Bans on physical contact will have a major impact on the traditional Ash Wednesday rituals in churches throughout Ireland next week.
While the Catholic church hopes ashes can be distributed, the method will be completely different from that practiced for centuries in Ireland.
The Vatican has already told priests not to follow the traditional practice of marking foreheads but to sprinkle ashes over the head. However, with bans on public worship in Ireland, next Wednesday’s rituals are likely to be even more different from previous years. Guidelines are expected to be released in the coming days.
Ash Wednesday is observed by Christians all over the world as the official start of Lent, the period of fasting and penance leading up to Easter Sunday.
The use of ashes to symbolise penance for wrong-doing and sin has existed for millennia and, in the Christian churches, is traced back to the Old Testament where it is mentioned in the Books of Samuel and Job.
The day is traditionally observed by having the sign of the cross marked on the forehead with ash prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebrations. The practice, accompanied with the words “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return”, symbolises the willingness to repent.
However, guidelines issued by the Vatican suggest priests bless the ashes and recite the prayer once over them before sprinkling ashes “over” the head without saying anything. It is recommended that the priest “cleanses his hands, puts on a face mask and distributes ashes to those who come to him, or if appropriate, he goes to those who are standing in their places.” Social distancing must be observed at all times and the faithful must wear facemasks.
The distribution of ashes has led to innovative ways of observing the tradition, particularly in the US church. There has long been a practice of 'ashes to go' while more recent ideas have included a form of 'drive by ashing' with priests in some parishes standing at traffic lights and distributing ashes to anyone seeking them.
Among the more creative ideas put forward by priests to deal with the coronavirus crisis, is placing of ashes in small plastic bags which can be collected and then placed on the forehead by the member of the congregation. Fr Tom Callard of Christ Church Cathedral in the US diocese of Springfield said he was using the practice as a way of maintaining remote worship.
“We are giving people little plastic containers with ash to distribute at home while they are watching our livestream,” Fr Callard said.
