Permanant candles

[TAS2000]

The thread about the sanctuary lamp made me ask about this. The GIRM says candles should be wax, and the sanctuary lamp should be oil or wax. We have almost exclusively in our parish what amounts to sleeves that look from afar like a nice wide candle, but holds inside of it a wax candle that is perpetually fed upwards as the candle burns. Thus we have satisfied the “real wax candle” requirement, but from a distance the candles always appear the same length, never scarred, broken, etc. Even the Pashchal candle is such a one, with additional decoration on it. Does anyone have any official statements about this being allowed or prohibited? I would think the Paschal candle at least is iffy, due to the part of the celebration where the preist is supposed to pierce the candle with the incense thingy’s (sorry i don;t know the technical term) in the shape of a cross and do the part about the alpha and omega during the blessing. On this it would be impossible to peirce the metal sleeve, and the decorations on it are permanant.

 

[flamingsword]

I am not sure about the licity of such a candle, but one of the key symbols of the paschal candle is that it is renewed, and indeed is required to be renewed every year. The symbolism would be in jeopardy, at the very least, having one that never appears to change, and quite possibly goes against the rules laid out by the Church. Additionally, the Paschal candle should really have the date put onto it as part of the Easter Vigil, along with the 5 pieces of incense.

 

[TAS2000]

My personal feeling when they bought it was that it was wrong somehow, but I don’t know of any official statements about this.