Investiture

In an investiture, a person may receive (or be 'invested with') an outward symbol or marker of their membership, such as a religious habit (as with monastic communities), an ecclesiastical decoration (as with christian chivalric orders), a badge or medal (as with an honours investiture), a particular coloured veil (as with religious orders of women), or a scapular (as with confraternities). 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 other regalia such as a staff, sword, throne or sceptre may also play a role. An investiture is also often part of, or is similar to, a coronation rite or an episcopal enthronement.

Christian organisations

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.

Religious institutes

Investiture indicates, in religious orders, the usually ceremonial handing over of the religious habit to a new novice. The investiture takes place either as part of a liturgical celebration (usually in a church or its choir) or in the community's chapter 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.

Confraternities

Joining a confraternity (such as the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception) occurs through an investiture; in some of these ceremonies the new member is given a scapular as an outward totem or symbol of their membership.

Chivalry

A Christian is made a knight or dame through an investiture, as with the Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg), a chivalric order.