Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 4.djvu/324

 CONSECRATION

27S

CONSECRATION

grants him the faculty of choosing any bishop having communion with the Holy See to consecrate him and administer the oath, a i^ledge of obedience and respect to the Apostolic See. Besides the consecrator, the an- cient canons and the general practice of the Church require two assistant bishops. This is not of Divine but of Apostolic institution (Santi, " Praelectiones Juris Canonici", Vol. I, Tit. vi, n. 49), and hence, in cases of necessity, when it is impossible to procure three bishops, the places of the two assistant bishops may, by Apostolic favour, be filled by priests, who should be dignitaries (Cong. Sac. Rit., 16 July, 1605). These priests must observe the rubrics of the " Pontifi- cale Romanum" with regard to the imposition of hands and the kiss of peace (Cong. Sac. Rit., 9 June, 1853). Benedict XIV (De Synod. Dicec, Lib. XIII, cap. xiii, n. 2 sqq.) holds that the consecration of a bishop, when the consecrator is assisted by one priest, although the Apostolic Brief required two assistant priests, is valid although illicit. In missionary coun- tries the consecrator may perform the ceremony with- out the assistance even of priests (Zitelli, " Apparatus Juris Ecolesiastici ", Lib. I, Tit. i, § iv). The selection of the assistant bishops or priests is left to the conse- crator, whose choice is, however, understood to be in harmony with the wishes of the bishop-elect (Mar- tinucci. Lib. VII, cap. iv, n. 5).

The day of consecration should be a Sunday or the feast of an Apostle, that is to say a dies nalalitiii, and not merely a day which commemorates some event of his life, e. g. the Conversion of St. Paul. Since in liturgy Evangelists are regarded as Apostles (Cong. Sac. Rit., 17 July, 1706) their feast days may be se- lected. The choice of any other day must be ratified by special indult of the Holy See. Outside of Rome the consecration ought to be perfonned, if it can be conveniently done, in the cathedral of the diocese, and within the province of the bishop-elect; the latter may, however, select any church or chapel for the ceremony. A bishop must be consecrated before the expiration of three months after his election or ap- pointment. If it is delayed beyond this time without sufficient reason, the bishop is obliged to relinquish the revenues to which he is entitled; if it is delayed six months, he may be deprived of his episcopal see (Cone. Trid., Sess. XXIII, cap. ii, De Reform.). Titular bishops forfeit their right of episcopal dignity unless they are consecrated within six months of their ap- pointment (Benedict XIV, Const. "Quum a nobis", 4 Aug., 1747, § Hiec sane). Accordmg to the ancient canons, both the consecrator and the bishop-elect are expected to observe the day preceding the consecra- tion as a fast day.

The ceremony of consecration of a bishop is one of the most splendid and impressive known to the Church. It may be divided into four parts: the pre- ludes, the consecration proper, the presentation of the insignia, and the conclusion. It takes place during Mass celebrated by both the consecrator and the bish- op-elect For this purpose a separate altar is erected for the bishop-elect near the altar at which the conse- crator celebrates Mass, either in a side chapel, or in the sanctuary, or just outside of it.

Preludes. — The consecrator is vested in full pontifi- cals of the colour of the Mass of the day ; the assistant bishops, in amice, stole, and cope of the same colour, and a white linen or damask mitre; the bishop-elect in amice, alb, cincture, white stole crossed on the breast, and cope anil l)irett:i. The consecrator is seat- ed on a faldstool placed on the pretlella of the altar, facing the bishojj-elect, who sits between the assistant bishops, upon a seat placed on the sanctuary floor. The senior assistant bishop presents the elect to the consecrator, after which the Apostolic commission is called for and read. Then the elect, kneeling before the consecrator, takes an oath in which he promises to be obedient to the Holy See, to jironiote its rights, hon-

ours, privileges, and authority, visit the City of Rome at stated times, render an account of his whole pas- toral office to the pope, execute all Apostolic man- dates, and preserve inviolable all the possessions of his Church. Then follows the examination, in which sev- enteen questions concerning the canons of the Church and articles of faith are proposed, to which the elect answers, "I will", and, "I do believe", respectively, each time rising slightly and uncovering his head. Mass is now begun at the foot of the consecrator's altar and continued down to " Oremus. Aufer a nobis " inclusively. The elect is then led by the assistant bishop to the side altar, at which, having been clad in his pontifical vestments, he continues the Mass, simul- taneously with the consecrator, down to the last verse of the Gradual, Tract, or Sequence exclusively, with- out any change in the liturgy, except that the collect for the elect is added to the prayer of the day under one conclusion. The elect is again presented to the consecrator, who sets forth the duties and powers of a bishop: "It behooves a bishop to judge, interpret, consecrate, offer, baptize and confirm." The clergy and the faithful are then invited to pray that God may bestow the abundance of His grace on the elect. The Litany of the Saints is now recited or chanted, while the elect lies prostrate on the floor of the sanctuary and all the others kneel.

Consecration. — The consecrator, aided by the assis- tant bishops, takes the book of the Gospels and, open- ing it, plcices it on the neck and shoulders of the elect, so that the bottom of the page be next to the elect's head, and the book is held in this manner by one of the clergy until it is to be given to the elect after the pres- entation of the ring. This rite is found in all the an- cient rituals — Latin, Greek and Syriac — though in early times it seems not to have been universal among the Latins. Now follows the imposition of hands, which, according to the common opinion, is the es- sence of the consecration. Both the consecrator and the assistant bishops place both hands, to express the plenitude of the power conferred and of the grace asked for, on the head of the elect, saying, " Receive the Holy Ghost" — without restriction and with all His gifts, as the simple formula indicates. Theolo- gians do not agree as to whether the communication of the gift of the Holy Ghost is tlirectly implied in these words, but the prayers which follow seem to determine the imposition of hands by which the grace and power of the episcopacy is signified and conferred. In the Greek ritual the prayer which accompanies the impo- sition of hands is clearly the form. The " Veni, Crea- tor Spiritus" is sung, during which the consecrator first makes the sign of the cross with holy chrism on the crown or tonsure of the new bishop and then anoints the rest of the crown. That this unction is to symbolize the gifts of the Holy Ghost with which the Church desires a bishop to be filled, is evident from the prayer which follows, "May constancy of faith, purity of love, sincerity of peace abound in him". The anointing of the hands of the bishop in the form of a cross, and afterwards of the entire palms, then follows. This unction indicates the powers that are given to him. The consecrator then makes thrice the sign of the cross over the hands thus anointed and prays: " Whatsoever thou shalt bless, may it be blessed ; and w'hatsoever thou shalt sanctify may it be sanctified; and may the imposition of this consecrated hand and thmnb be profitable in all things to salvation." Tlie hands of the bishop are then joined, the right resting on the left, and placed in a linen cloth which is sus- pended from his neck.

Presentation of tlic episcopal insiynia. — The crosier is then blessed and handed to the bishop, who receives it between the index and midille fingers, the hanils re- maining joined. The consecrator at the same time admonishes him, as the Ritual indicates, that the true character of the ecclesiastical shei)herd is to temper