desecrated adj : treated with contempt; "many desecrated shrines and cemeteries" [ant: consecrated]

Desecrate \Des"e*crate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Desecrated; p. pr. & vb. n. Desecrating.] [L. desecratus, p. p. of desecrare (also desacrare) to consecrate, dedicate; but taken in the sense if to divest of a sacred character; de- + sacrare to consecrate, fr. sacer sacred. See Sacred.] To divest of a sacred character or office; to divert from a sacred purpose; to violate the sanctity of; to profane; to put to an unworthy use; -- the opposite of consecrate. The [Russian] clergy can not suffer corporal punishment without being previously desecrated. --W. Tooke. The founders of monasteries imprecated evil on those who should desecrate their donations. --Salmon.

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Desecration (also called desacralization or desanctification) is the act of depriving something of its sacred character, or the disrespectful or contemptuous treatment of that which is held to be sacred or holy by a group or individual.

Many consider acts of desecration to be sacrilegious acts. This can include desecration of sacred books, sacred places or sacred objects. Desecration generally may be considered from the perspective of a particular religion or spiritual activity. Desecration may be applied to natural systems or components, particularly if those systems are part of naturalistic spiritual religion.

To respectfully remove the sacred character of a place or an object is deconsecration, and is distinct from desecration.

Some religions, such as the Roman Catholic Church have specific rules as to what constitutes desecration and what should be done in these circumstances.

• Final resting place: Cemeteries lack oversight - CBS News
  At some cemeteries, graves were desecrated so more plots could be sold. Is enough being done to protect bereaved families? Anderson Cooper reports. (CBS News) Roxie Williams' family struggled to pay for a proper burial for her father ... Read more on this news related to 'Desecrated'
• Franklin graves desecrated with Nazi symbols - Union Leader
  FRANKLIN — Police investigating the desecration of two city cemetery gravestones with Nazi symbols say they don't think the acts were committed by believers in Nazi ideology. The backs of the two stones, which stand at one end of the Franklin ... Read more on this news related to 'Desecrated'
• Military graves desecrated by relic hunters - Independent Online
  Provincial heritage group Amafa has warned that robbers of military graves are threatening KwaZulu-Natal’s reputation among tourists as a battlefield destination. Last week, the Intombi Camp Military Cemetery near Ladysmith, where Anglo-Boer War soldiers ... Read more on this news related to 'Desecrated'