[Vicomte13]

"...to allow the priest to celebrate Mass in relative solitude with his back to the congregation, instead of facing and speaking directly to the faithful as Vatican II decreed."

What difference does it make which way the priest faces?
Why do people care so passionately and angrily about this sort of thing either way?

[wideawake]

(1) Vatican II did not "decree" that priests face the laity - this is simply a fiction the article's author has concocted.

(2) We care because the center of attention of the Mass is not supposed to be an MC jawing at us, but priest and people jointly facing and focusing on the Blessed Sacrament.

[Pyro7480]

What difference does it make which way the priest faces?

The current configuration is in conflict with most of Church history. Before, the priest and the people faced the same direction, (in most cases, east, because from the perspective of Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, were Jesus ascended into heaven, is east of the city. It is also the direction where the sun rises (Christ is the Light of the World)).

[ninenot]

First off, "Vatican II" did NOT, EVER, ANYPLACE, "decree" that the priest face the people.

After you get History 101, we'll get into Aesthetics, Form, Symbol, and Meaning 101.

[Aliska]

Why do people care so passionately and angrily about this sort of thing either way?

Because forms matter more than loving one's neighbor which is what real Christianity is about.

It's very pleasing to God to genuflect properly and have the mass said in the language of Jesus' killers and then can't even be nice to the people in the pew next to them, not to mention how they probably treat others in the world, on the net, in restaurants, in stores, and judge anyone who doesn't think exactly like them or the pope as being hellbound.

[jrny]

Because in the old days, the priest and the people faced together in the same direction towards God, whereas, now they are turned in towards each other (man centered) and celebrating themselves.

The fact remains, leaving aside all passions and arguments, that Vatican II never decreed that the priest should face the people at Mass.

[nanetteclaret]

People care which way the priest faces because when he faces the congregation, it's almost as if he's turning his back on God and is more concerned with how he's performing in front of the people. The priest isn't there for our entertainment, he's there to offer up our prayers to God. Many people see a priest's turning his back on God as being very flippant at best and sacrilegious at worst. All of the irreverence that has occurred since is a natural by-product.