The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity and Buddhism. Saint Dominic of Silos (Santo Domingo de Silos (1000— December 10, 1073) is a Spanish saint to whom the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos The father is defined as the Male Parent of an offspring The Adjective "paternal" refers to father parallel to "maternal" for This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery. The female equivalent is Abbess. An abbess ( Latin abbatissa fem form of abbas Abbot) is the female superior, or Mother Superior, of an Abbey
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Origins
The title had its origin in the monasteries of Egypt and Syria, spread through the eastern Mediterranean, and soon became accepted generally in all languages as the designation of the head of a monastery. This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية The Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. At first it was employed as a respectful title for any monk, but it was soon restricted by canon law to certain priestly superiors. At times it was applied to various priests, e. g. at the court of the Frankish monarchy the Abbas palatinus ('of the palace') and Abbas castrensis ('of the camp') were chaplains to the Merovingian and Carolingian sovereigns’ court viz. to his army. The name "abbot" came in fairly general use in western monastic orders whose members include priests. Those living the monastic life are known by the generic terms Monks (men and Nuns (women A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion usually
Monastic history
An abbot is a man who has suffered so much as to become a "father", through the Coptic ava, Aramaic and Syriac abba, Latin abbas (genitive form, abbatis), Old English abbad, Italian Abbate, German Abt, French abbé. Aramaic is a Semitic language with See Syriac (disambiguation for other uses Syriac (syr ܠܫܢܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ leššānā Suryāyā) is an Eastern Aramaic language Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people He is the head and chief governor of a community of monks, called also in the East hegumenos or archimandrite. MONK is a Monte Carlo software package for simulating nuclear processes particularly for the purpose of determining the neutron multiplication factor or k-effective Hegumen, hegumenos, or ihumen ( Greek: ἡγούμενος; Macedonian, Bulgarian and Russian: игумен The title Archimandrite ( Greek: - archimandrites) primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches The English version for a female monastic head is abbess. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States An abbess ( Latin abbatissa fem form of abbas Abbot) is the female superior, or Mother Superior, of an Abbey
In Egypt, the first home of monasticism, the jurisdiction of the abbot, or archimandrite, was but loosely defined. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Sometimes he ruled over only one community, sometimes over several, each of which had its own abbot as well. Saint John Cassian speaks of an abbot of the Thebaid who had 500 monks under him. Saint John Cassian (ca 360 – 435 ( Latin: Jo(hannes Eremita Cassianus, Joannus Cassianus, or Joannes Massiliensis) John the The Thebaid or Thebais (Θηβαΐς or Θηβαΐδα is the region of Ancient Egypt containing the thirteen southernmost nomes of Upper Egypt By the Rule of St Benedict, which, until the reform of Cluny, was the norm in the West, the abbot has jurisdiction over only one community. The Abbey of Cluny (or Cluni, or Clugny, pronunciation klyˈni is an abbey in France. The rule, as was inevitable, was subject to frequent violations; but it was not until the foundation of the Cluniac Order that the idea of a supreme abbot, exercising jurisdiction over all the houses of an order, was definitely recognized. The Abbey of Cluny (or Cluni, or Clugny, pronunciation klyˈni is an abbey in France.
Monks, as a rule, were laymen, nor at the outset was the abbot any exception. For the reception of the sacraments, and for other religious offices, the abbot and his monks were commanded to attend the nearest church. A sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is "a Rite in which God is uniquely active This rule proved inconvenient when a monastery was situated in a desert or at a distance from a city, and necessity compelled the ordination of some monks. In general religious use ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is set apart as Clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies This innovation was not introduced without a struggle, ecclesiastical dignity being regarded as inconsistent with the higher spiritual life, but, before the close of the 5th century, at least in the East, abbots seem almost universally to have become deacons, if not priests. Ecclesiology (from Greek grc ἐκκλησίᾱ ekklēsiā, "congregation church" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study of the Spirituality, in a narrow sense concerns itself with matters of the Spirit, a concept closely tied to religious belief and Faith, a transcendent reality Deacon is a role in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind but which varies among theological and denominational traditions The change spread more slowly in the West, where the office of abbot was commonly filled by laymen till the end of the 7th century. The ecclesiastical leadership exercised by abbots despite their frequent lay status is proved by their attendance and votes at ecclesiastical councils. Thus at the first Council of Constantinople, AD 448, 23 archimandrites or abbots sign, with 30 bishops. The Second Ecumenical Council the first held in Constantinople was called by Theodosius I in 381 which confirmed the Nicene Creed and dealt with other matters such The title Archimandrite ( Greek: - archimandrites) primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight
The second Council of Nicaea, AD 787, recognized the right of abbots to ordain their monks to the inferior orders below the diaconate, a power usually reserved to bishops. The Second Council of Nicaea was the seventh Ecumenical council of Christianity; it met in 787 AD in Nicaea (site of the First Council Deacon is a role in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind but which varies among theological and denominational traditions
Abbots were originally subject to episcopal jurisdiction, and continued generally so, in fact, in the West till the 11th century. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight The Code of Justinian (lib. The Corpus Juris Civilis ("Body of Civil Law" is the modern name for a collection of fundamental works in Jurisprudence, issued from 529 i. tit. iii. de Ep. leg. xl. ) expressly subordinates the abbot to episcopal oversight. The first case recorded of the partial exemption of an abbot from episcopal control is that of Faustus, abbot of Lerins, at the council of Arles, AD 456; but the exorbitant claims and exactions of bishops, to which this repugnance to episcopal control is to be traced, far more than to the arrogance of abbots, rendered it increasingly frequent, and, in the 6th century, the practice of exempting religious houses partly or altogether from episcopal control, and making them responsible to the pope alone, received an impulse from Pope Gregory the Great. These exceptions, introduced with a good object, had grown into a widespread evil by the 12th century, virtually creating an imperium in imperio, and depriving the bishop of all authority over the chief centres of influence in his diocese. In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglican churches, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a Bishop. In the 12th century the abbots of Fulda claimed precedence of the archbishop of Cologne. Abbots more and more assumed almost episcopal state, and in defiance of the prohibition of early councils and the protests of St Bernard and others, adopted the episcopal insignia of mitre, ring, gloves and sandals. The mitre (sometimes also spelled miter from the Greek μίτρα, 'headband' or 'turban' is a type of headgear now known as the traditional ceremonial head-dress of It has been maintained that the right to wear mitres was sometimes granted by the popes to abbots before the 11th century, but the documents on which this claim is based are not genuine (J. Braun, Liturgische Gewandung, p. 453). The first undoubted instance is the bull by which Alexander II in 1063 granted the use of the mitre to Egelsinus, abbot of the monastery of St Augustine at Canterbury. Alexander II (died April 21, 1073) born Anselmo da Baggio, was Pope from 1061 to 1073 The mitred abbots in England were those of Abingdon, St Alban's, Bardney, Battle, Bury St Edmund's, St Augustine's Canterbury, Colchester, Croyland, Evesham, Glastonbury, Gloucester, St Benet's Hulme, Hyde, Malmesbury, Peterborough, Ramsey, Reading, Selby, Shrewsbury, Tavistock, Thorney, Westminster, Winchcombe, St Mary's York. St Albans Cathedral (formerly St Albans Abbey, officially The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban) is an Anglican church at Bury St Edmunds Abbey was once among the richest Benedictine monasteries in England Crowland (modern usage or Croyland (medieval era name and the one still in ecclesiastical use is a small town in south Lincolnshire, England, positioned Evesham ( is a middle-sized rural Market town in Worcestershire, UK in the Local Authority District of Wychavon. Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a Dry point on the Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. Gloucester (ˈɡlɒstɚ) is a city, district and County town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Malmesbury is a south Cotswold town and Civil parish in south west England in the county of Wiltshire. History Early history Present-day Peterborough is the latest in a series of settlements which have at one time or other benefited from its situation where the Nene Reading Abbey is a large ruined Abbey in the centre of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. Selby is a town and Civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Shrewsbury ( /ˈʃruːzbri/ or /ˈʃroʊzbri/ is the County town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England Tavistock is a Market town within West Devon, England on the River Tavy, from which its name derives and has a Thorney Abbey was located on the island of Thorney in The Fens of Cambridgeshire, England. Westminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster. Winchcombe is a Cotswold Town in the Local Authority District of Tewkesbury, in Gloucestershire, England. York ( is an historic Walled city sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. Of these the precedence was originally yielded to the abbot of Glastonbury, until in AD 1154 Adrian IV (Nicholas Breakspear) granted it to the abbot of St Alban's, in which monastery he had been brought up. Pope Adrian IV (or Hadrian IV – c 1100&ndash 1 September, 1159) born Nicholas Breakspear or Breakspeare, was Pope Next after the abbot of St Alban's ranked the abbot of Westminster. To distinguish abbots from bishops, it was ordained that their mitre should be made of less costly materials, and should not be ornamented with gold, a rule which was soon entirely disregarded, and that the crook of their pastoral staff should turn inwards instead of outwards, indicating that their jurisdiction was limited to their own house. A crosier ( crozier, pastoral staff, paterissa, pósokh) is the stylized staff of office ( Pastoral staff) carried by high-ranking
The adoption of certain episcopal insignia (pontificalia) by abbots was followed by an encroachment on episcopal functions, which had to be specially but ineffectually guarded against by the Lateran council, AD 1123. The pontifical vestments, also referred to as episcopal vestments or pontificals, are the liturgical Vestments worn by Bishops (and by concession The Council of 1123 is reckoned in the series of Ecumenical councils by the Roman Catholic Church. In the East abbots, if in priests' orders and with the consent of the bishop, were, as we have seen, permitted by the second Nicene council, AD 787, to confer the tonsure and admit to the order of reader; but gradually abbots, in the West also, advanced higher claims, until we find them in AD 1489 permitted by Innocent IV to confer both the subdiaconate and diaconate. The Second Council of Nicaea was the seventh Ecumenical council of Christianity; it met in 787 AD in Nicaea (site of the First Council Tonsure is the practice of some Christian churches mystics Buddhist novices and Monks and some Hindu temples of cutting the Hair from the Pope Innocent IV, born Sinibaldo Fieschi was Pope from June 28, 1243 to December 7, 1254. Of course, they always and everywhere had the power of admitting their own monks and vesting them with the religious habit.
When a vacancy occurred, the bishop of the diocese chose the abbot out of the monks of the convent, but the right of election was transferred by jurisdiction to the monks themselves, reserving to the bishop the confirmation of the election and the benediction of the new abbot. An abbey (from Latin abbatia derived from Syriac abba "father" is a Christian Monastery or In abbeys exempt from the (arch)bishop's diocesan jurisdiction, the confirmation and benediction had to be conferred by the pope in person, the house being taxed with the expenses of the new abbot's journey to Rome. An abbey (from Latin abbatia derived from Syriac abba "father" is a Christian Monastery or A benediction ( Latin: bene, well + dicere, to speak is a short Invocation for divine help Blessing and guidance usually at the Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 It was necessary that an abbot should be at least 25 years of age, of legitimate birth, a monk of the house, unless it furnished no suitable candidate, when a liberty was allowed of electing from another convent, well instructed himself, and able to instruct others, one also who had learned how to command by having practised obedience. In some exceptional cases an abbot was allowed to name his own successor. Cassian speaks of an abbot in Egypt doing this; and in later times we have another example in the case of St Bruno. Popes and sovereigns gradually encroached on the rights of the monks, until in Italy the pope had usurped the nomination of all abbots, and the king in France, with the exception of Cluny, Premontre and other houses, chiefs of their order. The election was for life, unless the abbot was canonically deprived by the chiefs of his order, or when he was directly subject to them, by the pope or the bishop.
The ceremony of the formal admission of a Benedictine abbot in medieval times is thus prescribed by the consuetudinary of Abingdon. Benedictine refers to the Spirituality and Consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in Consuetudinary (Med Lat consuetudinarius, from consuetudo: custom customary a term applied to Law where the rule of law is determined by long-standing The newly elected abbot was to put off his shoes at the door of the church, and proceed barefoot to meet the members of the house advancing in a procession. After proceeding up the nave, he was to kneel and pray at the topmost step of the entrance of the choir, into which he was to be introduced by the bishop or his commissary, and placed in his stall. In Romanesque and Gothic Christian Abbey, Cathedral Basilica and church Architecture, the nave is the A commissary is someone Delegated by a Superior to execute a duty or an office in a formal legal context one who has received power from a legitimate superior authority The monks, then kneeling, gave him the kiss of peace on the hand, and rising, on the mouth, the abbot holding his staff of office. A staff of office is a staff, the carrying of which often denotes an Official 's position a Social rank or a degree of social prestige. He then put on his shoes in the vestry, and a chapter was held, and the bishop or his delegate preached a suitable sermon. A vestry is a storage room in or attached to a church or Synagogue. Chapter ( Latin capitulum) designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran
The power of the abbot was paternal but absolute, limited, however, by the canon law. Canon law is internal ecclesiastical law governing the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches and the Anglican Communion of churches One of the main goals of monasticism was the purgation of self and selfishness, and obedience was seen as a path to that perfection. It was sacred duty to execute the abbot's orders, and even to act without his orders was sometimes considered a transgression. Examples among the Egyptian monks of this submission to the commands of the superiors, exalted into a virtue by those who regarded the entire crushing of the individual will as a goal, are detailed by Cassian and others, e. g. a monk watering a dry stick, day after day, for months, or endeavouring to remove a huge rock immensely exceeding his powers.
General information
Before the late modern era, the abbot was treated with the utmost reverence by the brethren of his house. When he appeared either in church or chapter all present rose and bowed. His letters were received kneeling, as were those of the pope and the king. No monk might sit in his presence, or leave it without his permission, reflecting the hierarchical etiquette of families and society. The highest place was assigned to him, both in church and at table. In the East he was commanded to eat with the other monks. In the West the Rule of St Benedict appointed him a separate table, at which he might entertain guests and strangers. This permission opening the door to luxurious living, the council of Aachen, AD 817, decreed that the abbot should dine in the refectory, and be content with the ordinary fare of the monks, unless he had to entertain a guest. Trapeza redirects here for the prehistoric Greek settlement see Trapeza Crete. These ordinances proved, however, generally ineffectual to secure strictness of diet, and contemporaneous literature abounds with satirical remarks and complaints concerning the inordinate extravagance of the tables of the abbots. When the abbot condescended to dine in the refectory, his chaplains waited upon him with the dishes, a servant, if necessary, assisting them. A chaplain is typically a Priest, Pastor, ordained Deacon, Rabbi, Imam or other member of the Clergy serving a group of When abbots dined in their own private hall, the Rule of St Benedict charged them to invite their monks to their table, provided there was room, on which occasions the guests were to abstain from quarrels, slanderous talk and idle gossiping.
The ordinary attire of the abbot was according to rule to be the same as that of the monks. A crosier ( crozier, pastoral staff, paterissa, pósokh) is the stylized staff of office ( Pastoral staff) carried by high-ranking A galero (pl galeri; L galerum, pl galera) in the Roman Catholic Church is a large broad-brimmed tasseled hat worn A territorial abbot or abbot nullius (short for abbot of an abbey nullius diœceseos, Latin "belonging to no diocese" heads a territorial But by the 10th century the rule was commonly set aside, and we find frequent complaints of abbots dressing in silk, and adopting sumptuous attire. They sometimes even laid aside the monastic habit altogether, and assumed a secular dress. With the increase of wealth and power, abbots had lost much of their special religious character, and become great lords, chiefly distinguished from lay lords by celibacy. Clerical celibacy is the practice in various religious traditions, in which Clergy, Monastics and those (of either sex in religious orders adopt a Thus we hear of abbots going out to hunt, with their men carrying bows and arrows; keeping horses, dogs and huntsmen; and special mention is made of an abbot of Leicester, c. Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional 1360, who was the most skilled of all the nobility in hare hunting. In magnificence of equipage and retinue the abbots vied with the first nobles of the realm. A retinue is a body of persons "retained" in the service of a noble or royal personage a suite (literal French meanings what follows of " They rode on mules with gilded bridles, rich saddles and housings, carrying hawks on their wrist, followed by an immense train of attendants. The bells of the churches were rung as they passed. They associated on equal terms with laymen of the highest distinction, and shared all their pleasures and pursuits. This rank and power was, however, often used most beneficially. For instance, we read of Whiting, the last abbot of Glastonbury, judicially murdered by Henry VIII, that his house was a kind of well-ordered court, where as many as 300 sons of noblemen and gentlemen, who had been sent to him for virtuous education, had been brought up, besides others of a lesser rank, whom he fitted for the universities. Glastonbury Abbey, founded in the seventh century was a rich and powerful monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of His table, attendance and officers were an honour to the nation. He would entertain as many as 500 persons of rank at one time, besides relieving the poor of the vicinity twice a week. He had his country houses and fisheries, and when he travelled to attend parliament his retinue amounted to upwards of 100 persons. The abbots of Cluny and Vendôme were, by virtue of their office, cardinals of the Roman church. The Abbot of Cluny was the head of the powerful monastery of Cluny Abbey in medieval France. Trinity Abbey Vendôme, was a Benedictine monastery founded in 1035 in Vendôme by Geoffrey Martel and his first wife Agnes of Burgundy A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official usually a bishop, of the Catholic Church.
In process of time the title abbot was extended to clerics who had no connection with the monastic system, as to the principal of a body of parochial clergy; and under the Carolingians to the chief chaplain of the king, Abbas Curiae, or military chaplain of the emperor, Abbas Castrensis. Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. Charlemagne (ˈʃɑrlɨmeɪn Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus meaning Charles the Great) (747 – 28 January 814 was King of the Franks from 768 to his It even came to be adopted by purely secular officials. Thus the chief magistrate of the republic at Genoa was called Abbas Populi. Genoa ( Genova, ˈdʒɛːnova in Italian; Zena in Genoese and Ligurian; Genua in Latin and archaically in English
Lay abbots (M. Lay Abbot ( abbatocomes, abbas laicus, abbas miles) is a name used to designate a layman on whom a king or someone in authority bestowed an abbey Lat. defensores, abbacomites, abbates laici, abbates milites, abbates saeculares or irreligiosi, abbatiarii, or sometimes simply abbates) were the outcome of the growth of the feudal system from the 8th century onwards. Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed The practice of commendation, by which--to meet a contemporary emergency--the revenues of the community were handed over to a lay lord, in return for his protection, early suggested to the emperors and kings the expedient of rewarding their warriors with rich abbeys held in commendam. A commendation ceremony ( commendatio) is a formal Ceremony that evolved during the Early Medieval period to create a bond between a Lord and his fighting In Canon law, commendam (or in commendam) was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice in trust to the custody
During the Carolingian epoch the custom grew up of granting these as regular heritable fiefs or benefices, and by the 10th century, before the great Cluniac reform, the system was firmly established. Under the system of Feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud, feoff, or fee, often consisted of inheritable lands or revenue-producing Originally a benefice was a gift of land ( Precaria) for life as a reward for services rendered The town and commune of Cluny or Clugny lies in the modern-day département of Saône-et-Loire in the région Even the abbey of St Denis was held in commendam by Hugh Capet. The Basilica of Saint Denis ( French: Basilique de Saint-Denis, or simply Basilique Saint-Denis) is the burial site of almost all the French Hugh Capet (c 940 &ndash 24 October, 996) was the first King of France of the eponymous Capetian dynasty from his election to succeed the The example of the kings was followed by the feudal nobles, sometimes by making a temporary concession permanent, sometimes without any form of commendation whatever. In England the abuse was rife in the 8th century, as may be gathered from the acts of the council of Cloveshoe. The Councils of Clovesho were a series of Synods in England in the eighth and ninth centuries These lay abbacies were not merely a question of overlordship, but implied the concentration in lay hands of all the rights, immunities and jurisdiction of the foundations, i. e. the more or less complete secularization of spiritual institutions. The lay abbot took his recognized rank in the feudal hierarchy, and was free to dispose of his fief as in the case of any other. The enfeoffment of abbeys differed in form and degree. Sometimes the monks were directly subject to the lay abbot; sometimes he appointed a substitute to perform the spiritual functions, known usually as dean (decanus), but also as abbot (abbas legitimas, monasticus, regularis). A dean, in a church context is a Cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy When the great reform of the 11th century had put an end to the direct jurisdiction of the lay abbots, the honorary title of abbot continued to be held by certain of the great feudal famines, as late as the 13th century and later, the actual head of the community retaining that of dean. The connection of the lesser lay abbots with the abbeys, especially in the south of France, lasted longer; and certain feudal families retained the title of abbes chevaliers (abbates milltes) for centuries, together with certain rights over the abbey lands or revenues. The abuse was not confined to the West. John, patriarch of Antioch, at the beginning of the 12th Century, informs us that in his time most monasteries had been handed over to laymen, bencficiarii, for life, or for part of their lives, by the emperors. Patriarch of Antioch is a traditional title carried by the Bishop of Antioch.
Giraldus Cambrensis reported (Itinerary, ii. Gerald of Wales (c 1146 &ndash c 1223 also known as Gerallt Gymro in Welsh or Giraldus Cambrensis in Latin, iv) the common customs of lay abbots in the late 12th-century Church of Wales:
- "for a bad custom has prevailed amongst the clergy, of appointing the most powerful people of a parish stewards, or, rather, patrons, of their churches; who, in process of time, from a desire of gain, have usurped the whole right, appropriating to their own use the possession of all the lands, leaving only to the clergy the altars, with their tenths and oblations, and assigning even these to their sons and relations in the church. Such defenders, or rather destroyers, of the church, have caused themselves to be called abbots, and presumed to attribute to themselves a title, as well as estates, to which they have no just claim. "
In conventual cathedrals, where the bishop occupied the place of the abbot, the functions usually devolving on the superior of the monastery were performed by a prior.
Modern practices
In the Roman Catholic Church, abbots continue to be elected by the monks of an abbey to lead them as their religious superior. A monastery must have been granted the status of an abbey by the Pope, and such monasteries are normally raised to this level after showing a degree of stability -- a certain number of monks in vows, a certain number of years of establishment, a certain firmness to the foundation in economic, vocational and legal aspects. Prior to this, the monastery would be a mere priory, headed by a prior who acts as superior but without the same degree of legal authority that an abbot has.
The abbot is a priest, chosen by the monks from among the fully professed monks. Once chosen, he must request blessing: the blessing of an abbot is celebrated by the bishop in whose diocese the monastery is or, with his permission, another abbot or bishop. The ceremony of such a blessing is similar in some aspects to the ordination of a bishop, with the new abbot being presented with the mitre, the ring, and the crosier as symbols of office and receiving the laying on of hands and blessing from the celebrant. Though the ceremony installs the new abbot into a position of legal authority, it does not confer further sacramental authority.
Once he has received this blessing, the abbot not only becomes father of his monks in a spiritual sense, but their major superior under canon law, and has the additional authority to confer the ministries of acolyte and lector (formerly, he could confer the minor orders, which are not sacraments, that these ministries have replaced). The abbey is a species of "exempt religious" in that it is, for the most part, answerable to the Pope, or to the abbot primate, rather than to the local bishop.
The abbot wears the same habit as his fellow monks, though by tradition he adds to it a pectoral cross.
Territorial abbots follow all of the above, but in addition must receive a mandate of authority from the Pope over the territory around the monastery for which they are responsible. A territorial abbot or abbot nullius (short for abbot of an abbey nullius diœceseos, Latin "belonging to no diocese" heads a territorial
Abbatial hierarchy
In some monastic families there is a hierarchy of precedence or authority among abbots. In some cases, this is the result of an abbey being considered the "mother" of several "daughter" abbeys founded originally as dependent priories of the "mother. " In other cases, abbeys have affiliated in networks known as "congregations. " Some monastic families recognize one abbey as the motherhouse of the entire order.
- The abbot of San Anselmo di Aventino, in Rome, is styled the "abbot primate," and is acknowledged the senior abbot for the Order of St. Benedict (O. S. B. )
- An abbot president is the head of a congregation (federation) of abbeys within the Order of St. Benedict (for instance, the English Congregation, The American Cassinese Congregation, etc. ), or of the Cistercians (O. Cist. )
- An archabbot is the head of some monasteries which are the motherhouses of other monasteries (for instance, St. Vincent's Archabbey, Latrobe, Pennsylvania)
Modern abbots not as superior
The title abbé (French; Ital. Abbé (from Latin Abbas, in turn from Greek αββας = abbas Father, from Aramaic abba) is the French word for abate), as commonly used in the Catholic church on the European continent, is the equivalent of the English "Father" (parallel etymology), being loosely applied to all who have received the tonsure. Tonsure is the practice of some Christian churches mystics Buddhist novices and Monks and some Hindu temples of cutting the Hair from the This use of the title is said to have originated in the right conceded to the king of France, by the concordat between Pope Leo X and Francis I (1516), to appoint abbés commendataires to most of the abbeys in France. A concordat usually refers to an agreement between the Apostolic See and a Government of a certain country on religious matters although it is also used Pope Leo X, born Giovanni de' Medici (December 11 1475 – December 1 1521 was Pope from 1513 to his death Francis I (September 12 1494 &ndash March 31 1547 was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims and reigned until 1547 The expectation of obtaining these sinecures drew young men towards the church in considerable numbers, and the class of abbés so formed—abbés de cour they were sometimes called, and sometimes (ironically) abbés de sainte espérance, (abbés of holy hope; or the pun, of St. A sinecure (from Latin sine, without and cura, care means an office which requires or involves little or no responsibility labour or active service Hope)—came to hold a recognized position. The connection many of them had with the church was of the slenderest kind, consisting mainly in adopting the title of abbé, after a remarkably moderate course of theological study, practising celibacy and wearing a distinctive dress—a short dark-violet coat with narrow collar. Celibacy refers to the lack of participation in Sexual intercourse. Being men of presumed learning and undoubted leisure, many of the class found admission to the houses of the French nobility as tutors or advisers. Nearly every great family had its abbé. The class did not survive the Revolution; but the courtesy title of abbé, having long lost all connection in people's minds with any special ecclesiastical function, remained as a convenient general term applicable to any clergyman. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of Nobility used by children former wives and other close relatives of a peer.
Eastern Christian
- Further information: Hegumen, Archimandrite
In the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, the Abbot is referred to as the Hegumen. Hegumen, hegumenos, or ihumen ( Greek: ἡγούμενος; Macedonian, Bulgarian and Russian: игумен The title Archimandrite ( Greek: - archimandrites) primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world This article refers to Eastern Churches in full communion with the Holy See Hegumen, hegumenos, or ihumen ( Greek: ἡγούμενος; Macedonian, Bulgarian and Russian: игумен The Superior of a Convent of Nuns is called the Heguménē. The nearest equivalent of an Archabbot is an Archimandrite. The title Archimandrite ( Greek: - archimandrites) primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches
In the East, the principle set forth in the Code of Justinian still applies, whereby most abbots are immediately subject to a bishop. Those monasteries which enjoy the status of being stavropegial will be subject only to a primate or his Synod of Bishops. Primate (from the Latin Primus, "first" is a title or rank bestowed on some Bishops in certain Christian churches A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church convened to decide an issue of doctrine administration or application
Though the title "abbot" is not given in the Western Church to any but actual abbots of monasteries today, the title archimandrite is given to "monastics" (i. e. , celibate) priests in the East, even when not attached to a monastery, as an honor for service, similar to the title of monsignor in the Western/Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor, pl monsignori is the form of address for those members of the Clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain Ecclesiastical In the Russian Orthodox Church, only actual monastics are permitted to be elevated to the rank of Abbot or Archimandrite. See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure Married priests are elevated to the parallel rank of Archpriest or Protopresbyter. "Forane" redirects here For the veterinary anesthetic see Isoflurane. "Forane" redirects here For the veterinary anesthetic see Isoflurane. There are no "celibate" priests who are not monastics in the Russian Church, with the exception of married priests who have been widowered. WIDOW is a full-length Album recorded by British rock band Ritual released in 1983 Since the time of Catherine II the ranks of Abbot and Archimandrite have been given as honorary titles in the Russian Church, and may be given to any monastic, even if he does not in fact serve as the superior of a monastery. Catherine II, called Catherine the Great (Екатерина II Великая Yekaterina II Velikaya;) reigned as Empress of Russia for 34 years
Protestant abbots
In the German Evangelical Church the German title of Abt (abbot) is sometimes bestowed, like the French abbé, as an honorary distinction, and survives to designate the heads of some monasteries converted at the Reformation into collegiate foundations. EKD redirects here For the Basque political party see Democracia Cristiana Vasca. Of these the most noteworthy is Loccum Abbey in Hanover, founded as a Cistercian house in 1163 by Count Wilbrand of Hallermund, and reformed in 1593. Loccum Abbey ( Kloster Loccum) is a former Cistercian monastery in the town of Rehburg-Loccum, Lower Saxony, near Steinhude Lake. Hanover (i ( haˈnoːfɐ on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony ( Niedersachsen The abbot of Loccum, who still carries a pastoral staff, takes precedence over all the clergy of Hanover, and was ex officio a member of the consistory of the kingdom. Antiquity Originally the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together' just as the Greek syn(hedrion (of which the Biblical Sanhedrin The governing body of the abbey consists of the abbot, prior and the "convent" of Stiftsherren (canons). A canon (from the Latin canonicus, itself derived from the Greek κανωνικος 'relating to a rule' is a priest who is a member of certain bodies of the
In the Church of England, the Bishop of Norwich, by royal decree given by Henry VIII, also holds the honorary title of "Abbot of St. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican The Bishop of Norwich is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of Benet. " This title hails back to England's separation from the See of Rome, when King Henry, as supreme head of the newly independent church, took over all of the monasteries, mainly for their possessions, except for St. Benet, which he spared because the abbot and his monks possessed no wealth, and lived like simple beggars, disposing the incumbent Bishop of Norwich and seating the abbot in his place, thus the dual title still held to this day.
Additionally, at the enthronement of the Archbishop of Canterbury, there is a threefold enthronement, once in the throne the chancel as the diocesan bishop of Canterbury, once in the Chair of St. Augustine as the Primate of All England, and then once in the chapter-house as Titular Abbot of Canterbury. An enthronement is a ceremony of Inauguration centering around sitting for the first time on a Throne. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the A diocesan Bishop is a bishop in charge of a Diocese. These are to be distinguished from Suffragan bishops assistant bishops, coadjutor bishops Canterbury ( ˈkæntəbɹ̩i is a City in eastern Kent in the South East region of England. The Chair of St Augustine or Cathedra Augustini ( Latin) represents one of the most ancient extant Cathedrae in use The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the
There are several Benedictine Abbeys throughout the Anglican Communion. See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches Most of them have mitred abbots.
Abbots in art and literature
"The Abbot" is one of the archetypes traditionally illustrated in scenes of Dance Macabre. Dance of Death, also variously called Danse Macabre (French Danza Macabra (Italian or Totentanz Dance of Death, also variously called Danse Macabre (French Danza Macabra (Italian or Totentanz
The lives of numerous abbots make up a significant contribution to Christian hagiography, one of the most well-known being the Life of St. Hagiography ( is the study of Saints. A hagiography, from Greek (hağios (ἅγιος "holy" or "saint" and graphē (γραφή Benedict of Nursia by St. "Saint Benedict" redirects here This article is about the founder of Western monasticism for other saints named Benedict see Benedict. Gregory the Great.
During the years 1106-1107 A. D. , a Russian Orthodox Abbot named Daniel made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and recorded his experiences. In Religion and Spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or Search of great Moral significance The Holy Land ( Arabic: الأرض المقدسة al-Arḍ ul-Muqaddasah;Ancient Aramaic: ארעא קדישא Ar'a Qaddisha; Hebrew: ארץ_הקודש His diary was much-read throughout Russia, and at least seventy-five manuscript copies survive.
Saint Joseph, Abbot of Volokolamsk (1439–1515), wrote a number of influential works against heresy, and about monastic and liturgical discipline, and Christian philanthropy. Joseph Volotsky, also known as Joseph of Volotsk, or Joseph of Volokolamsk ( Russian: Иосиф Волоцкий; secular name - Иван Volokolamsk (Волокола́мск is the town and administrative center of Volokolamsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia Heresy is an introduced change to some system of belief especially a religion that conflicts with the previously established canon of that belief Philanthropy is the act of donating money goods services time and/or effort to support a socially beneficial cause with a defined objective and with no financial or material
In the Tales of Redwall series the creatures of Redwall are led by an Abbot or Abbess. Redwall Abbey is the Fictional refuge of many of the "good" creatures in the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. These "abbots" are appointed by the brothers and sisters of Redwall to serve as a superior and provide paternal care. Much like real abbots.
See also
- List of historical abbots
- Commendatory abbot
- Hegumen
- Archimandrite
Sources and references
- 999 occurrences in the Catholic Encyclopaedia
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. A commendatory Abbot is an Ecclesiastic, or sometimes a Layman, who holds an Abbey In commendam, that is who draws its Hegumen, hegumenos, or ihumen ( Greek: ἡγούμενος; Macedonian, Bulgarian and Russian: игумен The title Archimandrite ( Greek: - archimandrites) primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
External links
- Russian Orthodox Abbot of Valaam Monastery
- The Pilgrimage of the Russian Abbot Daniel in the Holy Land
The Valaam Monastery, or Valamo Monastery is a Stauropegic Orthodox monastery in Russian Karelia, located on Valaam, the largest island
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