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Consecrations in Eastern Christianity can refer to either the Sacred Mystery (Sacrament) of ''Cheirotonea'' (Ordination through laying on of hands) of a Bishop, or the sanctification and solemn dedication of a church building. It can also (more rarely) be used to describe the change of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ at the Divine Liturgy. The Chrism used at Chrismation and the Antimension placed on the Holy Table are also said to be consecrated. ==Consecration of bishops== Eastern Christians believe their bishops to be in apostolic succession, and that at their Ordination they receive the fullness of the Grace of the Priesthood (priests and deacons function as the "hands" of the Bishop and are thus an extension of his ministry). For the Eastern Christians, the office of bishop is the highest rank in the Church. Although certain bishops may receive titles such as Patriarch, Metropolitan, or Archbishop, ultimately all bishops are equal, and such titles constitute marks of dignity and honor, but not any higher order in the Church or greater measure of grace. At his Ordination, a bishop receives grace not only to perform the Sacred Mysteries but also to bestow the grace of Ordination on others. The Scriptural foundation for ''john'' is found in the Acts of the Apostles (; ) and the Epistles to Timothy (; ). Just as in Acts there were two stages involved: (a) election and (b) the prayerful laying on of hands, so the Ordination of a bishop in the Eastern Church takes place in two stages:〔Saint Clement of Alexandria in his ''Stromata'' says that the election is the work of men, but the ordination is the work of God.〕 *''Election''--In the Early Church, bishops were elected by the entire local church over which they were to preside. Bishops in neighboring dioceses would assemble the local clergy and laity, and all together would elect the new bishop. It should not be thought, however, that such elections were merely democratic—the emphasis was upon consensus rather than majority rule—and election by acclamation was not unheard of. In time, with the danger of so sacred an undertaking descending into base electoral politics, it became the custom for episcopal nominations to be performed by a Synod of bishops. In the Early Church a bishop could be married, but the danger arose of episcopal dynasties forming. So with the rise of monasticism in the 4th century, it became customary to choose bishops from among the monks. Episcopal celibacy became a canon of the Church at the Sixth Ecumenical Council.〔Note that among the Russian Orthodox the requirement is not merely celibacy, but specifically monasticism.〕 In the Russian tradition, if he has not yet been Tonsured, he must make his vows before Consecration. Technically, a bishop must be chosen from among the Archimandrites; so prior to his Consecration, a bishop-elect will normally be elevated to the rank of Archimandrite. A candidate for the episcopate does not have to be in Holy Orders, but if not, he must be ordained a deacon〔He may be blessed as a Reader and Subdeacon on the same day he is ordained to the diaconate.〕 and then priest (each successive Ordination—deacon, priest, bishop—must be performed on separate days). The person elected to the episcopate must voluntarily accept his nomination before the Consecration can proceed. *''Cheirotonia''--Because the Acts of the Apostles describes the ''Cheirotonia'' being accomplished with prayer, the Consecration is always performed in the context of the Divine Liturgy. Normally, this will occur on a Sunday or Feast Day which has an All-Night Vigil. During the Vigil (or before the beginning of the Divine Liturgy), the bishop-elect must make a formal and public Profession of Faith to ensure the orthodoxy of his belief (see the article on orlets for a more detailed description of this procedure). During the Divine Liturgy, after the Trisagion the bishop-elect kneels before the Holy Table, touching his forehead to the Holy Table, and the Gospel Book is opened and laid, with the writing down, upon his neck. All of the consecrating bishops place their hands on the Gospel and say the Prayer of Consecration, during which the Holy Spirit is believed to descend upon the new bishop and imparts the grace of the episcopate upon him. The bishop is then clothed in the vestments of a bishop and presented to the people. The ancient participation of the laity in the election of bishops is retained in their triple acclamation of Axios ("He is worthy") at the time the Omophorion is placed on the new bishop's shoulders. According to the Canon I of the Apostolic Canons, a bishop must be Consecrated by at least two or three bishops.〔(Canon I ) ''The Seven Ecumenical Councils'' (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, V2-14, Erdmans) p. 594.〕 Normally, there will be three or more Consecrating Bishops. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Consecrations in Eastern Christianity」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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