Christening candle

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Burning christening candle during a child's baptism in the Roman Catholic Church

The handing over of the baptismal candle is one of the interpretative rites in the act of baptism . The candle is lit for the first time during the christening ceremony.

symbolism

In addition to water, light has also had a great symbolic meaning during baptism since time immemorial: The church father Ambrose mentioned that during the Easter service, the newly baptized enter the church with burning candles. The handing over of a burning candle at the baptism ceremony has been attested as a rite since the 11th century.

Roman Catholic Church

The baptismal candle is at the Easter candle lit and immediately after the presentation of the Taufgewandes ( christening gown or Taufschal "Receive the light of Christ," the person baptized, or if it is) saying to a child, pass the parents and godparents. The procedure for a child baptism is as follows:

  • The celebrant invites you to light the baptismal candle with the words: "Receive the light of Christ."
  • A family member lights the christening candle at the Easter candle.
  • Celebrant: “Dear parents and godparents. You are entrusted with this light. Christ, the light of the world, has enlightened your child. It should live as a child of light, prove itself in faith and go to meet the Lord and all saints when he comes in glory. "

In the 20th century, first the custom made in the Roman Catholic Church out to retain their own baptismal candle to light them to special situations "and ask as all stations of life in the light of baptism." So the baptismal candle can also serve as Erstkommunionskerze or used at church weddings , lit on the day of baptism or name day . Regionally, this was also common before: In Picardy, for example, the baptismal candle was kept for a lifetime so that it finally shines next to the deathbed. In the Berchtesgadener Land a particularly large christening candle was used for all the children of the family concerned, so that it was only a small pillar when the youngest child was baptized.

In 1938 there was an innovation in the Diocese of Osnabrück that a baptismal family took the candle home with them. It happened more often later. There it was wrapped in a scroll as a souvenir for the person to be baptized, on which the name of the child as well as the date and place of the baptism were entered. Here and there this souvenir was taken out on the child's name day in the 1950s and lit in a domestic celebration.

Protestant churches

Later, the christening candle was adopted in many, but by no means all, Protestant church congregations: “For about 20 years, almost every child baptized as a Protestant has had a christening candle at home. They are taken out of the cupboard on the day of their birth or baptism. ”These candles are intended to serve as a reminder of baptism in the family and to be brought to church at baptism memorial celebrations. Even with the confirmation they are used, or to be re-made for the occasion.

The lighting of the baptismal candle is one of the optional parts of an Evangelical Lutheran baptismal service. The 1988 agend regulates the following:

  • The christening candle is lit at the Easter candle or at an altar candle.
  • Pastor: "Christ says:" I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. " Take this burning candle as a sign that Christ is the light of your life. "
  • The burning christening candle is presented to one of the godparents. It remains on fire until the end of the baptismal service.

Anglican churches

The handing over of a baptismal candle is an optional part of the interpretive rites of the baptismal act in most churches of the Anglican Communion . A special feature of the Church of England's baptismal liturgy, which has been in effect since 1998 , is that the burning candle is only presented at the end of the service. This happens for two reasons: It happened that someone put out the candle symbolizing the light of Christ during the service. Furthermore, and that was the main reason the liturgical commission made the change, the light of Christ should shine out into the world.

literature

  • Rupert Berger : Pastoral liturgical hand dictionary. The reference work for all questions about worship . 5th edition. Herder, Freiburg i. Br. 2013. ISBN 978-3-451-34590-6 .
  • Heinrich Schauerte: Folklore about baptism . In: Zeitschrift für Volkskunde 53 (1956), pp. 77–90. ( online )

Web links

Commons : Christening Candle  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Rupert Berger: Pastoralliturgisches Handlexikon . S. 414 .
  2. ^ The celebration of child baptism in the dioceses of the German-speaking area. Second authentic edition. In: The celebration of infant baptism. Standing commission for the publication of the common liturgical books in the German-speaking area, 2008, p. 65 , accessed on October 15, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Paul Sartori: Fire and Light in the Use of the Dead . In: Journal of the Association for Folklore . tape 17 , 1907, pp. 24 .
  4. ^ A b c Heinrich Schauerte: Folklore for baptism . 1956, p. 83 .
  5. ↑ Faith: Baptism candle. In: Evangelical Church in the Rhineland. Retrieved October 4, 2018 .
  6. ↑ "They are best made by yourself". In: Baptism. The celebration of your life. Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, accessed on October 4, 2018 .
  7. ↑ Baptism. In: EKD. Retrieved October 4, 2018 .
  8. ↑ The official acts. Part 1: Baptism . In: Church leadership of the VELKD (Ed.): Agende for Evangelical Lutheran churches and communities . tape 3 . Lutherisches Verlagshaus, Hanover 1988, ISBN 3-7859-0560-2 , p. 95 .
  9. ^ Paul E. Bradshaw: Baptism in the Anglican Communion . In: Thomas F. Best (Ed.): Baptism Today: Understanding, Practice, Ecumenical Implications Baptism Today: Understanding, Practice, Ecumenical Implications (World Council of Churches Publications, Faith and Order Paper No. 207) . Collegeville 2008, p. 58 .