Interesting that the image (from the St. Andrew's Daily Missal?) has the bishop sprinkling ashes over the heads of penitents, the ancient praxis, rather than giving them on the forehead.
Do you recommend any particular history of the rite? I'd like to know more about the transition from sprinkling to forehead and the reasons for it. When did the change occur?
It was a Roman Rite and it was at an evening service at Santi Quattro Coronati. I was rather surprised by how that aspect of the mass was undertaken. I'm not at all sure when the tradition was changed, but I'd be curious to know all the same.
The Caeremoniale - broadly equivalent to the Typicon - instructs that the Ashes be imposed on the head of penitents who bow before the bishop to receive them - so would not be imposed in their foreheads. A friend of mine Subdeacon Michael (Astley) wrote an interesting post about this issue on his blog a couple of years ago. The practice of imposing on the forehead does not seem universal for the Roman rite either geographically or over time. My suspicion is that imposition on the forehead is a combination of liturgical minimalism and convenience.
Interesting that the image (from the St. Andrew's Daily Missal?) has the bishop sprinkling ashes over the heads of penitents, the ancient praxis, rather than giving them on the forehead.
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ReplyDeleteRubricarius -
ReplyDeleteDo you recommend any particular history of the rite? I'd like to know more about the transition from sprinkling to forehead and the reasons for it. When did the change occur?
When I was studying in Italy I attended an Ash Wednesday mass where the ashes were still sprinkled.
ReplyDeleteMr. Lichens,
ReplyDeleteWas that Roman or Ambrosian Rite?
I second the Joyous Lent to all "Western Christians!" And for the rest of us Happy Maslenitsa!
ReplyDeleteMr White,
ReplyDeleteIt was a Roman Rite and it was at an evening service at Santi Quattro Coronati. I was rather surprised by how that aspect of the mass was undertaken. I'm not at all sure when the tradition was changed, but I'd be curious to know all the same.
Ochlophobist,
ReplyDeleteThe Caeremoniale - broadly equivalent to the Typicon - instructs that the Ashes be imposed on the head of penitents who bow before the bishop to receive them - so would not be imposed in their foreheads. A friend of mine Subdeacon Michael (Astley) wrote an interesting post about this issue on his blog a couple of years ago. The practice of imposing on the forehead does not seem universal for the Roman rite either geographically or over time. My suspicion is that imposition on the forehead is a combination of liturgical minimalism and convenience.
Rubricarius,
ReplyDeleteThanks for that. By the by, are you Western Rite Orthodox?