Spirit of the Liturgy by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger:
Where a direct common turning towards the east is not possible, the cross can serve as the interior "east" of faith. It should stand in the middle of the altar and be the common point of focus for both priest and praying community. In this way we obey the ancient call to prayer: "Conversi ad Dominum," "Turn to the Lord!" In this way we look together at the One whose death tore the veil of the Temple – the One who stands before the Father for us and encloses us in his arms in order to make us the new and living Temple.
Moving the altar cross to the side to give an uninterrupted view of the priest is something I regard as one of the truly absurd phenomena of recent decades. Is the cross disruptive during Mass? Is the priest more important than the Lord? This mistake should be corrected as quickly as possible; it can be done without further rebuilding. The Lord is the point of reference. He is the rising sun of history. That is why there can be a cross of the Passion, which represents the suffering Lord who for us let his side be pierced, from which flowed blood and water (Eucharist and Baptism), as well as a cross of triumph, which expresses the idea of the Second Coming and guides our eyes towards it. For it is always the one Lord: Christ yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8).
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I highly doubt to see this in Manila, with Jennifer lording over the Lord of Hosts. But as shown by His Holiness, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, by Opus Dei Centers, by the Parish and Diocesan Shrine of Saint Josemaria Escriva in Tarlac, this arrangement is valid, acceptable, and true. When will you start adopting this in your parish? And not just flimsy crucifixes and sperma candles in shot glasses!
Give the Liturgy the dignity it deserves!
