the exercise of justice with meekness, and not to neg- lect strictness of discipline through love of tranquiUitj'. The oonsecrator then blesses the ring and places it on llip tliird finger of the bishop's right hand, reminding t lie lat t or that it is the sTnbol of fidelity which he owes to Holy Church. The' book of the Gosi>els is taken from the bishop's shoulders and handed to him, with the command to go and preach to the people commit- ted to his care. He then receives the kiss of peace from the consecrator and the assistant bishops, and the latter conduct him to his altar, where the crown of his head is cleansed with crumbs of bread, and his hair is adjusted. Afterwards the bishop washes his hands,
- iiid both he and the consecrator, at their respective
altars, continue the Ma.ss as usual, down to the prayer nf the Offertory inclusively. After the Offertory the new bishop is led to the consecrator's altar where he presents to the latter two lighted torches, two loaves of bread, and two small barrels of wine. This offering is a relic of ancient discipline, according to which the faithful made their offerings on such occasions for the support of the clergj' and other purposes connected with religion. From the Offertory to the Communion the bishop stands at the Epistle side of the consecra- tor's altar and recites and acts together with the latter everything as indicated in the Missal. After the con- secrator h.as consumed one-half of the Host which he consecrated at JIass, and partaken of one-half of the Precious Blood together with the particle of the conse- crated Host that was dropped into the chalice, he Commtmicates the bishop by giving him, first, the other half of the consecrated Host, and then the Pre- cious Blood remaining in the chalice. Both take the ablutions from different chalices, after which the new bishop goes to the Gospel side of the consecrator's altar, and with the consecrator continues the Mass down to the blessing inclusively. The consecrator then blesses the mitre and places it on the head of the bishop, referring to its mystical signification a.s a hel- met of protection and salvation, that the wearer of it may seem terrible to the opponents of truth and be their sturdy adversary. The gloves are then blessed and put on the hands of the bishop, referring to the action of Jacob, who, having his hands covered with the skins of kids, implored and received the paternal blessing. In like manner the consecrator prays that the wearer of the gloves may deser'e to implore and receive the blessings of Divine grace by means of the saving Host offered by his hands. Coyirlusion. — The new bishop is then enthroned on the faldstool on the predclla, from which the conse- crator has risen, or, if the ceremony be performetl in the cathedral of the new bishop, on the usual episcopal throne. The Te Deum is now intoned by the conse- crator. and while the hymn is being sung the new bi.sh- op is led by the assistant bishops through the church, that he may bless the people. Having returned to the altar — or to the throne in his own cathedral — the bish- op gives the final solemn ble.s.sing as usual. The con- secrator and assistant bishops move towards the Gos- |i<'l corner of the altar and face the Epistle side; the new bishop goes to the Epistle corner, and there, with mitre and crosier, facing the consecrator, makes a genuflexion and chants "Ad multos annos". He pro- ceeds to the middle of the predella and performs the same ceremony, chanting in a higher tone of voice. Finally, approaching the feet of the consecrator, he again genuflects, chanting in a still higher tone of voice, .fter this the consecrator and a.ssistant bish- ops receive him to the kiss of peace. Accompanied by the a.ssistant bishops, he returns to his altar, reciting the CJospcl of St. John. All then lay aside their vest- ments and depart in peace. Martkne, De antiqiii^ EcfleMw rUibust (Venire. 17.5.3); AMBF.ROF.R, Paslorallheologie (Ratisbon, 18S4), II; Bf.rnakd. Cour.i de liturgie Tomainf—le Pontifical (Paris, 1902), I; Kfn- RICK. Furm of Consecration of a Bishop (Baltimore. 1S6.S). II. Consecration of a Fixed Altar. — At the con- secration of a church at least one fixed altar must be consecrated. Altars, permanent structures of stone, may be consecrated at other times, but only in churches that have been consecrated or at least sol- emnly blessed. We have instances in which a simple priest has performed this rite. Walafridus Strabo, in the Life of St. Gall (ch. vi), says that St. ( 'oluiuban, at that time being a priest, having dedicated the church of St. Aurelia at Bregcnz on the Lake of Constance, anointed the altar, deposited the relics of St. Aurelia under it, and celebrated Mass on it. But according to the present discipline of the Church, the ordinary minister of its consecration is the diocesan bishop. Without the permission of the ordinary, a bishop of another diocese cannot Ucitlt/ consecrate an altar, al- though without such permission the consecration would be I'aUd. One and the same bi.shop must per- form the rite from the beginning to the end. An altar may be consecrated on any day of the year, but a Sun- day or feast day is to be preferred (Pontificale Romanum). It is difficult to determine when the rite used at present was introduced. To the essen- tials of consecration reference is made as early as the sixth century by the Council of Agde (50(i): "Altars are to be consecrated not only by the chrism, but with the sacerdotal blessing"; and by St. C;esarius of Aries (d. about 542) in a sermon delivered at the consecra- tion of an altar: "We have to-day consecrated an altar, the stone of which was blessed or anointed" (Migne, P. L., LXVII, Serm. ccxxx). The ceremonies of the exposition of the relics on the evening before the day of consecration, the keeping of the vigil, the blessing of the Gregorian water, the sprinkhng of the altar, and the translation of the relics to the church are the same as those described at the consecration of a church (see IV, below). When the relics have been carried to the church, the consecrator anoints with holy chrism, at the four corners, the sep- ulchre of the altar (see Alt.r), in which the relics are to be enclosed, thereby sanctifying the cavity in which the venerated remains of the martyrs are to rest, and then reverently places therein the case containing the relics and incenses them. Having anointed with holy chrism the nether side of the small slab that is to cover the sepulchre, he spreads blessed cement over the ledge of the sepulchre on the inside and fits the slab into the cavity, after which he anoints the upper side of the slab and the altar-table near it. He then in- censes the altar, first, on every side — right, left, front and on top — whilst the chanters sing the aniiphon "Stetit angelus"; secondly, in the form of a cro.ss on the top, in the middle, and at the four corners; thirdly, whilst going round the altar three times. After the third incensation, the censer is given to a priest, vested in surplice, who, till the end of the con- secration, continues going around the altar, incensing it on all sides, save when the bishop uses the censer. The incense symbolizes the sweet odour of prayer which is to ascend from the altar to heaven, whilst the fullness of the grace of the Holy Ghost, which is to descend on the altar and the faithful, is indicated by the prayers recited after the three unctions which fol- low. The consecrator then anoints the table of the altar at the middle and the four comers, twice with the oil of catechumens, and the third time with holy chrism. After each unction he goes round the altar once, incensing it continuoti.sly, the first and second time passing by the Epistle side, and third time by the Ciospel side. Finally, as if to indicate the complete sanctification of the altar, he pours and spreads over its table the oil of catechumens and holy chrism to- gether, rubbing the holy oils over it with his right haiKl, whilst the chanters sing the appropriate anti- phon, " Behold the smell of my son is as the smell of a plentiful field", etc. (Gen., xxvii, 27, 28). When the church is consecrated at the same time, the tuilve crosses on the inner walls are now anointed with iioly
