imposition of ashes ash wednesday forehead

Sprinkling ashes on the top of people's heads, rather than marking foreheads with ashes, is the customary practice at the Vatican and in Italy. The usual practice would be to repeat the formula - 'Repent and believe in the Gospel' or 'Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return' - to each person as the ashes are sprinkled on the top of their head or rubbed onto their forehead. 'The priest takes the ashes and sprinkles them on the head of each one without saying anything.' 'The priest then cleanses his hands, puts on a face mask and distributes the ashes to those who come to him or, if appropriate, he goes to those who are standing in their places,' it said. The Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments asked priests to take special anti-COVID-19 precautions this year when distributing ashes on Ash Wednesday.

'Then he addresses all those present and only once says the formula as it appears in the Roman Missal, applying it to all in general: 'Repent and believe in the Gospel' or 'Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.'' 12 and directs priests to say 'the prayer for blessing the ashes' and then sprinkle 'the ashes with holy water, without saying anything.'

The congregation's note on the 'distribution of ashes in time of pandemic' was published on the congregation's website Jan. 17, including sprinkling ashes on the top of people's heads rather than using them to make a cross on people's foreheads. (Based on the guidelines issued on Feb.VATICAN CITY (CNS) - The Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments asked priests to take special anti-COVID-19 precautions this year when distributing ashes on Ash Wednesday, Feb. Parishes are given the guide for family prayer and imposition of ashes. They then receive the ashes from family members who were able to go to church for the celebration and will bring home ashes for them. Those who cannot come to church on this day can join the celebration of the Mass of Ash Wednesday on TV and other online means. The faithful who could come to church on Ash Wednesday will be given a small plastic sachet containing blessed ashes that they in turn can impose to their family members. The minister uses a different cotton ball for each of the faithful. The minister, with the aid of a cotton ball dipped into the vessel of the blessed ashes, traces the cross on the forehead of the faithful. Each of the faithful who wants to receive the imposition of ashes approaches the minister. by using cotton balls in applying ashes on their forehead by sprinkling ashes on their head which was also done last year. The Priest has two options in the manner of imposing ashes on the faithful. He addresses all those present and only once, says the formula as it appears in the Roman Missal, applying it to all in general: '?, ?”, or '?, ?, ?”. The Priest says the prayer for blessing the ashes and sprinkles the ashes with holy water, without saying anything.

Imposition of ashes ash wednesday forehead