CONSECRATION
OF THE CHURCH
IN THE
EASTERN TRADITION
(Revd.Dr.B.Varghese, Kottayam)
In the
early Church, no special building was thought to be necessary for the
liturgical gatherings. Thus, Minucius Felix, a third century Christian convert
in Rome said: “ We have no temples; we have no altars”. However by the fourth
century, ‘temples and altars’ became essential for the celebration of the
liturgy. Church fathers regularly referred to the places of worship in
Jerusalem as the type of Christian churches. The dedication of the places for
worship in ancient Israel provided a reason for the ‘blessing’ of the churches.
In fact the Old Testament refers to the dedication of the tabernacle
(Ex.40:1-11); Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 8) and the Second temple under
Zerubbabel (Ezra 6:6-17). The Temple and the altar were rebuilt and
re-dedicated under the Maccabees (! Mac.4; 2 Mac. 10), which eventually led to
the origin of the Jewish festival of Hanukah. This festival was probably behind
the origin f the Sundays of the ‘Consecration of the Church (Kudosh ‘etho)
and the Dedication of the Church (Hudosh ‘etho) in the Syriac tradition.
Consecration of the Church in the fourth century
It is
not easy to determine exactly what were the rites of the consecration of the
church in the early Christian tradition. Apparently, the celebration of the
Eucharist was the only essential ceremony. The first available record of the
dedication of a church is that of the church in Tyre (now in South Lebanon) in
314 AD, by Paulinnus, bishop of that city. His sermon on the occasion has been
quoted at length by Eusebius of Caesarea (Ecclesiastical History X,4).
However, Eusebius does not give the details of the rite.
Eusebius
speaks of the churches built during the reign of the Emperor Constantine. The
rites included the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, a sermon, special prayers
and thanksgiving. Constantine built a magnificent church over the Holy
Sepulchre at Jerusalem, called Martyrium. Eusebius describes the beauty and the
various parts of the building (Life of Constantine III, 25-40). The consecration took place on September 14th,
the anniversary of the discovery of the Holy Cross. In 335, Constantine called
a synod of all the bishops of the East,
first in Tyre and then they were asked to proceed to Jerusalem for the
dedication of the church. Another church, called the Anastasis or the Sanctuary
of the Resurrection, built by Constantine, also was consecrated on the same
day.
Eusebius
tells us that there were various discourses delivered by the bishops. There was
the celebration of the Eucharist and prayers were offered for the peace of the
world as well as for the Emperor and his children. Eusebius writes:
“ Meantime the festival derived additional luster both from
the prayers and discourses of the ministers of God, some of whom extolled the
pious Emperor’s willing devotion to the Saviour of mankind, and dilated on the
magnificence of the edifice which he had raised to his memory. Others afforded
as it were, an intellectual feast to the ears of all present, by public
disquisitions on the sacred doctrines of our religion. Others interpreted
passages of the holy scripture and unfolded their hidden meaning; while such as
were unequal to these efforts presented a bloodless sacrifice ad mystical
service to God in the prayers which were offered for general peace, for the
Church of God, for the Emperor himself as the instrumental cause of so many
blessings and for his pious sons. I myself too, unworthy as I was of such
privilege pronounced various public orations in honour of this solemnity,
wherein I partly explained by a written description the details of the imperial
edifice, and partly endeavoured to gather from the prophetic visions apt
illustrations of the symbols displayed. Thus joyfully was the festival of
dedication celebrated in the 13th year of our Emperor’s reign”. (Life
of Constantine Bk IV, 43).
The
presence of a large number of bishops was usual feature of the dedication
ceremonies in the reign of Constantine. Often vigil was kept in the night
preceding the dedication. Socrates, another Church Historian observes that the
Council of Antioch in 341 was convened in order to dedicate the famous church
there called ‘The Golden Church” (Dominicum Aureum). This church was
begun by Constantine and finished by his son Constantius. 97 bishops attended
the dedication ceremony on the invitation of Eusebius of Nicomedia (Ecclesiastical
History II,8; Sozomen, Eccl Hist. III,5).
St Athanasius
of Alexandria speaks of a church in which he celebrated the Holy Eucharist (in
355) before it was consecrated. The church in question was called “Great
Church” built in the royal quarters (‘Caesareum’) at Alexandria. The old
church there was burnt under Julian the Apostate and rebuilt by Athanasius with
the permission and at the expense of the Emperor Constantius. Arians charged it
as a serious offence that he ‘celebrated’ the Eucharist in the Great church
before it was consecrated’. Athnasius humbly sent an apology to the Emperor,
pointing out that ‘he did not celebrate the dedication of the church, which he
could not do with out the permission of the Emperor’. He confessed that ‘he did
celebrate the Eucharist before its dedication’ and he excuses himself on
account of ‘the great concourse of people that came to Alexandria on Easter
day’. (Athnasius, Apology to the Emperor Constantius ch. xiv-xviii).
Anniversary of the Dedication
We have
evidences that in the early Church, the anniversary of the dedication of a
church was celebrated with festivity. In one of his sermons, Gregory of
Naziansus (376 AD) refers to this custom:
“ That it was an old law, and very excellently constituted,
to do honour to Churches by the feasts of their dedication, and that not for
once only, but upon the annual return of the same day of their consecration;
but otherwise such remarkable transactions might be forgotten in a long period
of time, and be at last quite buried in the grave of oblivion”( Orations
43).
The earliest record of such anniversary is that of the two
churches in Jerusalem, Martirium and Anastasis, consecrated in 373 AD.
According to the Church Historian Sozomen, the festivities lasted for eight
days:
“ The temple called the ‘great Martyrium’ which was built in
the place of the skull at Jerusalem, was completed about the 30th year
of the reign of Constantine….. Since that period, the anniversary of the
consecration has been celebrated with great pomp by the Church of Jerusalem.
The festival continues eight days, initiation by baptism is administered, and
people from every region under the sun resort to Jerusalem during this
festival, and visit the sacred places” ( Ecclesiastical History II, 26).
Etheria, a Spanish lady who visited Jerusalem as a pilgrim
(end of the fourth century) was present
at the feast of the Dedication in Jerusalem. The anniversary of the dedication
of some of the important churches found their permanent place in the liturgical
calendar of the East and the West. September 14th became a feast in
all Churches, because the Holy Cross was discovered on that date, and also
because it was the anniversary of the dedication of the two churches in
Jerusalem. Likewise, the feast of St Peter and St Paul is celebrated on 29th
June, because it was the anniversary of the dedication of the St Peters
Basilica in Rome. In the Syriac tradition, the feast of St Thomas was fixed on July
3rdm, because the Cathedral of t Thomas in Edessa was dedicated and its
anniversary was regularly celebrated on that date.
Deposition of the Relics
In the 5th
and 6th century dedication ceremony among the Latins and the
Byzantines was preceded by the solemn transfer of the relics of a martyr or a
saint to the altar. They appealed to Rev.6:9 (‘ John saw the under the altar
the souls of the martyrs’) for this practice. However, this seems to be founded
on the ancient custom of building altars
and churches over the tombs of the martyrs. The relics were brought in a
triumphal procession and deposed on the altar. Among the Byzantines, the second
Council of Nicea (787 AD) made it obligatory to place relics on the altar (Canon
7):
“We decree therefore that relics shall be placed with the
accustomed service in as many of the sacred temples as have been consecrated
without the relics of the martyrs.. And if any bishop from this time forward is
found consecrating a temple without holy relics, he shall be deposed as a
transgressor of the ecclesiastical tradition” (Nicene Post Nicene fathers of
the Church Vol.14, p.560).
In the Syrian Orthodox tradition, relics are never placed on
or under the altar. Thus a canon attributed to John of Tella says: “ The bones
of the saints, though they are holy, shall not be placed on the altar” (Hudaya
canon 1:6). The Syriac fathers generally saw the altar as the symbol of
Christ’s tomb and this seems to be reason for the prohibition of placing the
relics on it.
Anointing of the altar
The custom of
anointing the altar is of Eastern origin. The oil for the baptismal anointing,
whether perfumed or not, was used for this purpose. From the east, the custom
reached the Latin West. An ancient Syriac canon gives the impression that
anointing was the essential rite of the Syrian Orthodox liturgy of the
consecration of the altars.
“Concerning altars in the churches and monasteries that were
devastated by the barbarians, but about which one does not know whether they
have been anointed or not. If they are of wood, material that is found in every
country, hey shall be placed in the sacristy with honour in order to deposit
(the sacred) garments there or to place chalices, cups and other vessels of the
cult there – but one shall never offer on them. If they are of marble which
cannot be found in all countries, they should be anointed. The bishop who
anoints says: ’We anoint this altar, if it has not been anointed, in the name
of the father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” (A.Vööbus, The Synodicon in the
West Syrian Tradition, CSCO 368, SS.162, Louvain, 1972, p.159).
This
canon provides interesting information. The altar was generally made of wood
like a table, which can be moved and could be used as a chest where liturgical
vestments or vessels could be kept when they are not in use. Marble altars were
rare and were probably expensive. The present fixed altar seems to be of later
origin.
Washing of the altar
In the
Latin tradition, altars were sometimes washed and then anointed and altar
clothes were spread. This is apparently inspired by the baptismal liturgy in
which immersion, anointing and putting on white robes are the important
elements. As in baptism, the bishop first signed the altar without oil. Usually
crosses were marked with the thumb. In the Latin tradition, X or A –Ω (Alpha – Omega), symbol of
Christ are often marked.
Syriac Tradition
The
originally consecration seems to have been limited to the altar and then Tablaito
(Antimension). This is implied in the text from the Synodicon quoted
above. Bar Hebraeus quotes a canon attributed to Severus of Antioch, which also
suggests the same practice (Hudayacanon 1,6). However, the custom of
consecrating the church building also can claim to be ancient. Thus in a canon
attributed to Philoxenus (of Mabbugh?) we find: “ Because of the honour of
peace and the benefit of the believers also, the altars and temples which had
been anointed and consecrated by Eudoxius the Arian were accepted by the
Orthodox bishops without being anointed and consecrated anew” (Synodicon
II, p.184: CSCO 376, SS 164, Louvain, 1976).
In the
Malankara Orthodox Church, which follows the Syrian Orthodox liturgy, there is
a solemn “laying on of the stone” ceremony at the beginning of the construction
of the church. In a small chest 12 small pebbles are placed after being
anointed with the Holy Myron. Each of them is placed in the main altar,
side-altars (if any), four corners of the sanctuary as well as in the side
walls. If there was no such ceremony at the beginning of the construction, the
consecration of the new church shall begin with it and is celebrated o the eve.
The liturgy of the consecration consists of three parts or ‘services’ and the
first part is celebrated on the eve at the conclusion of the Vespers. Hudayacanon
directs that the ordo of the Hudosh ‘etho (-Dedication of the Church,
the second Sunday in the liturgical year) shall be used for Vespers and an all
night vigil shall be kept. The service includes a series of psalms, hymns,
Promiun-Sedro and readings from the Bible.
In the
second part dedication of the altar takes place. After the introductory
prayers, altar and tablaita are signed thrice without oil. Then they are
signed thrice with the Holy Myron. Then takes place the ‘dressing’ of the
altar. Altar clothes are blessed and the cross and the candle sticks also are
signed with Myron. These rites evoke the baptismal liturgy.
In the
third part, sanctuary and the nave are consecrated. The eastern, northern and
the southern walls, as well as the entrance of the sanctuary are signed with
Myron. Then in the nave, all the doors and windows are signed with the Myron.
The dedication service is concluded with the Scripture readings (which includes
John 10:22-38), litany, thanksgiving prayer and the exaltation of the cross
towards four sides.
Consecration of the Church as a Sacrament
Bar
Hebraeus (d.1285), in his theological treatises Mnares kudshe (‘Light
of the Sanctuary’) and Zalge (‘Rays’) gives the list of
sacraments (roze). In both of them Consecration of the Church is listed
among the sacraments. In the East Syrian tradition, the Patriarch Timothy II
(d.1328) also included the ‘consecration of the altars’ in his list of the
sacraments. Various canons found in the Hudaya canon ascribe special
sanctity or sacramentality to the consecrated altars and tablaito. Tablaito
always bears the name of the bishop who has consecrated it. This is precisely
to handle them with care, as they have received special sanctity by
consecration. All the Eastern Churches use tablaito (or antimension) on
which the Paten and the Chalice are placed. It was probably introduced during
the persecutions, when it was not possible to celebrate the Eucharist on a
regular altar or inside a church. Hudaya canon directs that tablaito
shall be consecrated by an orthodox bishop and a priest shall not celebrate
without a tablaito. The use of broken tablaito or one blessed by
heretics are also prohibited. Thus tablaito is regarded as the symbol of
unity with the bishop.