Installation (Christianity)

Giuseppe Pace being installed as bishop of Gozo, Malta on 8 April 1945

Installation is a Christian liturgical act that formally allows a cleric to assume the office of his appointed position at a particular place such as a cathedral. The term arises from the act of symbolically leading the prelate to their stall or throne within the cathedral or other place of worship (the word "cathedral" derives from the cathedra, the bishop's or archbishop's throne) representing the office of the position.[1]

In the Catholic tradition, installations are carried out for bishops or archbishops who oversee a diocese or archdiocese known as canonical possession which ends the sede vacante period, not for coadjutor or auxiliary bishops. In the Anglican tradition, the term is additionally commonly used when inaugurating a new dean or canon.

  1. ^ Mitchell, Leonel L. (1998). "The Inauguration of Other Ministries". Pastoral and Occasional Liturgies: A Ceremonial Guide. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 111. ISBN 9781561011582. Retrieved 11 December 2015.