Thus individual churches may administer the ashes in different ways.

In the latter case, it is to be part of a liturgy of the word and conclude with the prayer of the faithful.

The blessing and imposition of ashes should take place either in the Mass or outside of the Mass. On the Wednesday before the first Sunday of Lent, the faithful receive the ashes, thus entering into the time established for the purification of their souls. What is not universal is how the ashes are applied. 'on Ash Wednesday everyone, clergy and laity, men and women, will receive ashes' 1īefore that, the practice was done in private, dating back many centuries, and probably in some church services since at least the 8th century. The practice was 'made official' in a 1091 decree of the Council of Benevento, which states: I believe that the imposition of ashes is universal within the Roman Catholic Church. English Wikipedia gives a list of churches observing Ash Wednesday, but not one of countries where the practice of placing ashes is (or is not) observed in the Roman Catholic Church. Anyway, Portugal is unlikely to be the only country not observing imposition of ashes. I don't speak Portuguese, but Portuguese Wikipedia has no ashes-themed picture and from the little I understand, it seems that this practice is not even mentioned there. I checked the Czech (I'm Czech) and English Wikipedias, and they both highlight the practice of placing ashes. They seemed puzzled when they saw the priest placing ashes on other worshipers - they apparently didn't know the practice. But now I have been to a Mass (on the first Lent Sunday, when ashes may be placed for those who didn't receive this sacramental on Ash Wednesday) attended by some Portuguese people. Since I learned of this practice, I thought that placing ashes on Ash Wednesday is practiced worldwide, at least within the Roman Catholic Church.

Benevento imposition of ashes