Q: On YouTube videos of the entrance procession often have two people in front of the cross and candles, the thurifer and incense boat bearer.

Ceremonial of Bishops n. 90 describes the bishop putting incense in the thurible and has footnote 72: “Two acolytes may go to the bishop with the censer and boat or one acolyte carrying both, the censer with burning charcoal in the left hand and the boat with the incense and spoon in the right”. 

No position in the entrance procession is given for the boat bearer in Ceremonial of Bishops, 128 or GIRM 120. Only the thurifer is included, in front of the cross and candles. GIRM 119 mentions the incense boat, but only as an item to be prepared.

Ceremonial of Bishops, n. 131 describes the bishop kissing the altar and then has: “If necessary, fresh incense is placed in the censer by an acolyte,”. If that is a correct translation, I don’t think that could be done by the thurifer alone, suggesting a boat bearer. GIRM 173 describes a Deacon assisting the Priest to add incense to the thurible at this point of the Mass.

I googled “incense boat bearer leading entrance procession” and the AI had: “In the entrance procession of a Catholic Mass, when incense is used, the thurifer (incense-bearer) leads, followed by the boat bearer (carrying the incense boat)”. 

How should the incense boat be carried in the entrance procession? If it is not carried by the thurifer, where should the boat bearer be?

==

A: I think the boat bearer logically belongs among “other ministers” in GIRM 120c. These enter just ahead of the reader or deacon.