Editing Altar (section)

====Catholic Church====
{{Main|Altar (Catholic Church)}}
[[File:Interiorvaticano8baldaquino.jpg|thumb|left|High altar of [[Saint Peter's Basilica]], Rome]]

The [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] each follow their own traditions, which in general correspond to those of similar [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] or [[Oriental Orthodoxy|Oriental Orthodox]] Churches. All Christian Churches see the altar on which the Eucharist is offered as the "table of the Lord" ({{Lang|grc-latn|trapeza Kyriou}}) mentioned by [[Saint Paul]].<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|10:21|ESV}}</ref> The rules indicated here are those of the [[Latin Church]].

The Latin Church distinguishes between fixed altars (those attached to the floor) and movable altars (those that can be displaced), and states: "It is desirable that in every church there be a fixed altar, since this more clearly and permanently signifies Christ Jesus, the Living Stone.<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Peter|2:4|ESV}}; cf. {{bibleverse||Ephesians|2:10|ESV}}</ref> In other places set aside for sacred celebrations, the altar may be movable."<ref name=GIRM/>{{rp|style=ama|at=298}}
[[File:Michaelskirche Munich - St Michael's Church High Altar.jpg|thumb|High altar of [[St. Michael's Church, Munich]], dwarfed by a huge [[reredos]]]]
A fixed altar should in general be topped by a slab of natural stone, thus conforming to tradition and to the significance attributed to the altar, but in many places dignified, well-crafted solid wood is permitted; the supports or base of a fixed altar may be of any dignified solid material. A movable altar may be of any noble solid material suitable for liturgical use.<ref name=GIRM/>{{rp|style=ama|at=301}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P4K.HTM |title=canon 1236 |series=The Code of Canon Law |website=vatican.va}}</ref>

The liturgical norms state:
:It is fitting that the tradition of the Roman liturgy should be preserved of placing relics of martyrs or other saints beneath the altar. However, the following should be noted:
:(a) Relics intended for deposition should be large enough that they can be recognized as parts of human bodies. Hence excessively small relics of one or more saints must not be deposited.
:(b) The greatest care must be taken to determine whether relics intended for deposition are authentic. It is better for an altar to be dedicated without relics than to have relics of doubtful credibility placed beneath it.
:(c) A reliquary must not be placed on the altar, or in the table of the altar; it must be beneath the table of the altar, as the design of the altar may allow.{{refn|
{{cite book |title=Rite of Dedication of a Church and an Altar |at=Chapter&nbsp;II, 5}}<br/> {{cite report |at=canon&nbsp;1237, §2 |title=The Code of Canon Law}} and <ref name=GIRM/>{{rp|style=ama|at=302}}
}}

[[File:H.13.071 - Osieczna Klasztor.JPG|thumb|left|St. Valentine's Church the altar of Our Lady of Sorrows and Child in Osieczna, Poland]]
This last norm explicitly excludes the practice customary in recent centuries of inserting relics into a specially created cavity within the table of an altar or [[altar stone]]. Placing of relics even in the base of a movable altar is also excluded.<ref>{{cite book |title=Rite of Dedication of a Church and an Altar |at=Chapter&nbsp;VI, 4}}</ref>

"In building new churches, it is preferable for a single altar to be erected, one that in the gathering of the faithful will signify the one Christ and the one Eucharist of the Church. In already existing churches, however, when the old altar is so positioned that it makes the people's participation difficult but cannot be moved without damage to artistic value, another fixed altar, skillfully made and properly dedicated, should be erected and the sacred rites celebrated on it alone. In order that the attention of the faithful not be distracted from the new altar the old altar should not be decorated in any special way."<ref name=GIRM/>{{rp|style=ama|at=303}}
The altar, fixed or movable, should as a rule be separate from the wall so as to make it easy to walk around it and to celebrate Mass at it facing the people. It should be positioned so as to be the natural centre of attention of the whole congregation.<ref name=GIRM/>{{rp|style=ama|at=299}}

The altar should be covered by at least one white cloth, and nothing else should be placed upon the altar table other than what is required for the liturgical celebration. Candlesticks and a [[altar crucifix|crucifix]], when required, can be either on the altar or near it, and it is desirable that the crucifix remain even outside of liturgical celebrations.<ref name=GIRM/>{{rp|style=ama|at=304-308}}