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Ciborium

 

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Ciborium



 
 
A ciborium (plural ciboria) is a covered container used in Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
, Anglican, and related churches to store the consecrated
Consecration

Consecration is the ritual dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred"....
 hosts of the sacrament
Sacrament

A sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is "a rite in which God is uniquely active." Augustine of Hippo defined a Christian sacrament as "a visible sign of an invisible reality." The Anglican Book of Common Prayer speaks of them as "an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible Grace." Examples of sacram...
 of Holy Communion. A ciborium is also an architectural feature in some churches. It resembles the shape of a chalice
Chalice (cup)

A chalice is a goblet intended to hold a drink. In general religious terms, it is intended for quaffing during a ceremony....
 but its bowl is more round than conical, and takes its name from its cover, surmounted by a cross or other sacred design. In the early Christian Church, Holy Communion was not kept in churches for fear of sacrilege or desecration.






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A ciborium (plural ciboria) is a covered container used in Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
, Anglican, and related churches to store the consecrated
Consecration

Consecration is the ritual dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred"....
 hosts of the sacrament
Sacrament

A sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is "a rite in which God is uniquely active." Augustine of Hippo defined a Christian sacrament as "a visible sign of an invisible reality." The Anglican Book of Common Prayer speaks of them as "an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible Grace." Examples of sacram...
 of Holy Communion. A ciborium is also an architectural feature in some churches. It resembles the shape of a chalice
Chalice (cup)

A chalice is a goblet intended to hold a drink. In general religious terms, it is intended for quaffing during a ceremony....
 but its bowl is more round than conical, and takes its name from its cover, surmounted by a cross or other sacred design. In the early Christian Church, Holy Communion was not kept in churches for fear of sacrilege or desecration. Later, the first ciboria were kept at homes to be handy for the Last Rites
Last Rites

Last Rites can refer to* Anointing of the Sick Note: The term "Last Rites" is not equivalent to "Anointing of the Sick", since it refers also to two other distinct rites: Penance and Eucharist, the last of which, when administered to the dying, is known as "Viaticum", a word whose original meaning in Latin was "provision for the jour...
 where needed. In churches, a ciborium is usually kept in a tabernacle
Church tabernacle

A Tabernacle is the fixed, locked box in which, in some Christian churches, the Eucharist is "reserved" . It is to be distinguished from a less obvious container, set into the wall, called an aumbry....
 or aumbry
Aumbry

In medieval times, an aumbry was a cabinet in the wall of a Christian church or in the sacristy which was used to store chalices and other vessels and which was used also for the reserved sacrament, the consecrated elements from the communion service....
. In some cases, it may be veiled (see photograph below) to indicate the presence of the consecrated hosts.

Other containers for the host include the paten
Paten

A paten, or diskos, is a small plate, usually made of silver or gold, used to hold Eucharistic Host which is to be consecrated. It is generally used during the service itself, while the reserved sacrament are stored in the Church tabernacle in a Ciborium ....
 (a small plate) or a basin (for loaves of bread rather than wafers) used at the time of consecration and distribution at the main service of Holy Eucharist. A pyx
Pyx

A pyx or pix is a small container used in the Roman Catholic, Old Catholic and Anglican Churches to carry the consecrated Host , to the sick or invalid or those otherwise unable to come to a church in order to receive Holy Communion....
 is a small, circular container into which a few consecrated hosts can be placed. Pyxes are typically used to bring communion to the sick or shut-in.