where is the tabernacle located in the catholic church
Church tabernacle The renewal of the Roman-rite liturgy following the Second Vatican Council (see Mass of Paul VI) was to highlight the primacy of the Eucharistic celebration itself, more than just a means for providing the permanent Eucharistic presence. The altar, it was decided, should be "truly the centre to which the attention of the whole congregation of the faithful naturally turns".[1] Before Vatican II, Mass was often celebrated directly in front of the tabernacle. Today, most often, the altar for the celebration of Mass stands on its own, and the tabernacle is given its own, usually smaller, altar or it stands nearby on a pedestal or in its own separate chapel. This allows the faithful to focus on the celebration of the Eucharistic action during Mass, but preserves a dignity of place and fosters prayer and meditation outside of Mass by giving the tabernacle its own space.