Thurible

The censer (Latin Turibulum, also Thuribulum ) is a two-part vessel at a chain structure which is used for burning incense on glowing coal. It is used in worship of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, the Old Catholic Church and some Lutheran churches.

History and Use

In the Christian liturgical incense is used since the 4th century. From late antiquity, there are bronze censers.

In the Christian church the most Thuriferar carries the censer and is accompanied by a Navikular with Weihrauchschiffchen. During normal wear, the lower part is connected with a ride-on cover approximately at knee height and can be tilted to allow air intake. When adding incense it is raised and the lid on a separate chain lifted again later. The incense is used for the adulation of the Altar, the Eucharist, the Gospels, the altar cross, the paschal candle and the celebrant and the faithful during a church service. Most incense is also used in the funeral ( Inzens of the coffin and the grave ), the solemn Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharistic processions at. In these actions, the censer is raised to at least chest level and passed the multi-part chain in the bottom half with the other hand.

While used in the Orthodox churches mostly smaller censers, often with bells, usually larger censers are used in the Catholic Church.

Generally the cross-section of a censer is round, there is also hexagonal embodiments.

Some censers are so large that they must be installed in the church or on a rack. By selectively pulling on a chain, you can leave these barrels swing far into the church. One of the best known examples of censers of such size is the botafumeiro in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (Spain).

Trivia

Occasionally, groups try to build very large censers and to achieve records such as in 2013 in St. Jodokus meadow valley or 2009 in St. Joseph Bielefeld or 1998 in the diocese of Augsburg. The Augsburg barrel was, among other things among Catholics days in 2000, 2004 and 2006, the International acolytes pilgrimage to Rome in 2001 ( Pope John Paul II himself laid incense after ), the celebration of 175 years Archdiocese of Freiburg in 2002 and at the Second German Swiss altar girls hard in 2002 in Winterthur employed.