Hypoallergenic Incense And The Catholic Church

For centuries, the Catholic Church has used incense in it's most sacred of ceremonies, The Holy Eucharist. This has caused many people of the Novus Ordo (or new order) church to complain, citing health difficulties, such as asthma. Due to this seemingly reasonable request, many churches have begun using hypoallergenic incense so as to alleviate the issue.

Eucharist is the Sabbath, or Sunday, service in the Catholic Church. Hypoallergenic incense is used to bless the Crucifix, the altar, and the Word of God. The incense is also used to bless the bread and wine of the Sacrament (not unlike the orthodox Christian's communion), and the congregation.

The use of hypoallergenic incense can be traced back to the Old Testament and the time of Moses. The use of incense can be found mentioned in many scriptures in the Bible as a way to pay homage to God. It is used today in ceremonies not only as a method of blessing, but also to encourage meditation and prayer.

The Use Of Hypoallergenic Incense In Catholic Rites

The Catholic Church uses hypoallergenic incense in many of their rites and ceremonies, as they believe is referenced in the Bible. The incense is considered sacred to Catholics, and as such is kept in a covered vessel called the boat. The boat which holds the hypoallergenic incense is most often made of brass, and plated with gold or silver.

A censer is used to burn the hypoallergenic incense during the ceremonies. The censer contains lit charcoal which burns the incense, and is hung from three chains so as to be carried by the Altar server, an assistant to the Priest who carries the censer during ceremonies. The censer containing the hypoallergenic incense is swung by the Priest over whatever item, or person, he may be blessing at the time.

Other uses of hypoallergenic incense in the Catholic Church include during funeral rites, the Blessed Sacrament, and the Feast of the Epiphany. It is interesting to note that only frankincense hypoallergenic incense is used during the Feast of the Epiphany, and an extra measure is blessed by the Priest for the congregation to take home for use in private meditation.

The Catholic Church is only one of many religious belief castes that use hypoallergenic incense in their different ceremonies. Buddhists, Jews, and Hindis also use incense in many of their rites and rituals, and for meditation purposes. It is important to note that, if you have ever had any respiratory problems with regular incense, the use of hypoallergenic incense may, literally, be the answer to your prayers.