| Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
|---|---|---|
| Candles at Liturgical Services | Deacon Larry | Monday, January 26, 2009 |
Question: Since "Liturgy" is any public celebration of the Church and not just the Mass ... it seems that it is "required" to have candles for a baptism, a wedding (sans Mass), confirmation, etc. Is that a correct assumption? We have been told that since the Eucharist will not bo on the altar that we should not have lit candles for baptism in our daily Mass chapel or at weddings when there is no Mass. Your insights are appreciated. Thank you. |
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| Question Answered by Mr. Jacob Slavek
Dear Rev. Mr. Lottier,Here's the GIRM first for a quick review:n. 307 "Candles are to be used at every liturgical service"..."either on or around the altar and the sanctuary".I'm not sure exactly how this should be interpreted. Perhaps the intended meaning was that candles must be used at every celebration of the Mass. The reason I say this is because not all the other liturgical rites call for use of candles: some obviously don't even call for an altar or even the sanctuary! Some liturgical rites, Compline for example, are generally celebrated individually immediately before bed... for many right even in the bedroom. Of course there is no problem at all for lighting candles when praying Compline individually, I don't believe that the documentation necessarily requires it. The General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours does not even contain the word "candle".In my opinion as a rule candles should be used during any communal liturgical celebration. I can't argue that they are strictly required because the individual rites may not call for their use, but I do believe there is a general preference for them. (back to n. 307)The argument that candles should not be used because the Eucharist is not placed on the altar is pointless.Mr. Slavek Footer Notes: (a) A Eucharistic Minister is clergy (Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion). Laity are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and should never be called Eucharistic Ministers. (b) There is no such Mass called the Novus Ordo. The Current Mass is the Roman Missal of 2000, or the Oridinary Form of the Mass. The Tridentine Mass is the Roman Missal of 1962, or the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. Please refrain from using the term, Novus Ordo. Thanks. (c) The titles of Acolyte and Lector belong exclusively to the Installed Offices of Acolyte and Lector, who are men (only) appointed by the Bishop. These roles performed by others are Altar Servers and Readers, respectively. |
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