Talk:Blessed salt

A fact from Blessed salt appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 27 November 2009 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:

Did you know... that ordinary salt may be blessed by Catholic priests and used as a protective sacramental?

A record of the entry may be seen at Wikipedia:Recent additions/2009/November.

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Rosemarie Scott ref

Please state any objections here, else I will remove the dub tag. Thanks. History2007 (talk) 11:56, 23 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

My problem is that I'm not inclined to take a popular spiritual guide as an authority on what may or may not be done, especially as it is about an entirely different subject. I cannot even see that it has an imprimatur. Looking at the 1964 Rituale Romanum here I do not see this rite, though I do see a different rite intended for use with salt for animals. Mangoe (talk) 15:01, 23 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The Cath encyclopedia says that: "The Ritual knows two kinds of salt for liturgical purposes, the baptismal salt and the blessed salt." So Blessed salt is used. The only question would be the prayers needed to be said by the priest to bless it. There were a few other places I saw that. If you do a search beyond tht reference it will show up. History2007 (talk) 16:02, 23 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Well, actually it doesn't say that, at least not in the edition to which you have linked. It does however refer to use of blessed salt by "the faithful in their homes". We are still lacking an authoritative citation that is specifically for protection (as opposed to simply blessing a foodstuff: that's the form seen for animals, for example). I think it could be said that salt blessed at church could be taken home for use there, but I don't think it could be said what that use is, not without a better citation. Also, we still lack a source for this rite. Mangoe (talk) 16:30, 23 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I am actually not sure on this now, and given that I wrote this article in order to learn what it was, maybe more search is needed. So instead of taking sides, let us do the following: What do you think the literature actually says? My feeling is that It can be blessed and is protective. If salt blessed at a church is taken home, it must have some use. The real problem seems to be that Google seems to be restricting access to books as time goes on, so some refs show at some point and not later. Anyway, I will do some searches later, and if you do some, I will appreciate it. History2007 (talk) 16:51, 23 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Searching through the 1964 Rituale doesn't give any positive authorization for blessing of salt to be taken home for personal use (other than that of blessing salt for animals, as mentioned earlier). There is a specific prohibition of taking the salt used in baptism from the church. There is however a use of salt in the consecration of an altar. The Novus Ordo provides for an optional rite of adding salt to holy water, using the form presently seen in the article. But there is no provision for reserving any of that salt apart from being added to the water.

I'm getting in touch with my traditionalist liturgy geeks to see if they can point to something. I think we could go with the animals bit for a DYK hook, though. Mangoe (talk) 17:28, 23 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Can we pass on the animal angle for now? My real goal was to bring together various protective items for people e.g. scapular of St Michael, prayer of St Michael, Vade retro satana, St. Benedict Medal, Crucifix as an amulet, Holy water, etc. So blessed salt was to be on that list. Key question, if Blessed salt is not on that list, what else is? History2007 (talk) 17:50, 23 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Fixing things

I think I have a reasonable reference for the sacramental, so I've restored and updated that bit. Mangoe (talk) 20:17, 24 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Actually now I am on the other side of the table. This gentleman's website is mostly his own, and I do not see it as a solid ref. I think what you have above it is good, but a web site out of Torrance by itself a sacrament does not make. History2007 (talk) 20:51, 24 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]