Re: Re: reorganisation and destruction of irish catholic churches

searbh: My recollection of this practice is that it isn’t at all accidental and has deep theological roots. As many (but not all!) medieval churches were cruciform (cross-shaped) in imitation of Calvary, so the nave was seen as Christ’s body, the transepts as his outstretched arms and the choir as his head, inclined to one side after death. Perhaps a better expert than me can give you a fuller explanation, but that’s how I’ve always understood this ‘misalignment’.

gunter: Torphichen’s well worth a trip, if not a mass! (It’s in a quite Prod part of West Lothian.) As for Mr Myers – a ranter and I thought he was grossly unfair to Liam McCormick – you can crit his style, but many of his churches are an effort to achieve a ‘new vernacular’ for his times (although from what I’ve seen in illustration the interiors are a bit bare and disappointing, if dramatic).