Ask a Question - or - Return to the Liturgy Forum Index

Question Title Posted By Question Date
Removal of Holy Water during Lent Vincent Thursday, February 26, 2009

Question:

Mr. Jacob Slavek,

In searching your current and archive files for an answer regarding whether or not holy water can be removed during Lent, my findings only produced uncertainty with regard to this question.

Fortunately I was able to find the answer through The Catholic Liturgical Library web-site shown below:

http://www.catholicliturgy.com/index.cfm/FuseAction/LawText/Index/6/LawIndex/46

Mr. Slavek, I am sending a copy of a letter sent from the Congregation for Divine Worship responding to the above question.

I will leave the publishing of this letter entirely to your discretion with regard to its informative nature to Catholic's, like myself, presently being forced to accept Holy Water being removed during Lent. Holy Water is a Sacramental which we are entitled to and which we, as sinners, need.

Thank you and God Bless your ministry.

Vince Parise

The letter is as follows:

The Catholic Liturgical Library

http://www.catholicliturgy.com/index.cfm/FuseAction/LawText/Index/6/LawIndex/46

Question: Removing Holy Water During Lent

No. Here is a letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship responding to this question on 3/14/03:
Prot. N. 569/00/L

Dear Father:

This Congregation for Divine Worship has received your letter sent by fax in which you ask whether it is in accord with liturgical law to remove the Holy Water from the fonts for the duration of the season of Lent.

This Dicastery is able to respond that the removing of Holy Water from the fonts during the season of Lent is not permitted, in particular, for two reasons:

1. The liturgical legislation in force does not foresee this innovation, which in addition to being praeter legem is contrary to a balanced understanding of the season of Lent, which though truly being a season of penance, is also a season rich in the symbolism of water and baptism, constantly evoked in liturgical texts.

2. The encouragement of the Church that the faithful avail themselves frequently of the [sic] of her sacraments is to be understood to apply also to the season of Lent. The "fast" and "abstinence" which the faithful embrace in this season does not extend to abstaining from the sacraments or sacramentals of the Church. The practice of the Church has been to empty the Holy Water fonts on the days of the Sacred Triduum in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil, and it corresponds to those days on which the Eucharist is not celebrated (i.e., Good Friday and Holy Saturda).

Hoping that this resolves the question with every good wish and kind regard, I am,

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Mons. Mario Marini
Undersecretary
Question Answered by Mr. Jacob Slavek

Dear Vincent,

I am happy to pass this along because this is a regular question at this time of year.

I think it is a good quick response to those who remove holy water to say that fasting and abstaining during Lent does not extend to the sacramentals of the Church.  (from Mons. Marini's reply)

That's what I'll use from now on.  :)

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.