Investiture (from the Latin prepositionin and verbvestire, "dress" fromvestis "robe") is a formal installation ceremony that a person undergoes, often to mark or celebrate their taking up membership in—or leadership of—aChristianreligious institute, anorder of chivalry (which may include knighthoods, damehoods, or other honours), or a governmental leadership role or office.
In an investiture, a person may receive (or be 'invested with') an outward symbol or marker of their membership, such as areligious habit (as withmonastic communities), anecclesiastical decoration (as withchristian chivalric orders), a badge or medal (as with an honours investiture), a particular colouredveil (as with religious orders of women), or ascapular (as withconfraternities).[1][2] A person assuming political or clerical office (eg, as a bishop) may be given the symbols of authority or particular (usually historical)regalia of that office; these items often come to be regarded as manifestations of the polity or the religious order or institution itself, and are passed down from office-holder to their successor. Investiture can include formal dress and adornment, such as a robe of state, crown, or headdress; it often takes place in a particular space (a church or a parliament building etc) and otherregalia such as a staff, sword, throne or sceptre may also play a role. An investiture is also often part of, or is similar to, acoronationrite or anepiscopalenthronement.
Bishops are given jurisdiction over a particular part of a church during an investiture, which occurs alongside their consecration as a member of the order of bishops.
Investiture indicates, inreligious orders, the usually ceremonial handing over of thereligious habit to a newnovice. The investiture takes place either as part of a liturgical celebration (usually in a church or itschoir) or in the community'schapter house.The investiture usually takes place upon admission to the novitiate (or, rarely, later, upon their simple or solemn profession).
In some places, a person entering a religious community's novitiate is invested with a slightly shorter or white habit: the junior member then dresses in this until their simple/solemn profession, at which time they exchange their prior garb for a full, regular habit as worn by other professed members of the community. In some religious orders for women, the white veil of the novice is exchanged for a black veil when taking temporary vows (simple profession), while other communities only give the black veil at solemn profession.
Joining a confraternity (such as theConfraternity of the Immaculate Conception) occurs through an investiture; in some of these ceremonies the new member is given ascapular as an outward totem or symbol of their membership.[3]
A Christian is made aknight ordame through an investiture, as with theOrder of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg), a chivalric order.[1]
Investiture is the installation of individuals in institutions that usually have been extant from feudal times. For example, the installation of heads of state and various other state functions with ceremonial roles areinvested with office. Usually, the investiture involves ceremonial transfer of the symbol of the gods. Judges in few countries, including justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, are invested with their office. American justices typically take two oaths: one to uphold theConstitution of the United States, and the other to apply justice equally.[4] Likewise, university presidents, rectors and chancellors are invested with office.
In Spain, theprime minister and similarly, the leaders of regional governments, undergo an election procedure called "investiture" or "parliamentary investiture". Established in theSpanish Constitution, the procedure consists in the candidate to prime minister defending its political program and the legislative chamber supporting it or rejecting it. If accepted, themonarch appoints him as prime minister.
In theUnited Kingdom, around 2,600 people annually are invested with state honours or membership in chivalric orders, either personally by the reigning monarch (presently KingCharles III) or another senior member of theroyal family. A list of those to be honoured is published twice a year, in either theNew Year Honours or theBirthday Honours. Approximately 25 investiture ceremonies are held annually, usually either in theThrone Room atBuckingham Palace or the Grand Reception Room inWindsor Castle.[5] ThePalace of Holyroodhouse, inEdinburgh,Scotland, is also used, as are other locations from time to time.[6] In 2014, for example, the then-Prince of Wales held an investiture atHillsborough Castle inNorthern Ireland.[7]
Investitures are also held in otherCommonwealth realms, when thegovernor-general orlieutenant-governor acts on behalf of the relevant nation and the monarch to award and bestow upon certain citizens particular state honours or membership in orders of chivalry.[8]
The term is used in theScouting movement when enrolling a new youth member or an existing member is moving to a different section such as fromCubs toScouts,[9][10] and for the ceremony in which a new member declares their commitment to scouting traditions.[11][12]
The poem "The Investiture" by English poet, writer, and soldierSiegfried Sassoon is about a young man who was killed in battle during World War I.[13]
Ronald S. Palomares-Fernandez, Ph.D., a Texas Woman's University assistant professor of psychology, has been knighted by the Johanniter Order, a 900-year-old spiritual service organization dedicated to assisting the sick, the poor and the infirmed. Palomares-Fernandez received the honor for his humanitarian work in his church and around the world. Palomares-Fernandez was approved to serve as a Knight of Honor in March by the Herrenmeister, Prince Oscar of Prussia, Lord Master of the Brandenburg Bailiwick of the Knightly Order of Saint John of the Hospital of Jerusalem. His investiture and knighting ceremony occurred on April 7 in Boston, Massachusetts.
scapular blessed by a priest. In wearing the scapular there is a promise (consecration) by the individual to pray and perform acts of charity and devotion. Investiture is done only once, and subsequent to being invested, the person wears the scapular at all times as a sign of that promise.
By joining the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception, the faithful take upon themselves certain obligations and receive spiritual benefits. The ceremony of admittance into the Confraternity includes the investiture with the Blue Scapular. Confraternity members ought to piously wear the Scapular always as an outward mark of veneration for the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. and a symbol that sets them apart as people particularly dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Media related toInvestiture at Wikimedia Commons
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