Wednesday Liturgy: Follow-up: Paper Towel Purificators

ROME, FEB. 9, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.


Commenting on our Jan. 26 piece on paper-towel purificators, a priest remarks: "Paper towels are clearly not suitable for use at the liturgy. Thinking as a celebrant who has no community helpers to take care of stained linen, I suspect that the priests are either trying to be efficient or economical. The reason for purificators being white is not explained. The stains never seem to leave linen and turn dirty brown if bleach is used -- thus requiring new purchases of 'linens.' On the one hand, the instruction says 'suitable cloth' and on the other, it says 'linen.' Can we presume to use cotton cloth? I used to do this in the military due to saying Mass on a jeep in the desert. The cotton lasted longer and was easy to take care of. Now that I am bi-ritual, I find Eastern churches more practical. We use beautiful red purificators in keeping with Precious Blood stains. It is more practical and has never been an issue for washing. Made of cotton or linen, they work better. I now use them for the Roman Mass and no one has yet objected."

Certain norms grow out of traditions, and the Roman tradition is to use white purificators. This color might have been first used because it happened to be available. Even though the red purificators might be deemed more practical, I believe that we should follow the norms proper to each liturgical tradition and avoid mixing.

With respect to the material, it was once required that purificators be made of pure white linen or hemp, and cotton was forbidden. As we saw in our previous column, the present norms simply say that "The material of purificators should be absorbent and easily laundered." And this opens the door to cotton and other suitable textiles.

The reason behind this change is probably also practical. Modern manufacturing techniques and the advent of new artificial fibres have sometimes converted pure linen into an expensive luxury. Also, with the widespread distribution of Communion under both species in most U.S. parishes, the use of purificators has grown exponentially, along with the inevitable increase in laundry requirements.

With respect to folding and ironing the purificator, the indications of the century-old Catholic Encyclopedia are still of practical value: "The Purificator is used for cleansing the chalice [and the ciborium ndr]. Its size is not prescribed by the rubrics. It is usually twelve to eighteen inches long, and nine or ten inches wide. It is folded in three layers so that when placed on the chalice beneath the paten its width is about three inches. A small cross may be worked in it at its centre to distinguish it from the little finger-towels used at the lavabo, although this is not prescribed."