Draining Holy Water Fonts during Lent?

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Corki:
Yes, it is pretty universal here but I didn’t see it at all when I lived “up North”. The CDW has stated that it is not permitted to do this link but we have “selective obedience” around here.

The Pope (JPII) actually wrote in his Lenten letter one year that the practice of removing the holy water at Ash Wednesday was supposed to be stopped. Not only is it just stupid, it dilutes the significance of removing the holy water on Holy Thursday. I will try to find the link for the Pope letter later.
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The old school does not go with the statement. In the old school Holy water was removed from but as stated old school is from Monday of Holy week to Holy Saturday.
I did vote no with the old school comment but the two really don’t go together.
Our parish has not removed the Holy water since the new pastor came. Our last pastor removed it all through lent.
But as stated old school is from Monday of Holy week to Holy Saturday.
 
Removing Holy Water from the font contradicts the Ceremonial of Bishops: “110. It is an old and honored practice for all who enter a church to dip their hand in a font (stoup) of holy water and sign themselves with the sign of the cross as a reminder of their baptism.” (Ceremonial of Bishops, Liturgical Press, 1989, ISBN 0-8146-1818-9, page 44).

The Latin text is: “110. Omnes ingredientes ecclesiam, laudabili consuetudine, manu intincta in aquam benedictam, ibidem in bacili paratam, signant se signo crucis, ad memoriam Baptismi revocandam.” (Caeremoniale Episcoporum, Liberia Editrice Vaticana, 1995, ISBN 88-209-4217-8, page 36.)

A part of the “fax response letter” Prot. N. 569/00/L March 14, 2000 about which I am uneasy about is: “The practice of the Church has been to empty the Holy Water fonts on the days of the Sacred Triduum in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil, and it corresponds to those days on which the Eucharist is not celebrated (i.e., Good Friday and Holy Saturday).”

But according to the Roman Missal for Good Friday: “2. The altar should be completely bare, without cloths, candles or cross.”

From the Roman Missal at the end of Holy Thursday: “Then the altar is stripped and, if possible, the crosses are removed from the church. It is desirable to cover any crosses which remain in the church.” But there is no mention of emptying fonts.

So if the letter is used in try and persuade people to stop emptying fonts during Lent they could respond: “This letter says it is OK to have an undocumented practice of emptying fonts for the Triduum. Therefore it is OK for us to have an undocumented practice of emptying fonts for Lent.”
 
The old school does not go with the statement. In the old school Holy water was removed from but as stated old school is from Monday of Holy week to Holy Saturday.
I did vote no with the old school comment but the two really don’t go together.
Our parish has not removed the Holy water since the new pastor came. Our last pastor removed it all through lent.
But as stated old school is from Monday of Holy week to Holy Saturday.
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What is this about the “old school” and the Monday of Holy Week?
 
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Chatter163:
Then there are the parishes that put ashes or sand in the holy water stoups. …sigh… :banghead:
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My parish put little rocks in the fonts a couple of times. I wondered whether the purpose of these was so that we could stone the liturgists.
 
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Chatter163:
What is this about the “old school” and the Monday of Holy Week?
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Before the liturgical revisions, a lot of that which is now properly done as of the end of the Holy Thursday liturgy (covering the statues, extinguishing candles, removing Holy Water) was done for the entirety of Holy Week. Of course, then there were two different weeks, also: Passion Week the previous Sunday/week and Holy Week the week leading to Easter. Now the two are combined into one.
 
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chicago:
My parish put little rocks in the fonts a couple of times. I wondered whether the purpose of these was so that we could stone the liturgists.
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Nope. It was so when the good people of hte parish fumbled for the holy water, they had a Lenten sacrifice: hand abrasions.😉

We fended off the draining of the fonts this year, thanks to Catholic Answers Forum and the posts about it previous to this one. But it was close. The sacristan ladies were pushing it to the point where there was nary a dribble in the fonts on Shrove Tuesday. The excuses heard were that they did it in other places, and it seemed like a nice idea; along with some sort of liturgical water rationing system, something about making the holy water last until Holy Saturday.
 
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OutinChgoburbs:
The excuses heard were that they did it in other places, and it seemed like a nice idea; along with some sort of liturgical water rationing system, something about making the holy water last until Holy Saturday.
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Great. Let it get dirty and evaporate, eh?
 
It’s about as Stupid as “Giving up Mass for Lent!” Because I enjoy going to daily Mass so much.
 
You forgot the option “No, my parish conforms to ecclesiastical guidelines.” It’s not just about being traditional, its about being obedient.
 
Someone referred to discussions such as this as “silliness”…I am a cradle Catholic, almost 62 yrs old…I sense that many writers in these forums are much younger…I’m grateful to see so many who are becoming steeped in the traditions of the Church and loving it. This so-called “silliness” creeps in slowly…I’m seeing this in my Parish, which has been very traditional until an “art and
environment” committee was started last Fall. Now I see all these little “New Age” type things creeping in…it is truly scary. We all need to be vigilant and pray. And if opportunity presents itself educate others, even if necessary, our clergy. Blessings :cool:
 
Well, our church drains the holy water fonts for Lent. But this year, the water has been returned to the fonts! After reading this thread, I printed out the response from the Congregation of Divine Worship and Sacraments forbidding the draining of the fonts, and our priest returned the holy water to the fonts.

A little education goes a long way! 🙂
 
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Brendan:
Here is the text of the Responsum from the CDW

Emptying the Holy Water fonts is not only prohibited by Rome, it is REALLY BAD Sacramentology

As the CCC 1670 says, “they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it”

Why would Lent NOT be a time for us to configure our souls to receive Grace and co-operate with it??

In addition, Holy Water is a special Sacramental on two major counts. First, it is a reminder of how our souls were configured at Baptism to be Priest, Prophet and King. It is in the Common priesthood of the Baptized that we participate in the Mass exactly at Vatican II required, actively. We, as members of the common priesthood offer ourselves as sacrifice in union with the Eternal Sacrifice being offered by the Ministerial Priesthood on the Altar.

The removal of the Holy Water during the Triduum corresponds to this. We do not celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass during those days, hence we are not acting in our role of the Common Priesthood.

Can anyone explain to me why we should not be reminded of our status and role as the priesthood of Christ during any day we celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass?

And secondly, the pious use of Holy Water on entering a Church is a partial indulgence, a restoration of the Grace lost in sin. Why should Lent be a time when we FORGO indulgences?

Whoever came up with emptying the Fonts clearly had no idea at all of symbolic sacramentology!!

For all those who’s parish’s have emptied the fonts, print out the above response from the Vatican, and ask your pastor to explain exactly why it would not apply to their parish.
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AMEN!!!
 
I wonder where can I get a copy of the letter from the Congregation of Divine Worship about removing the water from the holy water fonts? I went to a church last Sunday where the holy water had been removed, and I would like to sent the pastor a copy of this letter. Perhaps he doesn’t know about the Vatican’s position in this matter.
 
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mspencer:
I wonder where can I get a copy of the letter from the Congregation of Divine Worship about removing the water from the holy water fonts? I went to a church last Sunday where the holy water had been removed, and I would like to sent the pastor a copy of this letter. Perhaps he doesn’t know about the Vatican’s position in this matter.
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This is the link I printed out teh document from. It did the trick in my parish zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=51112
 
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