Salt (In the Liturgy)

SALT (IN THE LITURGY). - Salt was used in sacrifices among the Hebrews (Lev. 2:13), the Romans and the Greeks.

The Romans attributed to salt an apotropaic effect, that is, the power to drive out demons; indeed, on the lustration day, the eighth after birth, they gave the newborn a little of the mola salsa. Does the use of salt in Baptism perhaps derive from this rite? In the Latin Church, in fact, exorcised and blessed salt has been given to the one being baptized since the time of St. Augustine (Conf., I, ch. 11; De catechizandis rudibus, ch. 25). The first Roman testimony is the letter of John the Deacon (Pope John I, 524-26?) to the Senate. Among Christians salt symbolizes the infusion of wisdom (for the baptizer says: "Accipe sal sapientiae..."), the struggle against the putrefaction of sin and the integrity of the moral life. This rite, called "Sacramentum cathecumenorum," which was repeated in the course of the preparation, is not found in the Eastern rites. Blessed salt is moreover held in great veneration by the people and used against many evils both of persons and of animals, in the fields, against storms and against fire.

Exorcised salt is furthermore used: a) for the preparation of holy water; b) in the rite of the consecration of a church, for the consecration of the altar, to make a special holy water called "Gregorian water"; c) in the blessing called "greater," "ad omnia valde necessaria et maxime pro peste animalium" or "ad pecora" or "pro mortalitate," in use since the 10th century. Eating salt is a symbol of union and fidelity (Num. 18:19 and II Par. 13:5) both among the Hebrews and among the Eastern peoples still today.

Pietro Siffrin