Dimissorial letters

• The article mainly deals with the importance of the Protestant Church, but the lemma is also common in the Catholic Church

The Dimissoriale (Latin for " Entlassschein ") is a confirmation, which allows an ecclesiastical official act ( Kasualie ) to be carried out at other than their own local church ( congregation ) that this actually would have to carry. The Dimissoriale is issued by the pastor or priest of their own local church.

Such an official act can be either a baptism, marriage, confirmation and burial. Until the beginning of the 20th century in the Protestant church a Dimissoriale was also partaking of the sacrament in another municipality often necessary, otherwise the exclusion of the sacrament could be avoided for the sake of church discipline.

With the Dimissoriale example, the maid pair is transferred to the desired community, and this is allowed to perform the official act, although the pair does not belong to her. At least one person ( bride or groom) must be a member of the Church. On the other hand, a Dimissoriale is just at weddings in some country churches often not necessary since the number of local churches has often been greatly expanded. Thus, in the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland up to seven parishes as competent parishes conceivable, namely: the church, have the respective resident in the bride or groom before the wedding ceremony, the church in which the couple after the ceremony is domiciled and parishes, in which the parents reside.

According to recent legislation, the Dimissoriale in some country churches no longer required in all cases in writing, but may be provided orally, eg by a telephone call between the two parishes. Some national churches have anchored the free municipal elections in their church constitution and so abolished the Dimissioriale in principle.

Not to be confused with the Dimissoriale however, is the godfather appearance. This is needed if someone wants as his own parish to take over the godfather office in another. As the official sponsor includes the promise to contribute to the Christian education of children, the affiliation of the sponsors is essential to a Christian church. The Protestant Church accepts as a rule all the sponsors who belong to a member church of the Council of Christian Churches in Germany.