Incensing

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I attended a formation for Diocesan School Altar Servers last November. We started our formation with Solemn Lauds. I was expecting that a priest/deacon dressed in a cope will preside, but a layperson, dressed in an alb presided instead. There was the processional cross and candles. During the Gospel Canticle, the layperson incensed the altar and the people. The teacher who accompanied us whispered to me: “Such abomination! Only priests can incense the altar!” One of the Diocesan Officers for AS looked at us at that same moment.

Can a layperson incense the altar? Because that same officer, told me that it was meant to foster popular piety.
 
The GIRM provides instruction for the use of incense during the celebration of the Mass as follows:

§ 277 The priest, having put incense into the thurible, blesses it with the sign of the Cross, without saying anything.

Before and after an incensation, a profound bow is made to the person or object that is incensed, except for the incensation of the altar and the offerings for the Sacrifice of the Mass.

Three swings of the thurible are used to incense: 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 of the thurible are used to incense relics and images of the Saints exposed for public veneration; this should be done, however, only at the beginning of the celebration, following the incensation of the altar.

The altar is incensed with single swings of the thurible in this way:

a) if the altar is freestanding with respect to the wall, the Priest incenses walking around it;

b) if the altar is not freestanding, the Priest incenses it while walking first to the right hand side, then to the left.

The cross, if situated on the altar or near it, is incensed by the Priest before he incenses the altar; otherwise, he incenses it when he passes in front of it.

The Priest incenses the offerings with three swings of the thurible or by making the Sign of the Cross over the offerings with the thurible before going on to incense the cross and the altar.

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) has this to say about the use of incense:

§ 75 The bread and wine are placed on the altar by the priest to the accompaniment of the prescribed formulas. The priest may incense the gifts placed upon the altar and then incense the cross and the altar itself, so as to signify the Church’s offering and prayer rising like incense in the sight of God. Next, the priest, because of his sacred ministry, and the people, by reason of their baptismal dignity, may be incensed by the deacon or another minister.

Seems to me like this was not a mass, so there are no restrictions for private prayer. Some people use incense in their private prayers, as do I when I pray on Solemnities. During lauds, on solemn occasions, incense can be used during the Gospel Canticle. I do believe that only priests should be able to incense the altar, as during the celebration of mass, not even a deacon can incense it. So I’m not too sure about the lay person incensing outside of mass.
During the mass it is acceptable for an altar server (a lay person) to incense the priest and people, in the absence of a deacon.
 
Oh my…words are very important!

Anyone, priest or layman, who “incensed” the alter has committed sacrilege. To incense means to make very angry or to aggravate.

PEACE AND ALL GOOD!
 
Neofight said:
Oh my…words are very important!

Anyone, priest or layman, who “incensed” the alter has committed sacrilege. To incense means to make very angry or to aggravate.

PEACE AND ALL GOOD!
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I think he means the past tense of the word incense, the act of incensing the altar, with the censor. In other words, the past tense of using holy smoke.
 
In the General Instruction Of The Liturgy Of The Hours:
  1. During the gospel canticle at morning prayer and evening prayer there may be an incensation of the altar, then of the priest and congregation.
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There is no mention of who should be doing the incensation. Normally you would find explicit instructions as you see in the GIRM #277. This suggests that while the norm is for an ordained celebrant to be the one doing the incensation, it may not be required.

An example of this is when the blessing is given with the Blessed Sacrament in a Benediction service and the altar server incenses the Blessed Sacrament while the priest or deacon imparts the blessing.

If it really continues to disturb you, contact your chancery’s office for liturgy and sacraments. Someone there can tell you exactly what is and is not allowed in your diocese by your bishop, and according to the rubrics in the liturgical books.
 
Red_James said:
I think he means the past tense of the word incense, the act of incensing the altar, with the censor. In other words, the past tense of using holy smoke.
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Incense in the context being used is a noun; a fragrant substance, not a verb. Only verbs have tenses. Some words can be verbs or nouns, but not at the same time.
 
When one reads the General Instructions for the Liturgy of the Hours (GILH) in context, it is clear that if the one leading the office is not a cleric (Bishop, Priest or Deacon), he (or she) should not incense the altar at the gospel canticle since that person is not supposed to enter the sanctuary.

Chapter V: Rites for Celebration in Common

Chapter V-I. Offices to be Carried Out
  1. In the celebration of the liturgy of the hours, as in all other liturgical services, “each one, minister or layperson, who has an office to perform, should do all of, but only, those parts which pertain to that office by the nature of the rite and the principles of liturgy.”
  2. When a bishop presides, especially in the cathedral, he should be attended by his college of priests and by ministers and the people should take a full and active part. A priest or deacon should normally preside at every celebration with a congregation and ministers should also be present.
  3. The priest or deacon who presides at a celebration may wear a stole over the alb or surplice; a priest may also wear a cope. On greater solemnities the wearing of the cope by many priests or of the dalmatic by many deacons is permitted.
  4. It belongs to the presiding priest or deacon, at the chair, to open the celebration with the introductory verse, begin the Lord’s Prayer, say the concluding prayer, greet the people, bless them, and dismiss them.
  5. Either the priest or a minister may lead the intercessions.
258. In the absence of a priest or deacon, the one who presides at the office is only one among equals and does not enter the sanctuary or greet and bless the people.
  1. Those who act as readers, standing in a convenient place, read either the long readings or the short readings.
260, A cantor or cantors should intone the antiphons, psalms, and other chants. With regard to the psalmody, the directions of nos. 121-125 should be followed.
  1. During the gospel canticle at morning prayer and evening prayer there may be an incensation of the altar, then of the priest and congregation.
Paragraph 261 has to be read in light of paragraph 258. Also the non-cleric mentioned in 258 could not use the presider’s chair, as a cleric would, according to the notation in paragraph 256.
 
Red_James said:
The GIRM provides instruction for the use of incense during the celebration of the Mass as follows:

Seems to me like this was not a mass, so there are no restrictions for private prayer. Some people use incense in their private prayers, as do I when I pray on Solemnities. During lauds, on solemn occasions, incense can be used during the Gospel Canticle. I do believe that only priests should be able to incense the altar, as during the celebration of mass, not even a deacon can incense it. So I’m not too sure about the lay person incensing outside of mass.
During the mass it is acceptable for an altar server (a lay person) to incense the priest and people, in the absence of a deacon.
Click to expand...
The GILH is the dispositive text for the question at hand…not the GIRM.

Furthermore, this is not private prayer…this is the Liturgy of the Hours, which by its very nature cannot be private prayer, even when said by one person alone. It is always the celebration of the liturgy. The public celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours should comport with the directives of the GILH.

As to the other questions of the original poster, I refrain from answering on the appropriateness of the person leading wearing an alb. Use of the alb by a non cleric is the prerogative of the diocesan bishop to determine. I will say that use of it here can go against the spirit of one among equals…and certainly the use of a cross-bearer and candle bearers is not in keeping with a non-cleric leading Morning Prayer.
 
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