Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests
Ritual of Installation of a High Priest

 
1996

Preamble
Before the meeting the D.C. should place the anointing oil on the Altar, and see that the mitre of the High Priest Elect is placed conveniently near the Altar.
The D.C. should set a kneeling stool before the Altar, with room at the rear of the stool for the High Priest to stand in front of the Altar.
A Past High Priest will be needed to act as 7th Pillar, and another to act as the Keeper of the Inner Porch.
The D.C. conducts the High Priest Elect round the outside of the Pillars to stand at the north side and adjacent to the Symbol.
D.C.: V. Ill. or V.E. High Priest, I present to you the Em.Kt.Pt. … who has been regularly
elected H.P. of this Tabernacle to receive at your hands the benefit of installation.
H.P.: V.Ill./V. Eminent D.C. your presentation will be attended to.
V.Ill./V. Eminent and Worthy Kt.Pt. …, you have been elected to the office of High Priest of this Tabernacle by the vote of your fellow Knight Priests. It is now my duty to enquire whether you accept the honour, and promise to discharge the duties thereof faithfully and impartially?
H.P.E.: I do.
D.C. conducts the High Priest Elect to a convenient seat.
I.H.P.: I invite Rt./V.Ill./Ill./V.Em. Knight Priest … to act as 7th Pillar. D.C. places him in seat and conducts the 7th Pillar to a convenient seat.
I invite Rt./V.Ill./Ill./V.Em. Knight Priest … to act as K.I.P. D.C. places him in position.
I.H.P.: Now I will proceed to install you into the Chair of your Tabernacle, but must first request all below the rank of Installed High Priest to retire for a short period, under the guidance of the Director of Ceremonies.
D.C.: The Knight Priests below the rank of an Installed High Priest; with the exception of the High Priest Elect, will stand, salute the High Priest with the Pillar Sign and retire.
I.H.P.: I declare this a duly constituted Board of Installed High Priests.
The D.C. conducts the High Priest Elect to a position before the kneeling stool in front of the Altar. He quietly instructs him to remove his mitre, takes it from him, instructs him to kneel, and moves slightly to the south.
I.H.P.: Let us pray.
All Rise. The Installing High Priest moves to a central position before the Altar facing east, removes his mitre, placing it on the north end of the Altar.
I.H.P.: Almighty Father, may the Eminent Knight Priest who is about to be Installed as the High Priest of this Tabernacle be imbued with wisdom, strength and discretion, to perform his duties to the advancement of Thy glory and the everlasting benefit of his brethren. AMEN.
The Installing High Priest replaces his mitre, and then returns to his chair.
All sit
I.H.P.: In the passage of scripture which lam about to read to you, Hosea the Prophet is telling how God is willing to woo Israel after her infidelity to Him. When she has paid the penalty for her sins, He offers to come to her rescue once more. The love which once united them will be renewed. And so Israel is given the chance of a new beginning and a new Covenant with God.
This passage reminds us that God is always willing to take us back into his love when we too have strayed from his ways.
Hosea 2, vv.14-23: "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably unto her.
And I will give her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shall call me no more Baali.
For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.
And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.
And I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord.
And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;
And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.
And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God."
I.H.P.: You will now take the solemn obligation of an Installed High Priest.
All Rise. The Installing High Priest moves to the centre of the Altar, takes up the Bible and turns to face the High Priest Elect.
I.H.P.: Support the open Bible on your left hand and place your right hand upon it … State your Christian Names and Surname and repeat after me: I solemnly promise that I will never reveal the
secrets of a Nigh Priest to anyone not legally entitled thereto, and that Twill faithfully discharge my duties as High Priest to the best of my ability.
You will seal that obligation once with your lips on the Holy Bible.
Installing High Priest replaces the Bible on the Altar.
I.H.P.: I constitute (placing hands on the head) and in the name of J.M. anoint you High Priest
D.C. assists by handing the oil and napkin to the I.High priest. who hands them back to D.C. and may God direct and keep you in all your doings.
D.C. presents the High Priest’s mitre to the Installing High Priest who places it upon the new
High Priest’s head. He then takes him by the hands saying: Arise a High Priest of the Order.
The Installing High Priest raises the new High Priest. The D. C. moves the kneeling stool out of the way. The Installing High Priest then moves the High Priest backward two paces, and then turns him, so that the new High Priest faces north. The Sign and word are then communicated. Taking him with both hands he then installs him saying,
I.H.P.: I now place you in the chair of your Tabernacle.
D.C.: Knight Priests, you will salute your newly installed High Priest with the sign and word of an Installed High Priest.
H.P., prompted by the Installing High Priest: I now declare this Board of Installed High Priests
Closed.
The D.C. then admits the Knight Priests, directing them to form a triangle outside the Pillars, facing east.
D.C.: Knight Priests, I now proclaim that during your temporary absence the Eminent Knight
Priest … has been regularly installed as the High Priest of this the … Tabernacle No.... on the Roll of the Grand College of the Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests of Great Britain and Tabernacles Overseas and I call upon you to salute him with the Pillar Sign, taking the time from me.
Knight Priests please be seated.
I.H.P.: Rt./V.Ill./Ill./V.Em. High Priest, I present to you the Warrant of your Tabernacle, which is the authority under which you act, which you will cause to be displayed at every meeting. Here are the Regulations of Grand College, which it is your duty to enforce, and the Byelaws, which will assist you in the well-governing of your Tabernacle.
D.C., moving to the west round the Pillars to the north of the VP.: Very Eminent Nigh Priest, you will now proceed to appoint and invest your Officers.
The D.C. should always move round the outside of the triangle and not take short cuts between the Pillars when either collecting or seating the Officers of the Tabernacle.
D.C.: Very Eminent High Priest, that concludes the Ceremony of your Installation, and Investiture of your Officers. You will now proceed with the rest of the Tabernacle business.

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