**3. The "Sacredness" of Church Buildings**

The Swiss canon lawyer René Pahud de Mortanges outlines the fact that the rules according to canon law with reference to church buildings are derived from a theological understanding of church buildings. From a functional stance, it is a place that enables the liturgical assembly, but from the point of view of canon law it is considered a sacred space. Said sacredness is derived from the Roman Catholic understanding of the Eucharist, which symbolizes the lasting presence of God and which expresses itself in the performance of Mass and the presence of the host in the tabernacle (Pahud de Mortanges 2007, p. 187; Leonhard 2012, p. 127).

From the perspective of canon law:

"Sacred places are those which are designated for divine worship or for the burial of the faithful by a dedication or a blessing which the liturgical books prescribe for this purpose." (can. 1205).

Specifically, with regard to church buildings, the Code of Canon Law (1983) stipulates the following:

"By the term church is understood a sacred building designated for divine worship to which the faithful have the right of entry for the exercise, especially the public exercise, of divine worship." (can. 1214).

The following articles specifically refer to the rites that are implemented to "make the church sacred":

"After construction has been completed properly, a new church is to be dedicated or at least blessed as soon as possible; the laws of the sacred liturgy are to be observed." (can. 1217 §1).

"Churches, especially cathedrals and parish churches, are to be dedicated by the solemn rite." (can. 1217 §1).

A church building, according to canon law, becomes a sacred place by the rite of dedication with chrism, which is a "solemn rite", or by the rite of blessing, which is a "less solemn rite". In both cases, this ritual act is recorded in parish and diocesan records. The term "dedication" is normally used with regard to both rites to refer to the change of status of a church building from a secular building into a sacred space (Schöch 2007, p. 485). The more solemn rite is used to dedicate more important churches such as cathedrals and parish churches. Less important spaces such as chapels may only be dedicated by the less solemn rite. Buildings that are only occasionally used for liturgical means do not require any ritualized form of dedication (Schöch 2007, p. 486). Churches are dedicated or blessed following the Rite of Dedication of a Church and an Altar (1978), which in fact consists of several rites such as the dedication and blessing of a church (Huels 2000, p. 1425). Without a dedication or blessing, a church is not considered sacred and Mass may not be celebrated there, the exception being only in case of need (Huels 2000, p. 1430). On where the Eucharist may be celebrated, canon law states the following:

"The eucharistic celebration is to be carried out in a sacred place unless in a particular case necessity requires otherwise; in such a case the celebration must be done in a decent place." (can. 932 §1) and

"The eucharistic sacrifice must be carried out on a dedicated or blessed altar; outside a sacred place a suitable table can be used, always with a cloth and a corporal." (can. 932 §2).

Since can. 932 states that Mass may be celebrated in all decent places, the only conclusion that can be drawn here is that, interestingly enough, the only place where Mass may not be celebrated is a deconsecrated church building.
