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TradionalWay
Guest
Why is there bells attached to the intenser?
What is the meaning behind it, where and when did it start?
What is the meaning behind it, where and when did it start?
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L
lizaanne
Guest
M
Mickey
Guest
T
TradionalWay
Guest
Thank you guys… Do you know the reason why the Roman church doesnt use it?
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ConstantineTG
Guest
I was going to say, so you tell if the deacon is approaching. You know, like a cow bell 
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PrayForMeStJude
Guest
Also, one bell is always silent, representing Judas’ betrayal of Christ.
The West doesn’t use it because… it doesn’t. Its not a tradition that developed in the West. We use bells at other times, though.
The West doesn’t use it because… it doesn’t. Its not a tradition that developed in the West. We use bells at other times, though.
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5Loaves
Guest
During Great Lent censers without bells are used, at least in the Russian Church, and I think the Greek Orthodox.
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Vico
Guest
Byzantine Catholic also.
B
Bendix
Guest
The reason for the bells is to keep people awake and focused.
Bells on thuribles are not unknown in the Latin Rite, just far more scarce. More common in Anglicanism (and probably within Roman Catholicism in the UK prior to the split.)
I own a Western thurible (larger, far heavier with much longer chains) with 16 bells. 12 for the Apostles (I do not have a silent 13th bell for Judas) and 1 each for Jesus, Mary, Joseph and Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles.
I read a little history on this subject at www.SmellsBells.com
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TradionalWay
Guest
Interesting 
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OrthodoxJosh
Guest
I believe that this is common practice among all Byzantine rite churches.
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ConstantineTG
Guest
Its common in parishes that have more then one censer
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rowlands
Guest
The way in which the censer is used in the east and in the west is somewhat different. From what I have seen there would not be much point in having bells on a western style censer as they would make little or no sound the way it is normally swung.
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PrayForMeStJude
Guest
Indeed. I am constantly amazed by the thurible acrobatics performed by Byzantine priests! I wouldn’t mind seeing some more of that in the Roman rite.
Then again, we do have…
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Vico
Guest
Unofficially know as a whopper.
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ConstantineTG
Guest
You can use that as a wrecking ball to demolish neo-Arianist temples and sanctify the ground at the same time
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SenorPaulito
Guest
I was the thurifer at the Immaculate Conception Mass at my parish. The censer I used had bells, big bells and was every bit as loud as an Eastern censer even though we swing the censer without the “snap” or “jerk” as they do in the East.
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Cavaradossi
Guest
Wow! I wonder how they keep that thing from deviating five degrees to the left or right, and smashing into the pews.
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SenorPaulito
Guest
The transepts of the cathedral are more than wide enough to accommodate the swinging. The pews are well beneath the swung arc. 7 or 8 guys handle the ropes so there is plenty of redundancy.
It stays on track not only because the censor is heavy, but also because the rope itself is quite heavy. There was some great footage of the Botafumiero in the movie “The Way”: youtube.com/watch?v=WqtibTztOAQ&feature=channel_video_title
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Cavaradossi
Guest
Ah, fascinating. Thanks for the answer!
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