Tabernacle for a censer

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scoobydoo6v92

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Hello I just acquired a real nice HEAVY old Excelsis tabernacle for a couple of censers I have had for a long time One never used and one used but in pristine condition. My question is, Is it okay to own one (a Catholic Store told me it is fine as I am a seminarian) and is it okay to store medals and stuff inside it? My close seminarian brother got real nervous and said they may consider this a formation issue, but if it is unlocked and Jesus is not in there, is it cool to have it? I never gave it much thought and trust my friend that works at the store where I got it from. Thanks for any help. Scoob.
 
Huh? A tabernacle for censers? You’re a seminarian and coming here with questions? Sorry I don’t get it…
 
Anna, I think he means that he traded some censers for the tabernacle.

I don’t know the rules about this, but first of all, it has nothing to do with whether you’re a seminarian or not. The store’s advice in that regard doesn’t make sense. However, my suspicion is that it might be OK since you are not using it to reserve the Blessed Sacrament. Wait for others who know the rules about this kind of thing to jump in here.
 
Anna_Claire said:
Huh? A tabernacle for censers? You’re a seminarian and coming here with questions? Sorry I don’t get it…
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Well yes I am a seminarian, I am not a Canon Lawyer and so I don’t want to have this in my dorm if it will get me in hot water. I am not going to use it for holding the Blessed Sacrament. I want to use it to hold my medals and roseries and stuff of that nature.

It was is the store in the used section for a very long time. I had a couple of single chain censers that are good movers highly desirable. One was never used and the other was used a couple of times. The tabernacle would most likely sit much longer than those censers. So we traded. Thanks for any help. Canon experts, Anyone. Thanks Scoob.
 
scoobydoo6v92 said:
Hello I just acquired a real nice HEAVY old Excelsis tabernacle for a couple of censers I have had for a long time One never used and one used but in pristine condition. My question is, Is it okay to own one (a Catholic Store told me it is fine as I am a seminarian) and is it okay to store medals and stuff inside it? My close seminarian brother got real nervous and said they may consider this a formation issue, but if it is unlocked and Jesus is not in there, is it cool to have it? I never gave it much thought and trust my friend that works at the store where I got it from. Thanks for any help. Scoob.
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A tabernacle is not a quirky little cupboard in which to store your sundries, any more than you ought to drink your morning coffee out of a chalice you bought on eBay or get an old chasuble to use as a painting smock. Is it “cool to have it,” just because you like material trappings? If that is your thinking, then no wonder that even your friends are worried about formation issues.
 
A tabernacle can not be used for any other purpose. I would suggest finding a mission church that needs a new tabernacle. You could hold onto it until you find a priest who really needs it.
 
A tabernacle is not a quirky little cupboard in which to store your sundries, any more than you ought to drink your morning coffee out of a chalice you bought on eBay or get an old chasuble to use as a painting smock. Is it “cool to have it,” just because you like material trappings? If that is your thinking, then no wonder that even your friends are worried about formation issues.
Quote.

Well I am not going to drink coffee out of a chalice nor buy one off of ebay, By the way there are many seminarians that have challaces and vestments and thuribles. I asked a question hoping to get good sound advice without the nasties. I was told that a tabernacle was not a tabernacle if The Blessed Sacrament was not residing inside it. I asked here to make sure that was the case. No I don’t have formation issues, My seminarian brother didn’t know whether or not it was an issue, he suggested I find out. I will some day give it to a church, So that there will be no problems nor issues.
 
scoobydoo6v92 said:
A tabernacle is not a quirky little cupboard in which to store your sundries, any more than you ought to drink your morning coffee out of a chalice you bought on eBay or get an old chasuble to use as a painting smock. Is it “cool to have it,” just because you like material trappings? If that is your thinking, then no wonder that even your friends are worried about formation issues.
Quote.

Well I am not going to drink coffee out of a chalice nor buy one off of ebay, By the way there are many seminarians that have challaces and vestments and thuribles. I asked a question hoping to get good sound advice without the nasties. I was told that a tabernacle was not a tabernacle if The Blessed Sacrament was not residing inside it. I asked here to make sure that was the case. No I don’t have formation issues, My seminarian brother didn’t know whether or not it was an issue, he suggested I find out. I will some day give it to a church, So that there will be no problems nor issues.
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The tabernacle was once used for the Blessed Sacrament, therefore, it cannot be used for anything else. You should already know this.

Since you have bought it, you should now give it to the seminary for safe keeping.

You got good sound advice without any “nasties” - you reaction to the advice seriously suggests that you find criticism difficult to accept. You do, indeed, have formation issues.
 
scoobydoo6v92 said:
Hello I just acquired a real nice HEAVY old Excelsis tabernacle for a couple of censers I have had for a long time One never used and one used but in pristine condition. My question is, Is it okay to own one (a Catholic Store told me it is fine as I am a seminarian) and is it okay to store medals and stuff inside it? My close seminarian brother got real nervous and said they may consider this a formation issue, but if it is unlocked and Jesus is not in there, is it cool to have it? I never gave it much thought and trust my friend that works at the store where I got it from. Thanks for any help. Scoob.
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First, yes you can rightfully own a tabernacle and being a seminarian has nothing to do with it. I’m just not sure why you would want to? Perhaps one day you will get permission to reserve the Blessed Sacrament in a private chapel once you are ordained and it might come in handy then, but I do wonder about your interest in it now?

As far as storing medals in it, sure, so long as the Blessed Sacrament is not in repose. Use some common sense in treating the this tabernacle with respect.
 
Joan_M said:
The tabernacle was once used for the Blessed Sacrament, therefore, it cannot be used for anything else. You should already know this.

Since you have bought it, you should now give it to the seminary for safe keeping.

You got good sound advice without any “nasties” - you reaction to the advice seriously suggests that you find criticism difficult to accept. You do, indeed, have formation issues.
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That’s simply not true. The Church makes no such demand. But common courtesy/good manners would demand the tabernacle not be used in a manner that would demean it.
 
We need not accuse the gentleman of having “formation issues.” Let his rector worry about that. Just answer the question.

Is there or is there not an explicit rule about this? After all, a church can be “un-blessed” or declared profane or whatever they call it, so is it possible to do the same for a tabernacle?
 
Was the tabernacle blessed or consecrated at one time? Probably…where did it come from? Find out. I believe that all liturgical “Vessels” are.
I would treat it with the respect that you are giving to all you other blessed sacramentals. I would never use it for storage, a box or a safe etc.
Why don’t you find out from your diocese or write to the USCCB.
My guess is that it should be donated to a church or a chapel where it is needed.
 
I am most likely going to either keep it and save it for a church. Or I will take it back to the store and put it on consignment. Either way, I don’t have a formation issue, We were voted on last week and I was voted to proceed.
As far as respect of this vessel, Yes that is why I am asking this question to give it respect. Also if I do indeed keep it, once ordained I could use it for it’s purpose. I will ask my spiritual director. If I do have formation issues, my formation advisor will let me know instantly. He is one of those that are blunt. As far as nasties, I was referring to that one post about using a chalice for wine, He seemed a bit terse. but anyway I appreciate your advice I really do even the one that posted about using the chalice for wine. Good sound advice. So my next step is, to talk to my Spiritual Director, then either keep it safe and secure, or bring it back to the store and put it on consignment or have them find a mission church. Thanks God bless all of you. Scoob.
 
Nobody except his formation director or perhaps his personal confessor has the right to tell him he has any issues, please.

Dear young seminarian, God bless you and our prayers for your vocation, studies, and formation.

I think the fact that you asked indicates that you have a feeling there might be something a little inappropriate with using the tabernacle in this way. Since tabernacles are usually blessed (I think there’s a prayer in the Rituale for it…) and have held the Lord’s body, I personally do not think they should be used for anything else, or really, ideally, I don’t think “private citizens” should own them. You might reverently wrap it up and store it someplace until you are able one day (God willing) to use it as a priest, or to donate it or loan it to another church. Even though you are putting holy things in it, it seems like a “profane use” to me.

You might indeed get into a little trouble at the seminary over it, so I would just get an ordinary container for your rosaries, medals, and things. I would just get one of those mini plastic sets of drawers (from Target or wherever) for the kind of for devotional things you mentioned. From what I know of these things, they look out for anything out of the ordinary in seminarians’ behavior - the question may be, “why have a tabernacle in your room?” If you feel like you can’t justify the answer, then I would not do it.

No offense to other posters, but my own personal impression was that some of them were a little unduly sharp when responding to you.
 
I would suggest that you store the tabernacle somewhere for the moment. Say at your parents house (not displayed or used in any mundane way). Then you will have it for the future and will avoid any possible raised eyebrows.
 
Leon_Bloy said:
Nobody except his formation director or perhaps his personal confessor has the right to tell him he has any issues, please.

Dear young seminarian, God bless you and our prayers for your vocation, studies, and formation.

I think the fact that you asked indicates that you have a feeling there might be something a little inappropriate with using the tabernacle in this way. Since tabernacles are usually blessed (I think there’s a prayer in the Rituale for it…) and have held the Lord’s body, I personally do not think they should be used for anything else, or really, ideally, I don’t think “private citizens” should own them. You might reverently wrap it up and store it someplace until you are able one day (God willing) to use it as a priest, or to donate it or loan it to another church. Even though you are putting holy things in it, it seems like a “profane use” to me.

You might indeed get into a little trouble at the seminary over it, so I would just get an ordinary container for your rosaries, medals, and things. I would just get one of those mini plastic sets of drawers (from Target or wherever) for the kind of for devotional things you mentioned. From what I know of these things, they look out for anything out of the ordinary in seminarians’ behavior - the question may be, “why have a tabernacle in your room?” If you feel like you can’t justify the answer, then I would not do it.

No offense to other posters, but my own personal impression was that some of them were a little unduly sharp when responding to you.
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Thank you for your kind reply. I won’t will not use it period and will save it when and IF I am ordained. God bless you.
 
I am headed to class. but I will close by saying that. I am eternally grateful for your replies and advice. I am so glad I asked. One seminarian told me that you could use a decommisioned tabernacle for relecs and medals. Even if you can, I won’t and I will store it and save it for a future use. If not ordained I will donate it to a church,
 
scoobydoo6v92 said:
Well yes I am a seminarian, I am not a Canon Lawyer and so I don’t want to have this in my dorm if it will get me in hot water. I am not going to use it for holding the Blessed Sacrament. I want to use it to hold my medals and roseries and stuff of that nature.

It was is the store in the used section for a very long time. I had a couple of single chain censers that are good movers highly desirable. One was never used and the other was used a couple of times. The tabernacle would most likely sit much longer than those censers. So we traded. Thanks for any help. Canon experts, Anyone. Thanks Scoob.
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Its not just canon law issues that can be a problem. Formation issues can be any number of things and do not have to be enumerated in the code of canon law. Such an attitude could be a formation issue.

If you have questions the place for you to ask is your formator and spiritual director, not here.
 
Actually, I think it is very nice that the OP has ‘rescued’ the tabernacle in this way. I gather that the store was happy to sell it without any parish id, so who knows what it could have been used for if someone else had bought it.

I once stayed in a Spanish hotel where they had a tabernacle behind the reception desk, presumably for keys!! Or even the staff’s packed lunches…
 
I think this has come to a good conclusion. Thanks for your posts, and yeah, I would just ask your spiritual director/confessor.

Using old tabernacles to hold relics or whatever might be OK in a church, but for private use, I would think it gets into a gray area.

The other poster who suggested packing it up and letting your parents store if for you was a good one.

And yeah, canon law or not, obviously (as you probably know better than any of us non-seminarians) anything a formation director thinks might be an issue can be one just by that fact. Or in other words, anything that attracts attention for being unusual 😃
 
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