Many people have questions about whether the American flag should be displayed in our churches. Especially since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, strong, emotional and even angry opinions have been expressed on both sides.

Some feel the flag is out of place in a house dedicated to the worship of God, but find it hard to give reasons. Others argue that failure to display the flag is unpatriotic, even subversive.

There is no law, either ecclesiastical or civil, either requiring or explicitly forbidding the flag in a church. So we have to look carefully both at our experience as American Catholics and at the principles behind our documents. Then we can determine when and where the display of our flag is appropriate.

The custom of displaying a national flag in church is uncommon outside the United States and has its origins here about 150 years ago in an effort to counter the rampant and often violent anti-Catholicism that raged throughout our country.

In the mid-19th century, Catholic immigrants were often accused of being loyal to a foreign ruler - the pope. (Until 1870, the pope also ruled the Papal States, a sovereign nation that included much of present-day Italy.) Catholics often had to go out of their way to demonstrate their loyalty to the United States.

In the 20th century, Catholics became more integrated into the mainstream American culture, but as residual anti-Catholicism and suspicions persisted even up to the election of John F. Kennedy, so did the need to demonstrate our patriotism by displaying the American flag in the sanctuary.

However, if we examine both the nature of our worship and the requirements of due respect for the American flag, the reasons why it is not appropriate today as a permanent fixture in our worship space will become evident.

'Beyond earthly things'
Church documents carefully regulate the furnishings of the church because everything must focus on the transcendent mystery that is celebrated there. Anything that creates a secular focus, even a noble and worthwhile one, detracts rather than adds to the nature and meaning of what we are doing in church. Our worship must raise our minds and hearts beyond earthly things.

The U.S. Bishops' 1978 Environment and Art in Catholic Worship explicitly discouraged the display of a national flag. This was repeated and amplified in a 1982 question and response in the Newsletter of the Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy (see sidebar). The more recent document, Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship (2000), omits any specific mention of flags, but repeatedly articulates the principles that exclude furnishings and artifacts extraneous to worship and devotion.

We come to worship as Americans, justifiably proud of our American heritage and identity. But our focus at Mass is not on Americanism; it is on our union with Christ as his faithful disciples, a reality that transcends both national boundaries and national interests. The symbols in our worship environment emphasize that the true banner that we follow is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In addition to liturgical principles, the U.S. Flag Code itself suggests the inappropriateness of the American flag in our churches. Section 175k states: "When displayed from a staff in a church or public auditorium, the flag of the United States of America should hold the position of superior prominence, in advance of the audience, and in the position of honor at the clergyman's or speaker's right as he faces the audience."

Such prominence is impossible by the very nature of our worship. And to tuck our nation's flag away in a secondary place would not give it proper respect.

Positive suggestions
How should we respond to the honest questions and sometimes painful concerns regarding the display of the American flag in our parishes? Some positive suggestions come from our own experience.

Pastors and parish leaders should be familiar with the U.S. Flag Code, and then take a good look at how the flag is, or could be, appropriately displayed in the parish facilities.

The flag should have a prominent place in both the outdoor and indoor gathering places, and school classrooms. It certainly should be kept in good condition and be replaced before it gets noticeably tattered, faded, or soiled. We should be mindful of the Flag Code's prohibition of draping the flag over objects or using it as clothing.

As pastor, when I made an appeal to our local council of the Knights of Columbus, they gladly took responsibility for placing and maintaining a flag in our parish auditorium and in all the school classrooms. They also gave a presentation every year to our students on flag history and protocol.

A member of our parish family was killed in the September 11 attack on the Pentagon. This sad event provided the opportunity to erect and dedicate a flagpole in his memory in the gathering area between the church and the parish auditorium. For this occasion, our local representative in Congress gave a flag that had been flown above the Capitol building.

Even though the flag is not appropriate as a permanent part of sanctuary furnishings, it may be appropriately displayed when we celebrate civil holidays, particularly Independence Day, Memorial Day and Thanksgiving. Those who prepare the liturgy should at least consider how it might be fittingly integrated into the celebration so that it is not merely "tacked on."

Giving our nation's flag the respect and prominence it deserves where truly appropriate will not only respond positively and constructively to the questions about placing it in the sanctuary, but will help to focus our liturgical worship on the mystery of the crucified and risen Lord.

Msgr. Thomas Welbers, formerly pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Claremont, and now at Good Shepherd, Beverly Hills, earned a Licentiate in Sacred Liturgy from the Pontifical Liturgical Institute in 1976. He is a member of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission. Editor's note: This is the fifth in a series of monthly articles by the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission.