Emptying out the Holy Water During Lent?

[Berchmans525]

[color=green][font="Courier"]Hello:

First off, I am new to the "phorum".. Now to my question: Why do certain parishes empty out Holy Water During the Lenten Season? I find it strange that some parishes do that. I thought that the Holy Water isn't present in the Church only on Good Friday?

Blessed Lenten Season!

-Chris[/color][/font]

[Apotheoun]

The liturgical abuse of emptying the holy water fonts in a Church during the season of Lent has been condemned and prohibited by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Here is the response of that Congregation concerning this question:

[quote][b]Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments[/b]

Prot. N. 569/00/L

March 14, 2000

This Congregation for Divine Worship has received your letter sent by fax in which you ask whether it is in accord with liturgical law to remove the Holy Water from the fonts for the duration of the season of Lent.

This Dicastery is able to respond that the removing of Holy Water from the fonts during the season of Lent is not permitted, in particular, for two reasons:

1. The liturgical legislation in force does not foresee this innovation, which in addition to being [i]praeter legem[/i] is contrary to a balanced understanding of the season of Lent, which though truly being a season of penance, is also a season rich in the symbolism of water and baptism, constantly evoked in liturgical texts.

2. The encouragement of the Church that the faithful avail themselves frequently of her sacraments and sacramentals is to be understood to apply also to the season of Lent. The "fast" and "abstinence" which the faithful embrace in this season does not extend to abstaining from the sacraments or sacramentals of the Church. The practice of the Church has been to empty the Holy Water fonts on the days of the Sacred Triduum in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil, and it corresponds to those days on which the Eucharist is not celebrated (i.e., Good Friday and Holy Saturday).

Hoping that this resolves the question and with every good wish and kind regard, I am,

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Mons. Mario Marini Undersecretary[/quote]