The theological debate over ad orientem is, IMHO, not even required. Jesus is in the tabernacle. He is a person. We face people when we are speaking to them. The parts of the mass where the priest is speaking to God, he faces God. When he speaks to us (“Dominus vobiscum”), he turns to face us. This isn’t theology so much as the way that 100% of the world communicates with each other.
Ad orientem
Ad orientem
Ad orientem
The theological debate over ad orientem is, IMHO, not even required. Jesus is in the tabernacle. He is a person. We face people when we are speaking to them. The parts of the mass where the priest is speaking to God, he faces God. When he speaks to us (“Dominus vobiscum”), he turns to face us. This isn’t theology so much as the way that 100% of the world communicates with each other.