Originally a benefice was a gift of land (precaria) for life as a reward for services rendered. A precaria is a form of Land tenure in which a contract grants the right to use Ecclesiastical property for a specific amount of time for the duration of the The word comes from the Latin noun beneficium, meaning "benefit". Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. A concept used by the Catholic Church, it was abandoned by Protestantism (except in the Church of England). Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican
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Before the Reformation
Under pre-Reformation Canon law it came to mean an income enjoyed — often linked to some land administered — by a priest in chief of an ecclesistical office, such as a parish, monastery, or a post of canon in a chapter. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Canon Law, the Ecclesiastical law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system with all the necessary elements courts lawyers judges a fully articulated A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities A parish is a Local church; it is an administrative unit typically found in episcopal or presbyterian churches This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. 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 Each benefice had a number of "spiritualities", or spiritual duties, attached to it. For providing these spiritualities, a priest would receive "temporalities", or pay. Temporalities are the secular properties and possessions of the Christian Church From the medieval period onward, priests administered sacraments to their flock and usually provided other services as well. A sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is "a Rite in which God is uniquely active The pastorally served community was to provide for the priest as necessary, often in the form of a land-based tithe (often partially or wholly lost to a temporal lord); the elite provided patronage and made significant donations. A tithe (from Old English teogoþa "tenth" is a one-tenth part of something paid as a (usually voluntary contribution or as a Tax or levy Consequently, these two factors concentrated enormous wealth in the 'dead hand' of the Catholic church, so called because it endured beyond any individual's life and also avoided some or all taxes.
Abuse
Over time, the benefice system was abused throughout Europe. As benefices came to priests due to feudal patronage and political considerations, priests occasionally held more than one benefice, called pluralism. This pluralism quite often resulted in absenteeism, where the priest would not take care of his benefice. Absenteeism is a habitual pattern of absence from a duty or obligation Stigand, once Archbishop of Canterbury in England, was a pluralist, and William I of England was keen to get rid of him. Stigand (died 1072 was an English churchman in pre- Norman Conquest England William I of England ( 1027 His reign which brought Norman culture to England had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages
Pluralism was often seen as a good investment for a family that could afford to buy a position (simony) for a younger son or other protégé. Simony is the Ecclesiastical crime of paying for Holy offices or positions in the hierarchy of a church named after Simon Magus, who appears in the The position would allow the family to carry favour in the Church and serve to guarantee a future for the appointee.
Other 'fat' benefices — even abbotships — were sometimes delegated to priests hired for a fraction of the benefice, while the family held the 'nominal' benefice. The word abbot, meaning Father, is a title given to the head of a Monastery in various traditions including Christianity. This practice encouraged the use of substitute priests of dubious quality: the lack of proper training until the invention of seminaries led to illiterate priests, a few even preaching heresy. A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is a specialized and often live-in Higher education institution for the purpose of instructing students
After the Reformation
The corruption called for ecclesiastical reform in the church in the 15th and 16th centuries. Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk, started as a significant leader in this drive for internal reorganization — ultimately starting the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther (November 10 1483 February 18 1546 was a German Monk, theologian, university professor Father of Protestantism, and church reformer The Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo (died AD 430) are several Catholic Monastic orders and congregations The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time
After the Reformation, the new churches generally adopted systems of ecclesiastical polity that did not entail benefices, with the exception of the Church of England. On the continent the French Revolution broke the back of the system by the Constitution civile du clergé, confiscating the vast capital of the church and paying for it by awarding the formerly dependent clergy a state salary. 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 This system is still in force in several countries, including Belgium. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those At the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church called for the abolition of benefices in that church altogether; it was not successful. The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twentieth century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church.
Church of England
The term benefice is commonly used in the Church of England to describe a group of parishes under a single stipendiary minister, but the term is much older and dates from the grant of benfices by bishops to clerks in holy orders as a reward for extraordinary services[1]. A stipend is a form of Monetary payment or salary such as for an Internship or Apprenticeship. The current use of the term often refers to the amalgamation of the stipends of multiple parishes to fund a single stipendiary minister, perhaps supported by lay clerks, curates or non-stipendiary ministers.
References
- ^ [Anon. ] (1911) Benefice Encyclopaedia Britannica
Bibliography
- [Anon. The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general English-language encyclopaedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica Inc ] (1911) Benefice Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Creagh, J. The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general English-language encyclopaedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica Inc T. (1913) Benefice Catholic Encyclopaedia
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