Desecration

Profanity or profanity (of profane, the associated verb is profane ) is the desecration or debasement of a sacred ( tangible or intangible ) object. While the deliberate devaluation by people with a different religion or belief is meant Frequently, but also applies to the thoughtless use of sacred words as a profanation. Also a secularization, ie unbundling of secular and spiritual affairs is sometimes referred to pejoratively as profanation.

Desecration of Catholic sacral buildings

A profanation or desecration in terms of the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church necessary if the church's use of a church building is completed, for example due to demolition or conversion. It is thus the counterpart to the consecration of the church. Legally, the state church profanation in Germany the effect of declassification.

A desecration is decided by the competent bishop. They usually take place as part of a last Mass in the affected church. Existing in the church relics must be removed. The church is after the profanation no more than sacred space for worship, but as an ordinary building. This can thus be demolished or used for any other purpose, without thereby violating religious customs or laws.

Profanazioni of church buildings to be completed in Germany, not only in the Catholic Church. But are for the Catholic Church provided detailed documentation, so that the following collection limited to this church for the time being. In addition, because of the sacramental consecration of a comparison with this rite seems sensible.

Catholic Canon Law

The Catholic Church law differentiates between the necessary consecration or blessing of a church ( church consecration, can. CIC 1217 and the necessary consecration of a fixed altar ( can. 1237 § 1 CIC). Both ( can. 1238 § 2 CIC) require a separate profanation, the is performed exclusively and effectively by a decree of the Ordinary (church) ( can. 1212 CIC can. 1222 CIC) and therefore requires no liturgical action. , in the case of a church of the local bishop must first listen to the Priests' (without the compliance of the vote to be required ) and seek the approval of those who " claim lawful rights of the Church" ( can. 1222 § 2 CIC ), which the church council ( does not apply to the parish council ) or a patron in Germany. since no rite Kirchenprofanierung is necessary, is the part of the Roman authorities are not interested in the global regulation of such rituals.

Rituals and beliefs about the effects of

The profanation by the decree of the local bishop is in contrast to the celebration of the feast of the dedication and consecration of the altar. In addition, speak the liturgical texts of the altar consecration of an eternal tribute to the means for worship. Also, the complex system of mainly unwritten rules and customs to be followed in the church premises and the use of the same stages the sanctity of space withdrawn as human caprice. Since the late 16th century, therefore, an attempt is made to accompany the profanation of a church rituals, or to perform. These attempts have never entered in the space provided for the entire Catholic Church liturgy books and are therefore passed on to the present day only as a diocesan own liturgies, or further developed.

History

Antiquity and Early Middle Ages know no Kirchenprofanierung. Also, most elements of the rite of consecration develop until the High Middle Ages. Opposition to the idea that a church would be dedicated to appropriate use by the first of the dedication is to get in letter 66 of Synesius of Cyrene. He points to the problem that because of this idea through the celebration of Holy Mass, any place at a church - could be made - and thus to church property. For dedications, therefore, would be sovereign acts. The liturgy corresponds in this respect, the oldest Christian views on production and eradication of holiness of rooms.

The Byzantine Patriarch Kallinikos refused to the emperor Justinian II in 693/94 the execution of a ritual to Kirchenprofanierung. The emperor wanted to demolish a church to build a well and a platform for one of the circus parties. The patriarch was this, first: "We have a prayer for the construction of a church. But our tradition knows no prayer for the destruction of a church. " However, on the insistence of the Emperor he said afterwards: " Glory be to God, who bears all things, now and for ever, and in all times to come. Amen. " The text continues: " And when they heard it, they destroyed the church and built the well." While The Patriarch refused the invention of a Profanierungsliturgie, but could not escape the situation. His doxology is interpreted as a replacement for it.

Ritualized destruction

Since the Middle Ages testify sources of canon law, that with a certain degree of destruction of a church building ( and altar ) whose character is repaid as a sacred space. Up to the present, therefore, find stylized acts in minimal destruction rituals to Kirchenprofanierung how damaging the altar substructure with a hammer or the currently used overlaying of candles and candlesticks. The altar plate should also consider after work Help 175 of the German Bishops' Conference are not damaged or desecrated, but salvaged and stored for re- funds for their intended use.

Reverse execution of Heiligungsritualen

Different historical rituals demonstrate the view that the reverse execution of rituals under certain conditions blot out their earlier effects. Among the rituals at the dedication of the transfer of relics and their installation comes to a high rank in the altar of a new church. To date, therefore, the removal of relics, statues and other " healing shrines " (working Help 175 ) out of the church for the preparation and presentation of the desecration of a building is completed. The ritual washing of parts of buildings (to remove the places where the building or the altar was anointed with chrism ) has not been enforced.

Ritual in the presence

The rites at the Kirchenprofanierung emphasize the following three design elements.

Staging of the promulgation of the act

Even if at the profanation one Holy Mass is celebrated, is the public reading of the episcopal decree, with which the church is profaned, an element of the rite. This can happen even in the presence of the Bishop himself. The reading of the decree directed the removal of the sanctity of an act of the competent authority.

Ritualized desecration by removing sacred things

The diocesan proposals to Kirchenprofanierungsliturgien and work help of the German Bishops' Conference recommended the implementation of a procession with relics, holy pictures and consecrated hosts from the deconsecrated church in the find as in blocking a nearby church, the former members of the old church in the future a new spiritual home should.

Farewell party ( under a fair) as the last dedication proper use

A farewell party may refrain from staging ideas of a desecration of the building. With the last dedicated use of the device is a community realizes the end of these Terms and leaves the recovery of sacred objects or the canonically correct implementation of operations to the competent bodies of the Diocesan Administration.