Thurible
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Image:BC St. Ignatius apse window 3.jpg A thurible is a metal censer suspended from chains, in which incense is burned during church services. It is used in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglo-Catholic, Old Catholic and other churches. In Catholic and Anglican churches, the altar server who carries the thurible is called the thurifer.
The workings of a thurible are quite simple. Heated charcoal is inside the actual metal censer. Incense, sometimes of many different varieties is placed upon the charcoal by the priest. 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 handed to the priest or deacon for censing.
The jobs of a thurifer include:
- Holding the thurible while the priest is blessing the incense inside of it.
- Carrying the thurible in procession.
- Presenting the thurible to the priest or deacon at different times in the service, (for, at the Gospel readings and before the Eucharist at Mass)
- At Mass, if no deacon is present, the server censes the priest after the priest censes the gifts.
A famous thurible is the huge Botafumeiro in Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, Spain.
Thurible swinging:
- Three sets of three swings: When incensing the Blessed Sacrament
- Three sets of two swings: When incensing images, relics, and other sacramentals, also when censing the celebrant and other clergy.
- Three sets of one swing when censing the congregation.