Thurible

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Stained glass window depiction of a thurible, St. Ignatius Church, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

A thurible is a metal censer suspended from chains, in which incense is burned during worship services. It is used in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Old Catholic, and some Lutheran and other churches, as well as in Christian and non-Christian Gnostic Catholic Churches and in Magick. In Catholic and Anglican churches, the altar server who carries the thurible is called the thurifer.

The workings of a thurible are quite simple. Heated charcoal is inside the actual metal censer. Incense, sometimes of many different varieties is placed upon the charcoal. This may be done several times during the service as the incense burns quite quickly. Once the incense has been placed on the charcoal the thurible is then closed and used for censing.

The word "thurible" comes from the Old French thurible, which in turn is derived from the Latin term "thuribulum". The Latin word thuribulum has the root "thur", meaning incense. The latin "thur" is an alteration of the Greek word "thuos", which is derived from the term "thein", meaning to sacrifice.

The jobs of a thurifer include:

Holding the thurible while the priest is blessing the incense inside of it.
Carrying the thurible in procession.
Presenting the thurible to the priest or deacon at different times in the service, (for, at the Gospel readings and before the Eucharist at Mass)
At Mass, if no deacon is present, the server censes the priest after the priest censes the gifts.

A Catholic Priest or Seminarian serving as a Thurifer and holding the thurible.

A thurifer may be helped by another server, often a child, carrying a 'boat' or container for fresh incense to add as the thurible burns low. These are called 'boat girls' or 'boat boys', as the case may be.

A famous thurible is the huge Botafumeiro in Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, Spain.

Thurible swinging:

Three sets of three swings: When incensing the Blessed Sacrament
Three sets of two swings: When incensing images, relics, and other sacramentals, also when censing the celebrant and other clergy.
Three sets of one swing when censing the congregation.
In the new rite even the congregation is censed by three sets of two swings.

[edit] The use of thuribles after Second Vatican Council

There has been a recent controversy within the Roman Catholic Church on whether or not it is necessary to use ornate thuribles. As a result, some parishes use incense vases or other containers, which are carried directly rather than by a chain, and waved rather than swung. Other parishes use containers which are in fixed positions during the liturgy.

[edit] Thuribles in Anglicanism

In the Anglican Communion, the use of incense is a fairly reliable guide to how 'high' (more Catholic in liturgical style) or how 'low' (more Protestant) a church is. Anglo-Catholic churches may use generous quantities of incense. In recent years, some middle-of-the-road Anglican churches have taken to using incense a few times a year for special occasions.