Must blessed candles be made of beeswax?

[scriabin]

The New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia says liturgical candles must be of beeswax, but how about candles for personal sacramental use at home?

I know I can use any type of candle I please; but I'd like to get them blessed. I've heard that in order to get candles blessed they must be of beeswax. Does anyone know?

[tee_eff_em]

Originally Posted by scriabin

The New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia says liturgical candles must be of beeswax, but how about candles for personal sacramental use at home?

I know I can use any type of candle I please; but I'd like to get them blessed. I've heard that in order to get candles blessed they must be of beeswax. Does anyone know?

From whom have you heard this?

I think the onus of documenting an incredible claim (viz. candles must be of beeswax to be blessed) is upon the person making the incredible claim, not on those who would say "Rubbish -- You may have blessed whatever you wish".


tee
(FTR: Rubbish -- You may have blessed whatever you wish)

[Joe Kelley]

Note that the New Advent Encyclopedia is about 100 years old. It is out of date on some items such as this. As far as I know the requirement for beeswax was eliminated a few years back.

I did have some beeswax stubs at one time that I used at home. I found they tended to melt and run more readily than other candles. A bit messy to deal with if you don't have those collars they use at church to contain the melted wax. Also they are quite a bit more expensive.

[Spirithound]

Originally Posted by Joe Kelley

Note that the New Advent Encyclopedia is about 100 years old. It is out of date on some items such as this. As far as I know the requirement for beeswax was eliminated a few years back.

I did have some beeswax stubs at one time that I used at home. I found they tended to melt and run more readily than other candles. A bit messy to deal with if you don't have those collars they use at church to contain the melted wax. Also they are quite a bit more expensive.

I love beeswax candles. True, they can get stickier, but they last quite a bit longer. A better buy in my opinion. As for the OP however, anything may be blessed.

[chewchoo]

i have had regular pillar candles and tea lights blessed.

[bpbasilphx]

I believe that for altar use, candles must be at least 51% beeswax, but this does not apply to private devotional use.

Of course, once upon a time, beeswax was the ONLY material available to make them.

[tee_eff_em]

Originally Posted by bpbasilphx

I believe that for altar use, candles must be at least 51% beeswax.

That is not (or: is no longer) the case in the US. cf. Composition of Candles and Use of Candles in the Liturgy.

tee

[Nicholas82]

http://www.orthodoxsupply.com/candles.htm

This is an awesome site for pure beeswax candles at a very reasonable price. I personally use the 9", 1/4" diameter tapers... the ordering process may be a bit annoying as first time CC orders are asked to phone in the info, but I have bought candles from them for my icon corner and they are so very worth it. Not only do they burn longer than paraffin candles, they don't produce that black smoke like paraffin sometimes does, smell amazing, burn well without dripping and are made of pure ingredients as opposed to being the by-product of oil processing. I mean you get almost 40 candles at like 7 dollars before shipping, which is really good for high-quality beeswax.

because a lot of them are thinner than your average tapers or whatnot I just usually heat the bottom and stick it in the candle holder, or a little sand in some sort of small vase or container works very well, as that's what's used in Orthodox Churches usually.

The difference between beeswax and paraffin is like the difference between real resin incense and stick incense, good wine and the stuff in the box, once you've tried it nothing quite compares. I mean, you use what you can, but it's desirable. Pure beeswax, like pure olive oil used in vigil lamps also has the significance of offering our best to God, and a small similarity to a "whole burnt offering" as it is entirely consumed.

[Gerhard2]

If you want to have the candles blessed for candlemas, it says that you need candles of at least 51% beeswax. I didn't hear that they took the requirement out.

[tee_eff_em]

It says many things, depending especially upon what the antecedent of it may be?


tee