The thurible
Censer; turibulum
- Known today as
- The metal vessel hung on chains in which incense is burned on live coals.
- Kind
- Sacramental, in 1 older authority
- Earliest authority here
- The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York, 1907–1914)
Revised October 1, 2026: An authority added from a text read in full. Version 1, first published September 28, 2026.
The thurible: what was it used for?
Swung at solemn Mass, at the altar, the Gospel, the people, and the dead, and used to incense places in blessing and exorcism.
The thurible: what does modern science say?
Still in use.
The thurible: what lore surrounds it?
The greatest of all is the Botafumeiro of Santiago de Compostela, swung the length of the transept by a team of men.
The thurible: what did the older authorities say?
- The Catholic Encyclopedia
- The Catholic Encyclopedia describes the censer “held in the right hand at the height of the breast, and grasped by the chain near the cover,” raised “to the height of the eyes, given an outward motion and slightly ascending towards the object to be incensed,” a single or double swing according to “the dignity of the person or thing.” It admits that “during the first four centuries there is no evidence for its use” in the Church, though “on Egyptian monumental tablets kings are represented swinging censers,” and reads the smoke as “typical of the good Christian's prayer, which, enkindled in the heart by the fire of God's love … rises up a pleasing offering in His sight.”
Sources
- [21] Herbermann, C. G., et al. (eds.) (1907–1912). The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Online at newadvent.org. Articles: Agnus Dei (H. Thurston); Amulet (M. Hassett); Ash Wednesday (H. Thurston); Bells (H. Thurston); Holy Oils (H. Leclercq); Paschal Candle (H. Thurston); Scapular (J. Hilgers). Read in part · the text read
- The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York, 1907–1914), “Incense.” newadvent.org/cathen/07716a.htm Standard reference work
Verification
- Checked
- October 1, 2026
- Passes
- Every dated or regulatory claim checked by category across the database
- Each quotation from the older authorities checked word for word against the text, read in full
- Sources
- 2 cited: 1 read in part, 1 standard reference work.
- Corrections
- None were needed.
What was checked, how, and what was found is set out on the Verification page. A checked source is one whose record was found; it does not make the entry medical advice.
Cite This Entry
Version 1 · first published September 28, 2026 · last revised October 1, 2026
- Chicago
“The thurible.” In Materia Medica, edited by B. C. P. Statema. Version 1. The Thinking Press, 2026–. Last modified October 1, 2026. https://thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/thurible.
- MLA
“The thurible.” Materia Medica, edited by B. C. P. Statema, version 1, The Thinking Press, 1 Oct. 2026, thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/thurible. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.
- APA
The thurible. (2026, October 1). In B. C. P. Statema (Ed.), Materia medica (Version 1). The Thinking Press. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/thurible
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See Also
Also in The Catholic Encyclopedia
The vernicle in The Catholic Encyclopedia · Tetragrammaton in The Catholic Encyclopedia · Wax ex-votos in The Catholic Encyclopedia · The stole in The Catholic Encyclopedia · everything The Catholic Encyclopedia names →
Nearby in the alphabet
Thyme (T) · Thorn apple (of the nightshade family) · Tinder fungus (A hoof-shaped bracket of birch and beech) · Theriac · Toad (dried, powdered, or worn) · Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) · Terra sigillata (A clay dug on the island of Lemnos and stamped with a seal)
Historical description, not medical advice.