Why don't priests use incense?

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A big clue for me is the fact that EP II is used at least 50% of the time in my parish even on Sundays; is it any wonder that incense is not used given the extra time it takes to prepare the censer, light the charcoal, add the incense, incense the book, altar,gifts, etc.

There seems to be an unreasonable aversion to anything that might push the mass out beyond one hour.
 
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mgy100:
Allergies… what a lame reason.
First, if you use incense made of PURE natural ingredients it doesn’t cause people to get choked up.
Secondly, if a tiny bit of incense is used, the smell and a bit of smoke will be present. However it does not choke out the congregation.
Kleenex in the pews? Never saw that. Just Priests/deacons who know how to train the altarservers on how not to put too much into the censor.
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ok, so I will admit that I’ve never been to a mass, much less one with incense…

but I happen to think you might not think it so lame if you had a family member with severe allergies and asthma. (perhaps you do and if so I apologize)

Perhaps it would not bother my mother if the amount is indeed as small as you claim - but - she cannot sit near anyone wearing perfume in her own protestant church without having to get up and leave - and not just the folks who dump it on either - I cannot wear perfume while in my mother’s house for the same reason, likewise scented candles or the like.

How does the incense being pure help any? if its still an irritant to someone with Asthma’s lungs?? (I agree that if the amount is small enough that that would help - so please don’t take this the wrong way)

I’m sorry - I probably shouldn’t have posted this - I just get really mad when people assume allergies aren’t really that bad only because they have not been around people with them… Just blame it on a life of dealing with people not understanding that my mother really does have bad allergies. She can’t take anyone’s invitation to their house up without asking if they have cats… she’s had to leave during I don’t know how many church services in my lifetime - and yet people still get offended and or just can’t seem to even remotely understand the seriousness of her problems…
 
I think that an earlier question in this or some other thread remains: Why do we seem to have so many more allergic/asthmatic objections than we did before Vatican II?
 
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Chatter163:
I think that an earlier question in this or some other thread remains: Why do we seem to have so many more allergic/asthmatic objections than we did before Vatican II?
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I think this is more because there are more people out there with allergies and asthma than there used to be.

I barely remember the pre-Vat. 2 Masses but seem to recall that not all Masses had incense used at them either.

Brenda V.
 
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Elzee:
I love the smell of a church that uses incense regularly…you can tell it from the second you walk in the doors!
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My church is the same way! Incense is used every Sunday and Holy Day (not for “regular” daily Masses, though).

(Oh, my parish is Novus Ordo, by the way. 🙂 )

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Seems to be another thing that went out the window with Vatican II and its implementation.

Let us all help remind our Priests and Bishops about what the Catholic Church truly teaches.

As one author has stated regarding the Traditional Roman Mass, it is “the most beautiful thing this side of Heaven.”

The New Order liturgy doesn’t even come close, and I mean no uncharitableness to anyone who attends the New Order. I would simply recommend that you attend a Traditional Mass a few times and see what I’m talking about.

Take care.
 
I don’t know if there was a priest who has responded so far in this thread.

Yes, I’ve heard that the smoke from incense is carcinogenic, but then the exposure is small during a Mass ceremony.

Hey, automobile exhaust is toxic, too. So, everybody is going to go back to horses, right? (Remember Christopher Reeve?)

No one, so far, has mentioned the safety factor. The burning incense is hot and it can cause other things to catch fire. Until cell phones, I bet there wasn’t even a phone in churches to summon the ambulance brigade if someone had a heart attack during Mass.

I’ve noticed the priests lighting and extinguishing candles before Mass, presumably to remove the hazard for children.

Overall, I am in favor of use of incense. Some say the incense is a sign of the presence of God in the sanctuary. I go with the theory that it is a visible sign of our unworthiness, viz., to cover up the stench of our sinfulness. The odor is strong and covers up other odors, even, as it were, the stink of our sins.
 
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mgy100:
Secondly, if a tiny bit of incense is used, the smell and a bit of smoke will be present. However it does not choke out the congregation.
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I’ve yet to see my parish use just a bit of incense. And I know the altar servers are VERY well trained. If they are using a lot of incense it is because they have been trained to do so.

I guess whether you use a lot or a little depends on what you think the purpose of the incense is. If you think it’s strickly liturgical then a small amount will do. If you think the symbolism is important (as do most of the priests I know who use it) then the more the better.

My pastor hasn’t stopped using incense just because he is allergic. He just doesn’t use it every week and he doesn’t get any physically closer than is necessary. And he is sensitive to the problems that can come with the use of incense. It’s important that a parish be sensitive to where the censer will be placed during Mass. You don’t want it too close to the choir, any handicapped seating areas, or in near a fire alarm sensor.
 
I am saddened that hte Latin Rite has gone away from the use of incense.

As an Eastern Catholic, we use incense for EVERTHING that goes on in our church.
Whether its the Sunday Divine Liturgy, Matins, Vespers, other prayer services, incense is Always Used.

As an adult alter server, I have to make sure that the charcoal that is used in the censor is lit 10 before its use. Sometimes I ask the incense attendant to put in Ectra incense!

If incense is cancerous, then I’m glad to give my Life to the Lord smelling something that has been used for centuries in His Church!
 
Of course not all pre-Vat2 Masses had incense. But many parishes had at least weekly High Mass that did. Today few parishes do.

The timing with V2 is surely not coincidental. I do not know of any data that would even suggest that there are more allergic people, but even that would not explain why most parishes do not even have one Sunday Mass with incense.

Incense just seems one of those “old fashioned” things, like Latin,novenas, holy hours and rosary societies, that went out in not all, but most, places after the council. It makes it perfunctory appearances at Christmas and Easter, etc., but rarely on a weekly basis.
 
I find it REALLY sad that not many priests use incense. In fact, the “Vatican II” reforms actually encouraged its use by doing away with the low mass/high mass distinctions. But if anything, it use seems to have declined.

(Quotation marks is to indicate that the reforms actually came after the council; not to question its validity)
 


Enough of this “tiny bit of incense” talk! We need to get serious like the Spainards do at the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela with the legendary Botafumeiro (incense burner.)
 
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Chatter163:
Of course not all pre-Vat2 Masses had incense. But many parishes had at least weekly High Mass that did. Today few parishes do.
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I agree.
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Chatter163:
The timing with V2 is surely not coincidental.
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Can’t comment too much on this because I was 8 when Vat. 2 came about so I don’t remember if the lack of incense started then or just happened sometime after.
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Chatter163:
I do not know of any data that would even suggest that there are more allergic people, but even that would not explain why most parishes do not even have one Sunday Mass with incense.
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I have seen some studies suggesting that there are more allergic people - have to do some research though to find it now. You are right as to this not being the main reason why some parishes don’t have at least one Sunday mass with incense (my Parish does and because of it I can’t go to that Mass or the one directly after it but it is no big deal, I have five other Mass choices every Sunday - soon to be six).
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Chatter163:
Incense just seems one of those “old fashioned” things, like Latin,novenas, holy hours and rosary societies, that went out in not all, but most, places after the council. It makes it perfunctory appearances at Christmas and Easter, etc., but rarely on a weekly basis.
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I agree here too. It wasn’t until about 10 years ago that my Parish brought back many of those “old fashioned” sacramentals and societies. We are the largest Parish in the Arch-Diocese, partly because we were the only one in a rapidly growing city but also because we did bring these “old fashioned” things back. Many young families want these things but this is another thread.

Brenda V.
 
Incense is only used during Low Mass on Holy Thursday in the traditional rite, which means someone with allergies or asthma could go to one of several masses that didn’t use incense.
 
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BayCityRickL:
Overall, I am in favor of use of incense. Some say the incense is a sign of the presence of God in the sanctuary. I go with the theory that it is a visible sign of our unworthiness, viz., to cover up the stench of our sinfulness. The odor is strong and covers up other odors, even, as it were, the stink of our sins.
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Psalm 141:2
2 2 Let my prayer be incense before you; my uplifted hands an evening sacrifice.
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It’s actually a beautiful representation of our prayers.
 
Just wanted to add that I didn’t make it clear in my post before that I have nothing against Incense - nor do I think it should never be used because of people with allergies - all I was against was people taking allergies lightly, 🙂
 
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Gregory24:
I have only seen a priest use incense once in my parish and that was last All Saints Day? Why is this?
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Once a friend of mine told me that her physician said that he treated a lot of Buddist monks for lung cancer.:hmmm:
  • Kathie :bowdown:
 
Incense is only used during Low Mass on Holy Thursday in the traditional rite, which means someone with allergies or asthma could go to one of several masses that didn’t use incense.
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???
 
Scent enhances worship. Incense is used to signify our adoration of God and our hope that our prayer will rise up as does the smoke and odour of incense (Pslam141:1-2;Revelation 5:8).
 
Altarman, that’s a censor!
Слава Ісусу Христу! Слава на віки!
 
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