separation seen in the Holy of Holies of the Temple of Jerusalem. Representative religious artwork in churches was created to encourage devotion to God, Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the saints, and was an important means of communicating the message of the Gospel and the traditions of the Church to a largely illiterate populace.

With the proposed changes to the liturgy during and after the Second Vatican Council in the mid-1960s, there was a movement to build new churches and renovate old ones in the "Spirit of Vatican II." These changes were advocated as a means of bringing the actions of the Mass closer to the congregation to encourage "full and active participation." The Liturgical Movement believed the altar should be free-standing (not pushed against the apse of the church) and that the focus of the church should be the altar, where the Mass takes place.

This movement inspired bishops and priests from all over Western Europe and North America to reorder their churches and Cathedrals according to this new liturgical theory. There was, in fact, no particular document or dictate issued by the council or the Pope making architectural changes to Catholic Churches compulsory. A document was written in 1978 called “Environment and Art in Catholic Worship.”

Church renovations started in the late 1960s but gained momentum with the publication of the aforementioned document. Examples of typical changes seen in the renovations include the removal of the high altar, side altars, altar rails, baldacchini, religious artwork, statues of the saints, elevated pulpits and non-face-to-face confessionals. In some cases, the sanctuary was extended into the nave which would reduce available seating for the congregation and modify the original architect's vision for line of sight and symmetry. Seating for the laity was occasionally placed in the apse or old sanctuary to create a "theater in the round" concept. Reredos, altar screens, and baldacchini were removed, leaving sanctuary walls bare and historic churches without a central focus. Perhaps most controversially, in many renovated churches the tabernacle was removed from the sanctuary and placed in a distinct part of the church, such as a side altar or even a separate Blessed Sacrament chapel.

Opponents of wreckovation also charge that such changes are iconoclastic and produce results that look more like Protestant churches, theaters, airport terminals, or barns rather than Catholic churches. A major concern is that the design of renovated churches downplays the sense of the sacred in favor of focus on the congregation. Critics see this as inconsistent with the traditional Catholic understanding of communal worship. Meanwhile, more liberal Catholics have referred to the renovations as necessary steps in order to emphasise the role of the congregation in worship in accord with the wishes of the Second Vatican Council. Conservative Catholics charge that this is a misinterpretation of the documents of Vatican II.[3][4][5][6][7]

Some churches are reversing prior renovations and returning to the historical Catholic liturgical setup.[8][9] Other churches are also reinstalling the demolished altars, or replacing lost altars with visually suitable ones,[10] reinstalling altar rails and Catholic iconography.

Holy See initiative on church design

In November 2011, Antonio Cañizares Llovera, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, established a "Liturgical Art and Sacred Music Commission" which will be responsible for evaluating both new construction and renovation projects as well as music used during the celebration of Mass to ensure that they comply with Church guidelines. He had the full support of Pope Benedict XVI, who considered the commission's task "very urgent."[11]

References
  1. Manlio Sodi, Achille Maria Triacca (editors), Missale Romanum: Editio Princeps (1570) (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1998), p. 12
  2. Ritus servandus in celebratione Missae, V, 3 (page LVII in the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal)
  3. Dellachiesa.com "Church Renovator Thrives on Manipulation Skills" 2004
  4. "Library : Liturgical Design Consultant Reveals His New Age Religion".
  5. Canadian Catholic journal 'Challenge': "How a Canadian church was saved from destruction"
  6. The Friends of St. Colman's Cathedral: "Renovating or Ruining Cathedrals?" October 15, 2001
  7. Seattle Catholic: "Weakland's Cathedral Renovations" July 27, 2001
  8. Tribe, Shawn (August 24, 2018). "Before and After: St. Columban Church in Chillicothe, Missouri". Liturgical Arts Journal.
  9. Tribe, Shawn (May 9, 2018). "Before and After: St. Mark's in Peoria, Illinois". Liturgical Arts Journal.
  10. Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Singapore#History and architecture
  11. La Stampa - Vatican Insider: "New Vatican commission cracks down on church architecture" November 21, 2011
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