FACING THE PEOPLE OF GOD OR FACING GOD WITH THE PEOPLE?Celebrating the Mass toward the East1In the current of 1971 Terence Wynne, editor of The Universe gave in the editorial the principalarguments in favor of Mass facing the people. We can summarize them as follows:1) It is in conformity with the Last Supper.2) It is the custom of the ancient Church.3) It is asked by Vatican II and required by the law of the Latin Church.4) It has important pastoral advantages, particularly as regards visibility and audibility.1) It is in conformity with the Last SupperAt the Last Supper Christ certainly did not face His apostles. Fr. Napier explains:At any banquet - including the Last Supper - all the guests would have been ranged on the same side of the table,usually curved, leaving the other side free for the approach of the servants. The idea of putting oneself opposite aguest at table could not have arisen in Christian antiquity. The communal character of the meal was ratheraccentuated by the contrary disposition, the fact that all the participants were together on the same side of thetable2.Mgr. Gamber adds following information:Apparently Luther envisioned the scene of the Last Supper in the framework of his own time: Jesus standing orsitting at the center of a long table, the Apostles placed at His right and left. Can we positively say that this ishow Jesus actually sat at the table? He probably did not - simply because it would have contradicted the tableetiquette observed in antiquity. At the time of Jesus, and during the following centuries, no round or semi-circular tables were in use. The side of the table facing the observer remained empty: it was the side fromwhich the food was served. The people partaking in the meal would sit or recline behind the table, in a semi-circular arrangement, resting on sofas or on a semi-circular bench. The place of honor was not, as one wouldexpect, at the center of the table, but on its right side. The second highest place of honor was...