Enciclopedia Cattolica

Aster or Asterisk (Ὁ Ἀστήρ. Ὁ Ἀστερίσκος)

ASTER O ASTERISCO (Ὁ ἈΣΤΉΡ. Ὁ ἈΣΤΕΡΊΣΚΟΣ)

Volume II · p. 153 · 1949

English translation · Testo originale italiano

Machine translation of the 1948–1954 Italian original. The original text is authoritative.

ASTER O ASTERISCO (ὁ ἀστήρ. ὁ ἀστερίσκος). — It is an instrument consisting of two metal plates bent into semicircles, crossed and sometimes fixed at the point of intersection by a star-shaped nut. In the Byzantine liturgy, it serves to protect the particles of bread from contact with the veil covering the diskos, and is placed upon it during the preparation of the offerings. The aster is removed a few moments before the consecration. The Copts and the Catholic Syrians also use II.
Placido de Meester

Cite this article

“ASTER O ASTERISCO (Ὁ ἈΣΤΉΡ. Ὁ ἈΣΤΕΡΊΣΚΟΣ).” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. II (1949), p. 153. Azione Romana digital edition, https://azioneromana.com/article/aster-o-asterisco-o-aster-o-asteriskos.