If you were at a novus ordo chapel for some reason and you approached the tabernacle or sat in one of the pews?

If you were at a novus ordo chapel for some reason and you approached the tabernacle or sat in one of the pews?

If I saw a lit sanctuary lamp I would, but otherwise no.

If you were at a novus ordo chapel for some reason and you approached the tabernacle or sat in one of the pews?

Yes, for I cannot know if it be valid or invalid.

No, because it is very likely only bread. I would genuflect before the altar in case there are relics.

Yes, this is along the lines of what I have done.  I would genuflect before the altar, with the intention of genuflecting before the Blessed Sacrament if or in case Our Lord is present, otherwise to relics in the altar and/or the altar crucifix.  Even when Mass is offered before an empty tabernacle, the altar servers still genuflect as directed by the rubrics.  There's the added consideration, if there are people present, that I would not wish to cause scandal to those who might be in there by refusing to genuflect to what they believe to be the Blessed Sacrament.  While I consider them to be in positive doubt, I also do not have certainty regarding the matter, so I prefer to give the benefit of the doubt towards reverence, even if in my mind I harbor mental reservation and conditionally redirect my reverence to the altar or the crucifix.

Similarly, I address Novus Ordo priests as "Father," for the same reasons, even though personally I hold the opinion that their orders are doubtful and even likely invalid.

Some argue that, well, if Our Lord is not present, then it's idolatry to genuflect.  Yes, materially and objectively, but not formally, since there is no intent to worship anyone or anything other than Our Lord.  So, too, if a person is mistaken materially regarding the presence of the Blessed Sacrament (e.g. thinks that Our Lord is there but is mistaken, say if a priest has removed the Blessed Sacrament but forgotten to extinguish the sanctuary lamp), that too would be material "idolatry" ... but nothing approaching formal idolatry.  That is not the same as genuflecting to a Pachamama by any stretch.  We're not the Prots who claim, for instance, that kneeling before a statue of Our Lord is idolatry.  Even the image or the thought or the concept of Our Lord is worthy of our reverence on account of Whom they represent, and the worship is directed toward the one Whose image is presented.  That's like claiming if someone kisses the picture of their mother, they're actually showing affection for a piece of paper, rather than for their mother.

In any case, IF Our Lord is indeed present, I dare not NOT genuflect before Him.  Yet, if He is not there, it could be material idolatry.  So in either case, you could be doing something inappropriate (objectively or materially).  But I'd rather genuflect toward an altar/crucifix than to refuse to show the required reverence to the Lord God.

EDIT:  that statement about people worshipping an empty tabernacle reminds of the time that Father Pfeiffer attacked Father Chazal for allegedly doing this on purpose:

Fr. Chazal (who has 2 Seminarians and 4 Bishops in his Bamboo Seminary, called by Bishop Faure “Disneyland” on his first arrival there,) decided to remove the Blessed Sacrament from the Tabernacle, keeping the people in the dark, so that they would pray in front of a wooden Box with a nice veil. About 35 souls were singing and praying in front of the box as they have done for the past 7 years or so. But Fr. Chazal decided to play a joke on them, since they were with Fr. Pfeiffer and not with Bishop Williamson and left Our Lord out. This is not the first wicked game he has played. I came and checked the Tabernacle just before 11PM Holy Hour and Benediction to discover it was empty. It gave your priest a good laugh, perhaps, but. There is an Arab saying that goes “He who laughs last laughs longest.” He shall not have the last laugh.

This question makes me of Holy Week during the time when the Blessed Sacrament is taken out of the tabernacle after Holy Thursday Mass and the altar is stripped...

I remember being told that during this time we were to bow to show reverence to the altar but not to genuflect because that was supposed to be for the presence of God.

If I ever have to visit a Novus ordo church for a family wedding or other occasion, a moment of standing as I get out of the pew and slight bow for any relics or the slightest possibility of a valid host being present is the most I ever do.  

That's legitimate, or even a sign of the Cross out of deference to the crucifix (if there is one)

Yes!  Good point about the crucifix!  😅

Yes, this is along the lines of what I have done.  I would genuflect before the altar, with the intention of genuflecting before the Blessed Sacrament if or in case Our Lord is present, otherwise to relics in the altar and/or the altar crucifix.  Even when Mass is offered before an empty tabernacle, the altar servers still genuflect as directed by the rubrics.  There's the added consideration, if there are people present, that I would not wish to cause scandal to those who might be in there by refusing to genuflect to what they believe to be the Blessed Sacrament.  While I consider them to be in positive doubt, I also do not have certainty regarding the matter, so I prefer to give the benefit of the doubt towards reverence, even if in my mind I harbor mental reservation and conditionally redirect my reverence to the altar or the crucifix.

Similarly, I address Novus Ordo priests as "Father," for the same reasons, even though personally I hold the opinion that their orders are doubtful and even likely invalid.

Some argue that, well, if Our Lord is not present, then it's idolatry to genuflect.  Yes, materially and objectively, but not formally, since there is no intent to worship anyone or anything other than Our Lord.  So, too, if a person is mistaken materially regarding the presence of the Blessed Sacrament (e.g. thinks that Our Lord is there but is mistaken, say if a priest has removed the Blessed Sacrament but forgotten to extinguish the sanctuary lamp), that too would be material "idolatry" ... but nothing approaching formal idolatry.  That is not the same as genuflecting to a Pachamama by any stretch.  We're not the Prots who claim, for instance, that kneeling before a statue of Our Lord is idolatry.  Even the image or the thought or the concept of Our Lord is worthy of our reverence on account of Whom they represent, and the worship is directed toward the one Whose image is presented.  That's like claiming if someone kisses the picture of their mother, they're actually showing affection for a piece of paper, rather than for their mother.

In any case, IF Our Lord is indeed present, I dare not NOT genuflect before Him.  Yet, if He is not there, it could be material idolatry.  So in either case, you could be doing something inappropriate (objectively or materially).  But I'd rather genuflect toward an altar/crucifix than to refuse to show the required reverence to the Lord God.

EDIT:  that statement about people worshipping an empty tabernacle reminds of the time that Father Pfeiffer attacked Father Chazal for allegedly doing this on purpose:

Why say one word when 200 will do?

Why say one word when 200 will do?

It's sometimes important to articulate the rationale in case people are conflicted or scrupulous about either behavior.  For some time, I wasn't sure of what to do in those situations until I sat down and thought through the principles involved, and I figured it would be helpful to someone to call out what the principles are ... even if they come to a different conclusion themselves.

And why does it matter to you?  If you don't want to read it, then by all means just skip right over it or put me on ignore.  I figured that perhaps someone else might be interested in the principles behind what could go into a decision.