consecration

Consecration is the act of declaring something sacred or setting it apart for a divine or holy purpose. The word comes from Latin consecrare, meaning to dedicate as sacred or to separate from ordinary use. In religious contexts, consecration is typically a ritual process that affirms the sacred status of an object, place, or person.

In many traditions, consecration involves precise ceremonies, prayers, and symbolic acts such as anointing, blessing, or incense. Objects and spaces commonly consecrated include altars, churches, temples, and religious vessels. People may be consecrated through ordination or installation, such as the consecration of bishops and priests in some Christian churches, or the dedication of monastics in various traditions.

Christian practice often emphasizes two main forms: the consecration of places and objects (for example, a church or an altar) and the consecration of persons through ordination to holy orders. In Roman Catholicism, for instance, the Eucharist is believed to be consecrated during Mass, and bishops, priests, and deacons may be consecrated through ordination. Eastern Orthodox and Anglican churches maintain similar concepts, with variations in rite and theology.

Other religious traditions describe consecration in distinct terms. In Hinduism, pratishtha refers to the installation of a deity’s image in a temple, often accompanied by elaborate rites such as kumbhabishekam to re-energize sacred space. In Buddhism, ceremonies may consecrate temples and statues, inviting blessing and empowerment for devotional use.

Secular usage extends the concept to the dedication of a person or thing to a sacred or dedicated purpose, such as “consecrated ground” or a life consecrated to religious service.