Question:
Answer:
Candles can be on the altar. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (117) states the candlesticks can be placed “on or next to the altar.”
Th GIRM also gives the following guidelines for altar candles:
The candles, which are required at every liturgical service out of reverence and on account of the festiveness of the celebration, are to be appropriately placed either on or around the altar in a way suited to the design of the altar and the sanctuary so that the whole may be well balanced and not interfere with the faithful’s clear view of what takes place at the altar or what is placed on it (307).
As for flowers, the GIRM clearly states that they should be placed around the altar and not on it:
Floral decorations should always be done with moderation and placed around the altar rather than on its mensa (305).