Burse

BURSE. - To keep the corporal with decency and reverence, when it was reduced to its present dimensions, the burse was introduced. In ancient times the corporal was kept in special box-cases, or was carried to the altar inside the Liber Sacramentorum. The burse today consists of two pieces of cardboard joined together and open on one side. It must be covered, at least on one side, with cloth of the color and material of the sacred vestments. The inside may be of silk or linen. It is not necessary that there be a cross on it, but it may be ornamented in various ways. Its use is not very ancient; Gavanto traces it back to the Council of Reims (11th century). Today it is obligatory according to the prescriptions of the rubrics of the Missal. The practice of distributing communion outside of Mass has also brought about the obligation for the priest to carry the burse with the corporal to the altar himself: it is the same as that of the Mass and must be of the color of the stole. To bring communion to the sick, another burse is also used, of white silk, with a round and sturdy bottom to support the pyx or the small case of the particles, closed at the upper end by a cord to be hung around the neck. It must not be used to carry the Holy Oil, for which a violet one is used. Finally, it should be remembered that the S. Congregation of Rites has forbidden the use of burses intended for corporals for collecting alms.