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TomH1
Guest
Unfortunately some priests do this. I even knew a church which filled its water stoups with sand during Lent. As the link kindly provided by @Phemie shows the Holy See has said this is wrong.
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JohnLilburne
Guest
The liturgical book Ceremonial of Bishops has:
“VI. USE OF HOLY WATER
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.”
So the Priest is preventing the people from following the instructions of a liturgical book. So it is unethical – unless there is a legitimate health and safety justification.
Ceremonial of Bishops continues:
“111 If holy water is to be offered to the bishop as he enters the church, a senior cleric of the local Church offers it to him, presenting a sprinkler, with which the bishop sprinkles himself and those accompanying him. Then the bishop hands back the sprinkler.
112 All this is omitted if the bishop enters the church already vested, as well as on Sunday whenever the blessing and sprinkling of water replace the penitential rite.
113 The sprinkling of the people with water at the Easter Vigil and at the dedication of a church will be will be treated in nos. 369 and 892-893 of this Ceremonial.
114 Objects being blessed are sprinkled with holy water in keeping with the provisions of the liturgical books.”
Some Masses begin outside the church. For example Palm Sunday and the Easter Vigil. Both of these have sprinkling with holy water as part of the ceremony. When entering the church as part of the ceremony on these days I do not think it would be appropriate to have a queue of people dipping their hands in the font for the holy water. The ceremonies do not describe this happening. This is similar to the way a vested bishop does not sprinkle himself with the holy water in 112 above.
For Lent the Roman Missal has special instructions, found on the page before Ash Wednesday. These include:
“4. During Lent, it is not permitted to decorate the altar with flowers, and the use of musical instruments is allowed only so as to support the singing. Nevertheless, Laetare Sunday (the Fourth Sunday of Lent), Solemnities and Feasts are exceptions to this rule.”
So there is nothing to justify the removal of holy water there.
[Excerpts from the English translation of Cerermonial of Bishops © 1989, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. Excerpt from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.]
“VI. USE OF HOLY WATER
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.”
So the Priest is preventing the people from following the instructions of a liturgical book. So it is unethical – unless there is a legitimate health and safety justification.
Ceremonial of Bishops continues:
“111 If holy water is to be offered to the bishop as he enters the church, a senior cleric of the local Church offers it to him, presenting a sprinkler, with which the bishop sprinkles himself and those accompanying him. Then the bishop hands back the sprinkler.
112 All this is omitted if the bishop enters the church already vested, as well as on Sunday whenever the blessing and sprinkling of water replace the penitential rite.
113 The sprinkling of the people with water at the Easter Vigil and at the dedication of a church will be will be treated in nos. 369 and 892-893 of this Ceremonial.
114 Objects being blessed are sprinkled with holy water in keeping with the provisions of the liturgical books.”
Some Masses begin outside the church. For example Palm Sunday and the Easter Vigil. Both of these have sprinkling with holy water as part of the ceremony. When entering the church as part of the ceremony on these days I do not think it would be appropriate to have a queue of people dipping their hands in the font for the holy water. The ceremonies do not describe this happening. This is similar to the way a vested bishop does not sprinkle himself with the holy water in 112 above.
For Lent the Roman Missal has special instructions, found on the page before Ash Wednesday. These include:
“4. During Lent, it is not permitted to decorate the altar with flowers, and the use of musical instruments is allowed only so as to support the singing. Nevertheless, Laetare Sunday (the Fourth Sunday of Lent), Solemnities and Feasts are exceptions to this rule.”
So there is nothing to justify the removal of holy water there.
[Excerpts from the English translation of Cerermonial of Bishops © 1989, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. Excerpt from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.]
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Titivillus
Guest
At the Easter Vigil it is appropriate that the holy water stoups are empty – They should not be filled until the new water has been blessed at the font, yes?
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JSRG
Guest
This article claims that to remove the water for Lent is a liturgical abuse (#10)
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TheLittleLady
Guest
Yep. Beat me to it 
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JohnLilburne
Guest
The liturgical books do not require that the holy water stoups are empty. I could accept it as a means of communicating to the congregation that those entering the Church from the fire should not delay the procession by queues at the stoups. But if there is no fire at the Easter Vigil and people assemble in the Church I see no justification for denying them the holy water on entering because more will be blessed during the ceremony.
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ioannes_pius
Guest
With all due respect to the priest, I don’t believe I’ve heard a more ridiculous proposition.
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TomH1
Guest
It is my understanding that the holy water stoups are emptied prior to the Sacred Triduum. They are filled anew on Easter Sunday from holy water blessed that day. The letter from the Holy See cited by @Pheme (cf. above) supports this. Elliot in Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year according to the Modern Roman Rite says this is the normal practice.
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Titivillus
Guest
It might also be inferred from Paschale Solemnitatis #97, which says they should be filled with the new water for Easter Sunday*, but does not say when they should be emptied?
*
I don’t know the sources of translation, but while one version I can find mentions the fonts, another mentions the “entrance steps should be filled”, perhaps an unfortunate autocorrect of “stoups”?
*
I don’t know the sources of translation, but while one version I can find mentions the fonts, another mentions the “entrance steps should be filled”, perhaps an unfortunate autocorrect of “stoups”?
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Phemie
Guest
I suspect a typo of stoups.
We empty them at the same time the altar is stripped after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
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Dovekin
Guest
The is from the CDW document @Phemie cited earlier.
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ThomasMT
Guest
The expression “mustard seed of faith” comes to mind. Besides, there are ways it could be dispensed without use of a communal bowl. Or perhaps we have an abusive practice on our hands
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victrolatim
Guest
Nothing is stopping you from carrying a bottle in your pocket if needed.
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Soubirous1
Guest
my parish has always emptied the holy water on good friday and filled them again on Easter. the time Jesus’s body was in the earth
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TheLittleLady
Guest
Abusive is over the top.
There are priests who were taught this way in Seminary. They tend to be older priests, they are simply following what they were taught. Likely not internet savvy, they may not be aware of the CDW letter.
There are priests who were taught this way in Seminary. They tend to be older priests, they are simply following what they were taught. Likely not internet savvy, they may not be aware of the CDW letter.
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TheLittleLady
Guest
The prescribed rubric empties on Holy Thursday and refills at the Vigil.
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Soubirous1
Guest
you are correct. my bad.
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ThomasMT
Guest
I didn’t say deliberately. I understand your ppint.
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JohnWithFries
Guest
My parish is doing this and it’s NOT a liberal parish at all.
I’m wondering if it’s just a cold season thing. I know some parishes do it but I know for a fact my Priest isn’t into any goofy ideas about abstaining from sacramentals.
I’m wondering if it’s just a cold season thing. I know some parishes do it but I know for a fact my Priest isn’t into any goofy ideas about abstaining from sacramentals.
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Elf01
Guest
My parish has removed it because of coronavirus.
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