Would you prefer your parish use incense more often?

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triumphguy said:
I used to have horrendous asthma and allergy problems as a kid - before ventolin, beclaforte and all those broncho-dilators etc etc and I never had a problem with incense. In fact I found it soothing for my lungs. I also found the smell of hot tar beneficial - when road crews were working in summer.

My asthma was so bad I had 12 weeks of school in grade 7.

I was an altar boy from the age of 6, and was thurifer from age 10 onwards and am still here today.👍

I actually find perfume and aftershave/cologne far more problematic for my breathing than incense.

Sometimes if you THINK you’re going to have an asthma problem you have an asthma problem.
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Just out of curiosity, did you find some level of relief when sucking on a peppermint candy and inhaling? My childhood friend who had a horrible case of asthma used to find relief in that.
 
odile53 said:
Yeah, inordinate use of colognes is almost painful to be around, too.
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I used to step into an Anglican church every now and then (what a GORGEOUS building) and it always had a somewhat familiar smell to it. I asked the sacristan. Much to his dismay the standard incense was Old Spice seasoned sawdust. They had been doing it for years. He said it smelled horrible and was very acrid during the actually incensing.

That’s exactly the sort of thing that turns people off.
 
Jegudiel said:
Just out of curiosity, did you find some level of relief when sucking on a peppermint candy and inhaling? My childhood friend who had a horrible case of asthma used to find relief in that.
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I’m not the person that was directed at, but I did find that mint (I didn’t use candy) would help my breathing problems.
 
Jegudiel said:
Just out of curiosity, did you find some level of relief when sucking on a peppermint candy and inhaling? My childhood friend who had a horrible case of asthma used to find relief in that.
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Yes I did somewhat. When it was really bad as a kid my bedroom was stripped of carpet/rug, drapes/curtains, and I had a hypoallergenic mattress, and bricks under the foot of the bed to drain my lungs. I’m not saying this for sympathy, but to back up the point that it may be the type of incense used that causes problems.
 
Jegudiel said:
The default seems to be getting rid of incense and that is that. With sprinkler systems that people claim will “go off” and claims that incense causes cancer even when used as it is during the Mass (no such claims have been substantiated to my knowledge) I suspect incense use will large be gone in the Latin Rite in the USA by the end of this century, if not the decade.
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Unfortunately, you’re probably right. When they start banning smoking in public places, even outdoors, they will ban incense as it’s worse than second-hand smoke.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=515658
 
I love incense. A priest once told me that the use of incense stems from an ancient belief that the perfumed whisps of smoke help carry your prayers to heaven. That thought always makes me joyful.
 
triumphguy said:
Where in the thread you link to does it prove that incense is worse than second hand smoke?:confused:😛
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On average, incense burning produces particulates greater than 45 mg/g burned as compared to 10 mg/g burned for cigarettes. The gas products from burning incense include CO, CO2, NO2, SO2, and others. Incense burning also produces volatile organic compounds, such as benzene, toluene, and xylenes, as well as aldehydes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The air pollution in and around various temples has been documented to have harmful effects on health. When incense smoke pollutants are inhaled, they cause respiratory system dysfunction…
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clinicalmolecularallergy.com/content/6/1/3

I wish it were different as I personally love Jerusalem incense myself.
 
anp1215 said:
No, other people have tried to explain to you that they have exhausted other measures, and they would rather not take a chance on their own lives or the lives of their children, but would instead prefer that there be at least one Mass set aside that does not include incense.

But that is not good enough for you.

I’m not discussing it anymore with you. Goodbye.
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No they have not. That’s simply not true. Some got very upset at the mere mention of other measures.
 
It may be more psychological than anything, but I find it very calming.
 
ProVobis said:
Unfortunately, you’re probably right. When they start banning smoking in public places, even outdoors, they will ban incense as it’s worse than second-hand smoke.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=515658
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It all depends on the incense. Pure resin incense such as Copal does not have the toxins associated with tobacco for example. Some of the absolute worst incense are Asian joss sticks that have toxic accelerants as part of their composition to keep them burning.

Despite the HEAVY religious incense use by different groups the only incense related illness I ever read about was a Tibetan Monk. Some of those mind pray right over the top of huge amounts of burning incense and they do it for lifetimes.

The gov’t won’t ban the use of incense inside churches but I am surprised they have not yet required scary signs. That’ll come soon though.
 
YoungTradCath said:
It’s so sad for me, because I love incense, but my parish NEVER uses it. The pastor didn’t even use it for the Easter (!!!) Masses this year. I think incense is one of the most magnificent and triumphalistic things about Mass, especially when you have a priest or MC who really knows how to use incense and lets the coals burn for about 20 minutes before Mass begins to get the giant, deep, smoky clouds.

One of the most exciting things about the EF is watching the priest so meticulously and formulaic-ly censing the altar with the broad, ritualistic swings.

I so wish incense was absolutely mandatory in the OF like it is in Solemn EF Masses. We very rarely see it.
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No, I have allegeries!
 
My Father-inlaw told me a story of how when he was in Catholic school, he and the other altar servers added ground ginger to the can of incense at a school Mass. The priest shoveled a bunch onto the hot coals and the thurible began producing huge amounts of the most acrid smoke you ever smelled.

He said the altar servers could hardly contain their laughter as the kids in the front were all choking and caughing and the monks and sisters trying to maintain composure.

Father went to the vestry after Mass, picked up the can of incense, looked at it and said with a shrug, “I didn’t know this stuff went bad” and tossed it into the garbage can.

My father-in-law is now a deacon. Maybe it was part of his calling, or pennance. 🤷

-Tim-
 
TimothyH said:
My Father-inlaw told me a story of how when he was in Catholic school, he and the other altar servers added ground ginger to the can of incense at a school Mass. The priest shoveled a bunch onto the hot coals and the thurible began producing huge amounts of the most acrid smoke you ever smelled.

He said the altar servers could hardly contain their laughter as the kids in the front were all choking and caughing and the monks and sisters trying to maintain composure.

Father went to the vestry after Mass, picked up the can of incense, looked at it and said with a shrug, “I didn’t know this stuff went bad” and tossed it into the garbage can.

My father-in-law is now a deacon. Maybe it was part of his calling, or pennance. 🤷

-Tim-
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Incense isn’t exactly cheap, either!
 
No, I like it used only on a occasion so that each use is more meaningful. We have it used a dozen or so times a year.
 
Jegudiel said:
It all depends on the incense. Pure resin incense such as Copal does not have the toxins associated with tobacco for example.
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But you’re also burning charcoal. Burning just that inside a building can be quite harmful, I would think. Not to mention as a server you might even blow on the charcoal to get it hot. That’s a lot of smoke that can reach the lungs between blows.
 
Having mild asthma, I say no. Too much incense will cause my asthma to react. I once had an attack during mass once and it wasn’t fun.
 
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