holy water
Holy water is a sign of blessing . In the Catholic Church , the Orthodox Churches and the Anglican Church , it serves not only for baptism, but also for baptismal memory and blessing. Holy water is water over which a blessing prayer has been spoken (usually by a priest ). Before the liturgical reform, salt and chrism were added to the water at consecration , today salt can be added to it. Holy water is one of the sacramentals (salvific signs) of the church.
The use of sprinkling holy water has its origins in the custom of ancient lustration . In the blessing prayer of the ancient Roman ritual it is said that through the use of holy water "every hostility of the unclean spirit is dispelled, the horror of the poisonous snake is chased away and the helpful assistance of the Holy Spirit is summoned".
The symbolic meaning of holy water is that of water in general: life, purification, danger and rescue. Through the blessing prayer, these meanings are linked to the passage of the people of Israel through the Red Sea ( Exodus ) and the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan . Taking holy water with the sign of the cross serves the believer when entering the church to commemorate their own baptism .
Holy water is in the holy water basin at the entrance of every Catholic church, sometimes in private rooms and on the graves of Catholic believers. When entering and exiting the church, the faithful dip their hands in the basin and mark themselves with the sign of the cross .
Holy water is used and sprinkled with an aspergillus by the priest or deacon during the Sunday baptismal commemoration during Holy Mass , during the blessing of religious signs and devotional objects, objects, buildings and places (see Benedictines ) and the church funeral service . An altar boy goes along as holy water bearer, who has holy water kettle (Aspersorium) and Aspergill ready.
Holy water can be taken home by the believers and kept ready throughout the year in holy water basins in the individual rooms; In southern Germany such holy water containers can also be found on graves. Crossing oneself with Easter water and sprinkling the graves is a gesture of blessing. In some monastic orders , it is customary that the upper or the Community after Compline sprinkled with holy water. The baptismal water , consecrated in a separate rite in the celebration of Easter Vigil , is also called "Easter water".
In addition to the liturgical context, there was also water custom at Easter: people scooped up spring water and washed or splashed with it. This water was also called " Easter water ". In the context of popular piety , holy water also played a role in folk medicine .
Holy water and hygiene
The " Caeremoniale episcoporum " (Eng. "Book of ceremonies of the bishops") - first published in 1600 - expected a weekly renewal of the holy water in churches.
The architect Otto Wagner had a gold-plated dispenser installed in the Art Nouveau church at Steinhof (1907), which dispenses the holy water drop by drop, "to prevent the transmission of infections ( tuberculosis )".
Researchers found in holy water samples from 30 Catholic churches in Germany, Austria and Spain - in the period from 2002 to 2017 - 1,500 to 22,000, an average of 6,000 germs per milliliter.
In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic , many holy water fonts were blocked and emptied in 2020 to prevent the transfer of germs between people. The Austrian Bishops' Conference of the Roman Catholic Church banned holy water at the beginning of May 2020 for services that were allowed again from May 15, 2020. Against the background that holy water basins remain empty, the (Young) Catholic Church Vorarlberg sent holy water in spray bottles to customers in a campaign at the beginning of May 2020.
The Austrian Bishops' Conference decreed in its framework of June 20, 2020 that the holy water in the basins "must be changed frequently (at least twice a week) and that the basin must be thoroughly cleaned every time".
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Rituals Romanum 7, 2.
- ↑ Manfred Becker-Huberti : Celebrations, festivals, seasons. Living customs all year round. Herder, Freiburg-Basel-Wien 2001, ISBN 3-451-27702-6 , pp. 312-313.
- ↑ Gundolf Keil : The messenger blessing. Instructions for consecrating water when treating wounds. In: Medical Monthly Bulletin 11, 1957, pp. 541-543.
- ↑ Theologian: CoV teaches hygiene in holy water basins orf.at, July 22, 2020, accessed July 22, 2020.
- ↑ Theologian: CoV teaches hygiene in holy water basins orf.at, July 22, 2020, accessed July 22, 2020.
- ↑ Theologian: CoV teaches hygiene in holy water basins orf.at, July 22, 2020, accessed July 22, 2020.
- ↑ Rules for masses: communion in hand, no holy water orf.at, May 3, 2020, accessed July 22, 2020.
- ↑ Coronavirus: Catholic Church sends holy water orf.at, May 1, 2020, accessed July 22, 2020.
- ↑ Theologian: CoV teaches hygiene in holy water basins orf.at, July 22, 2020, accessed July 22, 2020.