More incense, less nonsense

H/T to Fr Dwight Longenecker for this video of the Botafumeiro shown swinging in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela on the feast day.



This must be every thurifer's dream thurible. It weighs about 12½ stone and is nearly 6ft high. It is filled with about 6 stone of incense. there have been several accidents with the botafumeiro over the years. Notably, it flew out of the window during a visit of Princess Catherine of Aragon who was on her way to marry Arthur, Prince of Wales, brother of the future Henry VIII. It should have been obvious that this omen indicated that her intended would die, his brother would marry her, then insist he get an annulment, rebel against the negative decision, repudiate her, marry a younger woman and start the Church of England.

According to a footnote in the wikipedia article, there is a thurible in Lohne, Oldenburg, Germany that is considerably larger.

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