Drinking Holy Water?

[BigJon16]

Is it even allowed to drink Holy Water?


One of the Church Ladies at my parish would always top off her water bottle with a little bit of Holy Water...I hadn't thought it was allowed...



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[Cherie]

Those in the Eastern Rites often drink holy water, but it may surprise you to know that many in the Latin Rite do, also. There is no rule that would prevent the drinking of Holy Water; in fact, many do so as an aid to healing (I know some who take it with their medicines in the morning, for example) or to receive blessings from the Lord, or simply as an act of devotion.

Holy Water is a sacramental, and there are other sacramentals that Catholics can ingest as well, such as blessed salt (I know a cook for a household who only ever used blessed salt when making the meals!)

It may not appeal to some Catholics' sensibilities, but it is a pious practice that many take part in, and we usually have no problem drinking something like Lourdes water, so it really shouldn't surprise us!

For health considerations, however, I would advise against drinking it directly from the font or even from any other container in the church, as there have been stories of people who have fallen ill from harmful bacteria found in the water in these places. A priest can bless the water you bring to him in a jug or bottle, and for drinking purposes, that's the method I would recommend.

So short answer: yes, it's allowed.