A
thurible is a metal
censerCensers are any type of vessels made for burning incense. These vessels vary greatly in size, form, and material of construction. They may consist of simple earthenware bowls or fire pots to intricately carved silver or gold vessels, small table top objects a few centimetres tall to as many as...
suspended from chains, in which
incenseIncense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term incense refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces....
is burned during
worship'Worship' is acts, expressions or a state of religious devotion typically directed to one or more deities.Worship is etymologically derived from Old English words meaning "worth-ship". Giving worth to something...
services. It is used in the
AnglicanAnglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures...
/Episcopal, Eastern Orthodox,
LutheranLutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the 16th century German reformer Martin Luther. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
, Old Catholic, and
Roman CatholicThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
churches, as well as in
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
and non-Christian
Gnostic ChurchGnostic church may refer to a variety of religious organizations which identify themselves with Gnosticism. Various Gnostic religious organizations include:*Alexandrian Gnostic Church*Ecclesia Gnostica*Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica*Society of Novus Spiritus...
es and in the practice of
ceremonial magicCeremonial magic is a broad term used to encompass a wide variety of long, elaborate, and complex magical rituals; it is named as such because the works included are characterized by ceremony and a myriad of necessary accessories to aid the practitioner. It can be seen as an extension of ritual...
. In Catholic, Episcopal, and Anglican churches, the
altar serverAn altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a religious service. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell, etc.-Altar Servers in the Roman Catholic Church:...
who carries the thurible is called the
thurifer.
The workings of a thurible are quite simple. Burning charcoal is inside the metal
censerCensers are any type of vessels made for burning incense. These vessels vary greatly in size, form, and material of construction. They may consist of simple earthenware bowls or fire pots to intricately carved silver or gold vessels, small table top objects a few centimetres tall to as many as...
.
IncenseIncense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term incense refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces....
, sometimes of many different varieties, is placed upon the charcoal. This may be done several times during the service as the incense burns quite quickly. Once the incense has been placed on the charcoal the thurible is then closed and used for censing.
A famous thurible is the huge
BotafumeiroThe Botafumeiro is a famous thurible found in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral . Incense is burned in this swinging metal container, or "incensory"...
in
Santiago de Compostela CathedralSantiago de Compostela Cathedral is situated in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. The cathedral is the reputed burial-place of Saint James the Greater, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. It is the destination of the Way of St...
,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
.
The word "thurible" comes from the
Old FrenchOld French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from around 900 to 1300...
thurible, which in turn is derived from the Latin term "thuribulum". The Latin word thuribulum has the root "thur", meaning incense. The Latin "thur"is an alteration of the Greek word "thuos", which is derived from the term "thuein", meaning to sacrifice.
Mass as revised by Pope Paul VI
The
Roman MissalThe Roman Missal is the liturgical book that contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.-History:...
as revised in 1969The Mass of Pope Paul VI is the liturgy of the Catholic Mass of the Roman Rite promulgated by Paul VI in 1969, after the Second Vatican Council . It is the present ordinary or normal form of the Roman Rite of the Mass...
allows the use of incense at any Mass: in the entrance procession; at the beginning of Mass to incense the cross and the altar; at the Gospel procession and proclamation; after the bread and the chalice have been placed upon the altar, to incense the offerings, the cross, and the altar, as well as the priest and the people; at the showing of the host and the chalice after the consecration.
The number of swings of the thurible to be used when incensing persons or objects is specified in the
General Instruction of the Roman MissalThe General Instruction of the Roman Missal —in the Latin original, Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani —is the detailed document governing the celebration of Mass of the ordinary form of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church since 1969...
:
- Three swings: the Most Blessed Sacrament, a relic of the Holy Cross and images of the Lord exposed for public veneration, the offerings for the sacrifice of the Mass, the altar cross, the Book of the Gospels, the Paschal Candle, the priest, and the people.
- Two swings (and only at the beginning of the celebration, after the incensing of the altar): relics and images of the Saints exposed for public veneration.
- A series of single swings: the altar.
- The priest may incense the offerings for Mass by tracing a cross over them with the thurible instead of using three swings of the thurible.
The responsibilities of a thurifer include:
- Holding the thurible open to enable the priest to put incense in it, after which he blesses it with the sign of the cross without using any formula of words.
- Carrying the thurible in procession (gently swinging if needed to keep the charcoal burning).
- Presenting the thurible to the priest or deacon when they need to use it
- Incensing (in the absence of a deacon) the priest after the priest has incensed the offering at Mass.
Another server, commonly called a
boat boyBoat boy or boat bearer are terms used for a junior Acolyte position found in Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. The role of a boat boy is to assist the thurifer during services in which incense is used....
, may carry a boat or container of incense to add as the thurible burns low.
Tridentine Mass
In the liturgical legislation in force in 1962 very precise rules were laid down about the way the thurible was used. Use of the 1962 texts as an
extraordinary form of the Roman Rite"An extraordinary form of the Roman Rite" is the term used in Pope Benedict XVI's motu proprio Summorum Pontificum for the liturgy of the 1962 Roman Missal, widely referred to as the "Tridentine Mass"...
is still permitted in accordance with the conditions laid down in the document
Summorum PontificumSummorum Pontificum is an Apostolic Letter of Pope Benedict XVI, issued "motu proprio" . The document specified the rules, for the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, for celebrating Mass according to the "Missal promulgated by John XXIII in 1962" , and for administering most of the sacraments in...
of 2007.
At the end of the offertory at
solemn MassSolemn Mass , sometimes also referred to as Solemn High Mass or simply High Mass, is, when used not merely as a description, the full ceremonial form of the Tridentine Mass, celebrated by a priest with a deacon and a subdeacon, requiring most of the parts of the Mass to be sung, and the use of...
in this form, the offerings are incensed by forming over them with the thurible first three crosses and then three circles, the first two anticlockwise and last clockwise. The number of swings of the thurible while incensing the altar is also strictly prescribed.
In the usual non-solemn celebration of Mass according to the 1962 rules, known as
Low MassLow Mass is a Tridentine Mass defined officially as Mass in which the priest does not chant the parts that the rubrics assign to him....
, incense is not allowed.
Ambrosian Rite
In the
Ambrosian RiteAmbrosian Rite, also called the Milanese Rite, is a Catholic liturgical Western Rite. The rite is named after Saint Ambrose, a bishop of Milan in the fourth century...
the thurible has no top cover, and is swung clockwise before the censing of a person or object.
Anglicanism
In the Anglican Communion, the use of incense is a fairly reliable guide to how '
highThe term "High Church" refers to understandings of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology. Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the Anglican tradition....
' (more Catholic in liturgical style) or how '
lowLow church is a term of distinction in the Church of England or other Anglican churches initially designed to be pejorative. During the series of doctrinal and ecclesiastic challenges to the established church in the 16th and 17th centuries, commentators and others began to refer to those groups...
' (more Protestant) a church is. Anglo-Catholic churches may use generous quantities of incense. In recent years, some middle-of-the-road Anglican churches have taken to using incense a few times a year for special occasions.
Traditionally, at High Mass, the following rule is observed when censing, which differs from the common Roman Rite:
- Three sets of triple swings: When censing the Most Blessed Sacrament
In Christian practice, during the liturgy of the Eucharist the elements of bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. In many Christian churches the consecrated elements are set aside and reserved after the Eucharist, referred to as the reserved sacrament...
- Three sets of double swings: When censing images, relics, and other sacramentals, also when censing the celebrant.
- Two sets of double swings: When censing a Deacon.
- One set of double swings: When censing a Sub-Deacon.
- Three sets of single swings: When censing the congregation
In Anglo-Catholic churches, the Thurible is carried in procession in front of the
CruciferA crucifer is, in some Christian churches , a person appointed to carry the church's processional cross, a cross or crucifix with a long staff, during processions at the beginning and end of the service.The term "crucifer" comes from the Latin crux and ferre...
and Acolytes. The Celebrant then censes the altar on which the Eucharist is to be offered, in the following form (at a Nave Altar):
- After venerating the altar, the Priest receives the thurible from the server at the North end of the altar.
- The Priest circles the altar, making small movements in the thurible, in an anti-clockwise direction until s/he reaches the west side of the altar, facing east.
- The Priest then makes three sets of triple swings towards east, then continues around the altar to his/her original position facing west.
This same pattern is followed when censing the altar at the offertory, with the following prequel:
- The Priest makes 6 swings (3+3) over the gifts, making the sign of the cross.
- The Priest then makes 3 circles, two counter-clockwise and one clockwise, over and around the gifts.
At the Gospel, the deacon (or whoever is reading the Gospel) censes following the introduction to the Gospel (ie: Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to n... then cense)using three sets of double swings, one set South, one set North, and one set west.
At the elevations of the Blessed Sacrament, during the prayer of consecration, either the deacon, sub-deacon, or other appropriate person (including the thurifer), makes three sets of triple swings, as the parish bell and sanctuary bells are rung.
Should the
Regina CoeliThe Regina Caeli or Regina Coeli , an ancient Latin Marian Hymn of the Christian Church, is one of the four seasonal Marian antiphons of the Blessed Virgin Mary, prescribed to be sung or recited in the Liturgy of the Hours at the conclusion of the last of the hours to be prayed in common that day,...
(during Easter) or the
AngelusThe Angelus is a Christian devotion in memory of the Incarnation. The name Angelus is derived from the opening words: Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ and is practiced by reciting as versicle and response three Biblical verses describing the mystery; alternating with the salutation "Hail Mary!" The...
be said or sung, then the celebrant or other appropriate person may cense the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the following form:
- Regina Coeli: Three sets of triple swings during the verse (Joy to thee, O Queen of Heaven, Alleluia...) and then three sets of triple swings during the concluding prayer.
- Angelus: One set of triple swings during each 'Ave Maria', then three sets of triple swings during the prayer; 'Pour forth, we beseech thee, thy grace into our hearts...)
Incense can be used at any celebration of the eucharist throughout the year, but especially in the seasons of
ChristmasChristmas , also referred to as Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The day marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days. The nativity of Jesus, which is the basis for the anno Domini...
, Epiphany and
EasterEaster is the most important annual religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to Christian scripture, Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day from his crucifixion...
,
Maundy ThursdayMaundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, Great and Holy Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries, is the Christian feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. It is the fifth day of Holy Week, and is preceded by Holy...
vigil, Palm Sunday, on the feasts of
PentecostPentecost is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian liturgical year. The feast is also called Whitsun, Whitsunday, Whit Sunday, and Whitsuntide, especially in the United Kingdom. Pentecost is celebrated seven weeks after Easter Sunday, hence its name...
,
Trinity SundayTrinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar, and the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity...
, Ascension, Feasts of saints and martyrs,
Corpus Christi-Religious:* Corpus Christi , a Christian feast day, or solemnity, commemorating the supreme gift of the institution by Jesus Christ of the Holy Eucharist on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday, or on the Sunday following that Thursday....
, and at the Dedication Festival or Patronal Festival of a church.
Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine-Rite Eastern Catholic Churches
The
Eastern Orthodox ChurchThe Orthodox Church, also officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to in English speaking countries as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the world's second largest Christian communion, estimated to number 225 million members...
and the
Byzantine RiteThe Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite, is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches and by the Greek-Catholic Churches...
Eastern Catholic Churches make frequent use of incense, not only at the
Divine LiturgyThe Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, use the...
(Eucharist), but also at
VespersVespers is the evening prayer service in the Western Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran liturgies of the canonical hours. The word comes from the Greek εσπερινός and the Latin vesper, meaning "evening." The term is also in limited use in some Protestant...
,
MatinsMatins is the early morning or night prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. The term is also used in some Protestant denominations to describe morning services.The name "Matins" originally referred to the morning office also...
and a number of other occasional services (see
EuchologionThe Euchologion is one of the chief liturgical books of the Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches, containing the portions of the services which are said by the bishop, priest, or deacon...
). During
funeralA funeral is a ceremony marking a person's death. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from the funeral itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honour. These customs vary widely between cultures, and...
services and memorial services (Panikhida), the censer is swung almost continuously.
Incense is understood as symbolizing the sanctifying grace of the
Holy SpiritIn Christianity, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. In mainstream Christian beliefs he is the third person of the Trinity. As part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is equal with God the Father and with God the Son....
and the prayers of the Saints rising to heaven.
Incense is offered by the priest or deacon during the services. The censer (
GreekGreek , an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, is the language of the Greeks. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. In its ancient form, it is the language of classical...
: Θυμιατο 'Thymiato'; Church Slavonic: Кадилница 'kadilnitsa') used is often gold plated (combining in itself at the offering of incense the three gifts of the
Biblical MagiIn Christian tradition the Magi , also referred to as the Wise Men, Kings, or Kings from the East, are said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts. They are mentioned only in the Gospel of Matthew , which says that they came "from the east" to worship the Christ, "born King of the...
: gold, frankincense, and myrrh). The censer will usually have three chains (for the Holy Trinity), and in the Greek and Russian practice twelve bells will be attached to the chains (their ringing symbolizes the teaching of the twelve Apostles). When censing, the priest or deacon holds the censer with only one hand (the right hand) allowing it to swing freely. He will make the
Sign of the CrossThe Sign of the Cross is a ritual hand motion made by members of many branches of Christianity. It may be accompanied by the trinitarian formula. For Christians, the motion symbolizes the Cross on Calvary by tracing the shape of the cross in the air or on one's own body...
with the censer by making two vertical swings and a third horizontal swing (the three swings together symbolizing the Holy Trinity).
When the
templeA temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
(church building) is censed, the priest or deacon will move in a
sunwiseIn Scottish folklore, Sunwise or Sunward was considered the “prosperous course”, turning from east to west in the direction of the sun. The opposite course was known in Scotland as widdershins , or tuathal , and would have been anti-clockwise...
(clockwise) direction, moving to his right as he censes in order the Holy Table (altar), sanctuary,
IconostasisIn Eastern Christianity an iconostasis , also called the templon, is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church...
, walls of the temple, clergy and faithful. There are two types of censing: a Greater Censing (which encompasses the entire temple and all of the people therein), and a Lesser Censing (which, depending upon the liturgical context, consists of censing only a portion of the temple and the people).
During some censings, especially the Greater Censing, the clergyman who is performing the censing will often carry a candle in his left hand. During
Bright WeekBright Week or Renewal Week is the name used by the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches of the Byzantine Rite for the period of seven days beginning on Pascha and continuing up to the following Sunday, which is known as Thomas Sunday...
(the week which begins on Easter Sunday) the priest and the deacon will carry special
Paschal candlesThe Paschal Trikirion is a liturgical triple-candlestick used at Pascha in the Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches of the Byzantine rite....
at every censing, even the Lesser Censing. While carrying the Paschal candles, the priest or deacon will greet the members of the congregation with the
Paschal greetingThe Paschal greeting is an Easter custom among Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians, as well as among some Catholic and Protestant Christians...
while censing them. Simple
tapersA candle is a source of light, and sometimes a source of heat, consisting of a solid block of fuel and an embedded wick.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy and other plant waxes, and tallow...
are carried while censing during
funeralA funeral is a ceremony marking a person's death. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from the funeral itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honour. These customs vary widely between cultures, and...
s and
memorial servicesA memorial service is a liturgical observance in honor of the departed which is served in the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches.-The service:In the Eastern Church, the various prayers for the departed have as their purpose: to pray for the...
.
During the Eastern Roman Empire (
Byzantine EmpireThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
) the emperor used to be permitted to offer incense on the Feast of the Nativity (no doubt as a memorial of the gifts of the Magi), but was permitted to perform no other priestly function.
If no priest is available, incense may be offered by a reader or senior
laymanA "layman" is a person who is a non-expert in a given field of knowledge. The term originated from "laity", but over the centuries, shifted in definition....
, but with a hand censer which has no chains on it, but rather a handle (it often has bells as well, suspended from the handle or around the rim). The hand censer is also used in some monasteries even when a priest is present for certain censings which are done by a monastic other than a vested priest or deacon.
During
Holy WeekHoly Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...
it is customary in some places for even the priest and deacon to use the hand censer for all of the censings, as a sign of humility and mourning at the
PassionThe Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion...
of Christ.
The faithful will often burn incense, using a hand censer, in the home during Morning and Evening Prayers, and it is not unusual for the head of the household to bless the Holy Icons and all of the members of the household with a hand censer.
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