If you have ever been to the Church, you might have noticed a small bell that is rung in, and you might be familiar with it as it is pretty popular in the Christian circle. Yes, we are talking about “Altar Bells.”
Have you ever wondered what it is, why it is rung, and what its significance is? You all may know that it is rung particularly to announce a sacred moment, but you might not know about the history of it and how their use of it came into existence.
Like any other part of the holy liturgy, the Church seeks to guarantee that what’s being used at the altar is respectable and encouraging, which is particularly crucial about something as inherently disruptive as a ringing bell.
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The use of altar bells is now popularized; however, the Bible has neither encouraged nor banned the striking of altar bells, but for so many Believers, the striking of these bells from a church is a cheerful sound, reminding people of God’s impact and presence in this world. Also, the melody created by the bell choir has touched countless people for numerous years.
The practice of striking altar bells goes all the way back approximately 400 A.D. when Paulinus of Nola was the first to use bells in connection with a church. Pope Sabinenes formally authorized their usage in 604. Church bells then became popular owing to the involvement of Irish priests. Bell striking has a stretched out and complicated history in the Orthodox Churches, and it is exceptionally intricate when it comes to the Russian Orthodox Church.
In contemporary times, the primary function of striking church bells is really to signal the time for worshipers to come for a religious service. Most Episcopal, Roman, and Catholic churches strike their tower bells three times per day. First at 6 a.m., second at noon, and lastly, the third at 6 p.m., to invite the believers to perform the Prayer.
Initially, the vast bells inside the tower were rung to notify others outside the Church, permitting those within hearing range to stop their activity and admire temporarily. A tiny bell near the altar substituted the bell in the building to alert people within the Church. It took almost two centuries for such a habit to be established in the Roman Empire; the ring wasn’t really listed in the Missale Romanum until 1604 under Pope Clement VIII.
The belief that the noise of the ringing bells has religious value is said to have started with medieval wintertime rituals wherein bells were rung to drive away bad spirits.
Now, ringing the bells is a common practice in the Christian churches, and people are familiar with the sounds of these bells. Over time the size of an altar bell reduced, and it is now a tiny handheld bell that can ring quickly.
The sound of this bell should be loud enough to get people’s attention but not loud enough to become a distraction. These bells are rung in a set of three, and striking it three times is considered to be the ideal practice as it is alerting and not disruptive for the people inside in the Church.