This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral. For architecture, see Main article: Cathedral architecture of Western Europe

A cathedral (Lat. A Cathedral is a church, usually Roman Catholic, Anglican, or Eastern Orthodox, housing the seat of a Bishop. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. cathedra, "seat") also spelled cathedrale, is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight It is a religious building for worship, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox and some Lutheran churches, which serves as a bishop's seat, and thus as the central church of a diocese. A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos This article refers to the religious act For the album by Michael W Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to The Eastern Orthodox Church: the Eastern Christian churches of Byzantine Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglican churches, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a Bishop. ^[1]

In the Greek Orthodox Church, the terms "kathedrikos naos" (literally: "cathedral shrine") and "metropolis" (literally "mother city") are used interchangeably to describe the same thing. "Metropolis" is more common, but both terms are officially used.

There are certain variations on the use of the term "cathedral"; for example, some pre-Reformation cathedrals in Scotland now within the Church of Scotland still retain the term cathedral, despite the Church's Presbyterian polity which does not have bishops. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The Church of Scotland (Eaglais na h-Alba known informally by its Scots language name The Kirk, is the National church of Scotland. Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity As cathedrals are often particularly impressive edifices, the term is often used incorrectly as a designation for any large important church.

Several cathedrals in Europe, such as Strasbourg, and in England at York, Lincoln and Southwell, are referred to as Minster (German: Münster) churches, from Latin monasterium, because the establishments were served by canons living in community or may have been an abbey, prior to the Reformation. Strasbourg (Strasbourg stʁazbuʁ Alsatian: Strossburi,; Straßburg) is the capital and principal City of the Alsace région England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland York ( is an historic Walled city sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. Lincoln (ˈlɪŋkən is a Cathedral city and County town of Lincolnshire, England. In English usage Minster is an honorific title attached to certain major medieval churches An abbey (from Latin abbatia derived from Syriac abba "father" is a Christian Monastery or The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time The other kind of great church in Western Europe is the abbey. An abbey (from Latin abbatia derived from Syriac abba "father" is a Christian Monastery or

Contents 1 Definition 2 History and organization 2.1 Designation 2.2 Rule of the clergy 2.2.1 Early Middle Ages- religious communities 2.2.2 Late Middle Ages- monastic and secular cathedrals 2.3 History of Cathedrals in Britain 2.3.1 Early organisation 2.3.2 Late Middle Ages 2.3.3 Reformation 2.4 Roles within the cathedral 2.4.1 Provost 2.5 The Secular Chapter 2.5.1 Dean 2.5.2 Precentor 2.5.3 Chancellor 2.5.4 Treasurer 2.5.5 Additional clergy 2.5.6 Relationship of chapter and bishop 3 Functions of cathedral 4 The Cathedral building 4.1 Artworks, treasures and tourism 5 See also 6 Gallery 7 References 8 External links

Definition

The word cathedral is derived from the Latin noun "cathedra" (seat or chair), and refers to the presence of the bishop's or archbishop's chair or throne. In the ancient world, the chair was the symbol of a teacher and thus of the bishop's role as teacher, and also of an official presiding as a magistrate and thus of the bishop's role in governing a diocese.

The word cathedral, though now grammatically used as a noun, is originally the adjective in the phrase "cathedral church", from the Latin "ecclesia cathedralis". The seat marks the place set aside in the prominent church of the diocese for the head of that diocese and is therefore a major symbol of authority. ^[2]

History and organization

Designation

In the Canon law of the Catholic Church the relationship of the bishop to his cathedral is often compared to the relationship of a pastor to the parochial church. 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 Both are pastors over an area (the diocese for the bishop and the parish for the pastor) and both are rectors over a building (the cathedral for the bishop and the parish church for the pastor). In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglican churches, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a Bishop. The word rector ("ruler" from the Latin regere and Rector meaning "Teacher" In Latin has a number of different meanings but all of them indicate an academic In view of this, canon lawyers often extend the metaphor and speak of the cathedral church as the one church of the diocese, and all others are deemed chapels in their relation to it. A chapel is a holy place or area of Worship for Christians, which may be attached to an institution such as a large church, a College, a

Cathedral churches may have different degrees of dignity:

1. A parish church that was formerly' a cathedral is known as a "proto-cathedral". This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral
2. A parish church that is temporarily serving as the cathedral or co-cathedral of a diocese is known as a "pro-cathedral". A Pro-cathedral is a Parish Church that is temporarily serving as the Cathedral or Co-cathedral of a Diocese.
3. A church that serves as an additional cathedral of a diocesan bishop is known as a "co-cathedral". A co-cathedral is a Cathedral church which shares the function of being a Bishop 's seat or cathedra, with another cathedral
4. The church of a diocesan bishop is known as a "cathedral".
5. A church to which other diocesan cathedral churches of a province are suffragan is a "metropolitan cathedral". A suffragan bishop is a Bishop subordinate to a Metropolitan bishop or Diocesan bishop.
6. A church under which are ranged metropolitical churches and their provinces is a "primatial cathedral".
7. A church to which primatial, metropolitical, and cathedral churches alike owe allegiance is a "patriarchal cathedral".

The title of "primate" was occasionally conferred on metropolitan bishops of sees of great dignity or importance, such as Canterbury, York and Rouen, whose cathedral churches remained simply metropolitical. Primate (from the Latin Primus, "first" is a title or rank bestowed on some Bishops in certain Christian churches In Hierarchical Christian churches the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the Diocesan bishop or Canterbury ( ˈkæntəbɹ̩i is a City in eastern Kent in the South East region of England. York ( is an historic Walled city sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. Rouen (ʁwɑ̃ in French) is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital

Lyon, where the cathedral church is still known as La Primatiale, and Lund in Sweden, may be cited as instances of churches which were really primatial. ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. (lɵnd is a city in the province of Scania, southern Sweden. The town has 76188 inhabitants out of a muncipal total of 105000 "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Lyon had the archbishops of Sens and Paris and their provincial dioceses subject to it until the French Revolution, and Lund had the archbishop of Uppsala and his province subject to it. History Caesar mentions Agedincum in the territory of the Senones several times in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico, and the city retains Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city 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 Uppsala ˈɵpˌsɑːla (older spelling Upsala) is the capital of Uppsala County ( Uppsala län) and the fourth largest city of

As with the title of primate, so also that of "patriarch" has been conferred on sees such as Venice and Lisbon, the cathedral churches of which are patriarchal in name alone. Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a Pater familias over an extended family Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the Lisbon (Lisboa liʒˈboɐ is the Capital and largest city of Portugal. The Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, the cathedral church of Rome, is the only one in Western Europe which possesses a patriarchal character among Roman Catholics, since the Pope is the Patriarch of the Latin Rite church. The Basilica of St John Lateran ( Italian: Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano) is the Cathedral of the church of Rome and the official 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 Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a Pater familias over an extended family The Latin Rite is one of the 23 Sui iuris Particular Churches within the Catholic Church. However, in February of 2006, Pope Benedict XVI ceased the use of the title "Patriarch of the West". Pope Benedict XVI ( Latin: Benedictus PP XVI; Italian: Benedetto XVI; German: Benedikt XVI; born Joseph Alois Ratzinger Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a Pater familias over an extended family

The removal of a bishop's cathedra from a church deprives that church of its cathedral dignity, although often the name clings in common speech, as for example at Antwerp, which was deprived of its bishop at the French Revolution. ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Technically, such a church is a proto-cathedral.

Rule of the clergy

Early Middle Ages- religious communities

The history of the body of clergy attached to the cathedral church is obscure, and in each case local considerations affected its development, however the main features which were more or less common to all.

Originally the bishop and cathedral clergy formed a kind of religious community, which, while not in the true sense a monastery, was nevertheless often called a monasterium, the word not having the restricted meaning which it afterwards acquired. This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. In this lies the reason for the apparent anomaly that churches like York Minster and Lincoln Cathedral, which never had any monks attached to them, have inherited the name of minster or monastery. York Minster is a Gothic Cathedral in York, England and is the second largest of its kind in Northern Europe (largest is the Lincoln Cathedral (in full The Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln, or sometimes St In English usage Minster is an honorific title attached to certain major medieval churches In these early communities the clergy often lived apart in their own dwellings, and were not infrequently married.

In the 8th century Chrodegang, bishop of Metz (743-766), compiled a code of rules for the clergy of the cathedral churches, which, though widely accepted in Germany and other parts of the continent, gained little acceptance in England. Saint Chrodegang (died 6 March 766) was the Frankish Bishop of Metz from 742 or 748 until his death Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland

According to Chrodegang's rule, the cathedral clergy were to live under a common roof, occupy a common dormitory and submit to the authority of a special officer. The rule of Chrodegang was, in fact, a modification of the Benedictine rule. Benedictine refers to the Spirituality and Consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in Gisa, a native of Lorraine, who was bishop of Wells from 1061 to 1088, introduced it into England, and imposed its observance on the clergy of his cathedral church, but it was not followed for long there, or elsewhere in England. Lorraine (Lorraine Lothringen is a historical area in present-day northeast France. Wells is a small Cathedral city and Civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, on the southern edge of the Mendip

Late Middle Ages- monastic and secular cathedrals

During the 10th and 11th centuries, the cathedral clergy became more definitely organized, and were divided into two classes. One was that of a monastic establishment of some recognized order of monks, often the Benedictines, while the other class was that of a college of clergy, bound by no vows except those of their ordination, but governed by a code of statutes or canons. MONK is a Monte Carlo software package for simulating nuclear processes particularly for the purpose of determining the neutron multiplication factor or k-effective Hence the name of canon. In this way arose the distinction between the monastic and secular cathedral churches.

In Germany and England many of the cathedral churches were monastic. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. In Denmark all seem to have been Benedictine at first, except Børglum, which was Premonstratensian till the Reformation. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Børglum is a Danish village in Hjørring municipality Region Nordjylland (until December 31, 2006; Løkken-Vrå The Norbertines, also known as the Premonstratensians (OPraem and in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons (from the colour of The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time The others were changed to churches of secular canons. In Sweden, Uppsala was originally Benedictine, but was secularized about 1250, and it was ordered that each of the cathedral churches of Sweden should have a chapter of at least fifteen secular canons.

In Medieval France monastic chapters were very common, but nearly all the monastic cathedral churches were changed to churches of secular canons before the 17th century. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. One of the latest to be so changed was that of Seez, in Normandy, which was Augustinian till 1547, when Pope Paul III dispensed the members from their vows, and constituted them a chapter of secular canons. Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. The Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo (died AD 430) are several Catholic Monastic orders and congregations Pope Paul III ( February 29, 1468 &ndash November 10, 1549) born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman The chapter of Senez was monastic till 1647, and others perhaps even later, but the majority were secularized about the time of the Reformation.

In the case of monastic cathedral churches, the internal government was that of the religious order to which the chapter belonged, and all the members kept perpetual residence.

The alternative of this was the cathedral ruled by a secular chapter; the dignities of provost, dean, precentor, chancellor, treasurer, etc. , came into being for the regulation and good order of the church and its services, while the non-residence of the canons, rather than their perpetual residence, became the rule, and led to their duties being performed by a body of "vicars", who officiated for them at the services of the church.

History of Cathedrals in Britain

Main article: Historical development of Church of England dioceses

The history of the cathedrals in Britain differs somewhat from that on the European continent. This page traces the history of the dioceses and cathedrals of the Church of England. Cathedrals have always been fewer than in Italy, France and other parts of Europe, while the buildings themselves tend to be very large. While France, at the time of the French Revolution had 136 cathedrals, England had 27. 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 Because of a ruling that no cathedral could be built in a village, any town in which a cathedral was located was elevated to city status, regardless of its size. To this day several large English Cathedrals are located in small "cathedral cities", notably Wells and Ely Cathedrals, both of which rank among the greatest works of English Medieval Architecture. Wells Cathedral is a Church of England Cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England. Ely Cathedral (in full The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely) is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely

Early organisation

In earlier times, populations were sparsely spread and towns were few. The total population of Britain in the 11th century is estimated at between 1 and 2 million, with Lincolnshire, East Anglia and East Kent the most densely populated areas with more than 10 people per square mile, while northern England, Dartmoor and the Welsh Marches had less than three people per square mile. This is because many villages had been razed by the conquest armies. ^[3] Instead of exercising jurisdiction over definite areas, many of the bishops were bishops of tribes or peoples, as the bishops of the south Saxons, the West Saxons, the Somersætas, etc. The Saxons or Saxon people were a Confederation of Old Germanic tribes. The cathedra of such a bishop was often migratory.

In 1075 a council was held in London, under the presidency of Archbishop Lanfranc, which, reciting the decrees of the council of Sardica held in 347 and that of Laodicea held in 360 on this matter, ordered the bishop of the south Saxons to remove his see from Selsey to Chichester; the Wiltshire and Dorset bishop to remove his cathedra from Sherborne to Old Sarum, and the Mercian bishop, whose cathedral was then at Lichfield, to transfer it to Chester. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Lanfranc (c 1005 – 1089 was Archbishop of Canterbury, and a Lombard by extraction The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv is a Roman Catholic Diocese of the Latin Rite, which includes the whole southern part of Bulgaria The Council of Laodicea was a regional synod of approximately thirty clerics from Asia Minor, that assembled about 363-364 A An episcopal see is the ecclesiastical domain of authority of a Bishop. Selsey is a seaside town and Civil parish, about 7 miles (11 kilometres south of Chichester, in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, England. It has a long history as a settlement its Roman past and its subsequent importance Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye Dorset ( (or archaically, Dorsetshire) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast Sherborne is an affluent Market town in north west Dorset, England, situated on the River Yeo Old Sarum is the site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury, in England. Mercia (ˈmɝsiə was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. Lichfield is a city and Civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Chester is the County town of Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77040 Traces of the tribal and migratory system may still be noted in the designations of the Irish see of Meath (where the result has been that there is now no cathedral church) and Ossory, the cathedral church of which is at Kilkenny. Kilkenny, ( is a city and county town of County Kilkenny in Ireland. Some of the Scottish sees were also migratory.

Late Middle Ages

Between 1075 and the 15th century, the cathedrals of England were almost evenly divided between those ruled by secular canons headed by a dean and those ruled by monastic orders headed by a prior, all of which were Benedictine except Carlisle. Two cathedrals, Bath and Coventry, shared their sees with Wells and Lichfield, respectively.

Reformation

The entire structure of the monastic and cathedral system was overthrown and reconstituted during the Reformation. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Cathedrals which were once Roman Catholic came under the governance of the Church of England. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican

All the English monastic cathedral chapters were dissolved by Henry VIII and, with the exceptions of Bath and Coventry, were refounded by him as churches of secular chapters, with a dean as the head, and a certain number of canons ranging from twelve at Canterbury and Durham to four at Carlisle, and with certain subordinate officers as minor canons, gospellers, epistolers, etc. The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the formal process between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded Coventry Cathedral, also known as St Michael's Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry, in Coventry Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a The Cathedral Church of Christ Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly referred to as Durham Cathedral, in the city of Durham, England Carlisle Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Carlisle, in Cumbria, in England. The precentorship in these churches of the "New Foundation", as they are called, is not, as in the secular churches of the "Old Foundation", a dignity, but is merely an office held by one of the minor canons.

Henry VIII also created six new cathedrals from old monastic establishments, in each case governed by secular canons. Of these, Westminster did not retain its cathedral status. Four more of England's large historic churches were later to become cathedrals, Southwell, Southwark, Ripon and St. Albans Abbey.

Roles within the cathedral

Provost

In most of Europe, the earliest head of a secular church seems to have been the provost (praepositus, Probst, etc. ), who was charged not only with the internal regulation of the church, and oversight of the members of the chapter and control of the services, but was also the steward or seneschal of the lands and possessions of the church. The latter often mainly engaged his attention, to the neglect of his domestic and ecclesiastical duties, and complaints were soon raised that the provost was too much mixed in worldly affairs, and was too frequently absent from his spiritual duties. This led, in many cases, to the institution of a new officer called the "dean", who had charge of that portion of the provost's duties which related to the internal discipline of the chapter and the services of the church.

In some cases, the office of provost was abolished, but in others it was continued: the provost, who was occasionally archdeacon as well, remaining head of the chapter. This arrangement was most commonly followed in Germany. In England the provost was almost unknown. Bishop Gisa introduced a provost as head of the chapter of Wells, but the office was afterwards subordinated to the other dignities, and the provost became simply the steward of certain of the prebendal lands. Wells Cathedral is a Church of England Cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England. The provost of the collegiate church of Beverley was the most notable instance of such an officer in England, but at Beverley he was an external officer with authority in the government of the church, no stall in the choir and no vote in chapter.

In Germany and in Scandinavia, and in a few of the cathedral churches in the south of France, the provost was the ordinary head of the cathedral chapter, but the office was not common elsewhere. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well As regards France, of one hundred and thirty six cathedral churches existing at the Revolution, thirty-eight only, and those either on the borders of Germany or in the extreme south, had a provost as the head of the chapter. 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 In others the provost existed as a subordinate officer. There were two provosts at Autun, and Lyons and Chartres had four each, all as subordinate officers.

The Secular Chapter

The normal constitution of the chapter of a secular cathedral church comprised four dignitaries (there might be more), in addition to the canons. These are the Dean, the Precentor, the Chancellor and the Treasurer. These four dignitaries, occupying the four corner stalls in the choir, are called in many of the statutes the quatuor majores personae of the church.

Dean

The dean (decanus) seems to have derived his designation from the Benedictine "dean" who had ten monks under his charge. This article concerns Roman Catholic Order of Saint Benedict see also Benedictine Confederation and Benedictine. The dean came into existence to supply the place of the provost in the internal management of the church and chapter. In England every secular cathedral church was headed by a dean who was originally elected by the chapter and confirmed in office by the bishop. The dean is president of the chapter, and with the in cathedral has charge of the performance of the services, taking specified portions of them by statute on the principal festivals. He sits in the chief stall in the choir, which is usually the first on the right hand on entering the choir at the west.

Precentor

Next to the dean (as a rule) is the precentor (primicerius, cantor, etc. ), whose special duty is that of regulating the musical portion of the services. He presides in the dean's absence, and occupies the corresponding stall on the left side, although there are exceptions to this rule, where, as at St Paul's, the archdeacon of the cathedral city ranks second and occupies what is usually the precentor's stall. St Paul's Cathedral, is the Anglican Cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London.

Chancellor

The third dignitary is the chancellor (scholasticus, écoldtre, capiscol, magistral, etc. ), who must not be confounded with the chancellor of the diocese. The chancellor of the cathedral church is charged with the oversight of its schools, ought to read divinity lectures, and superintend the lections in the choir and correct slovenly readers. He is often the secretary and librarian of the chapter. In the absence of the dean and precentor he is president of the chapter. The easternmost stall, on the dean's side of the choir, is usually assigned to him.

Treasurer

The fourth dignitary is the treasurer (custos, sacrisla, cheficier). He is guardian of the fabric, and of all the furniture and ornaments of the church, and his duty was to provide bread and wine for the Eucharist, and candles and incense, and he regulated such matters as the ringing of the bells. The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those The treasurer's stall is opposite to that of the chancellor.

Additional clergy

In many cathedral churches are additional dignitaries, as the praelector, subdean, vice-chancellor, succentor-canonicorum, and others, whose roles came into existence to supply the places of the other absent dignitaries, for non-residence was the fatal blot of the secular churches, and in this they contrasted very badly with the monastic churches, where all the members were in continuous residence. Besides the dignitaries there were the ordinary canons, each of whom, as a rule, held a separate prebend or endowment, besides receiving his share of the common funds of the church.

For the most part the canons also speedily became non-resident, and this led to the distinction of residentiary and non-residentiary canons, till in most churches the number of resident canons became definitely limited in number, and the non-residentiary canons, who no longer shared in the common funds, became generally known as prebendaries only, although by their non-residence they did not forfeit their position as canons, and retained their votes in chapter like the others.

This system of non-residence led also to the institution of vicars choral, each canon having his own vicar, who sat in his stall in his absence, and when the canon was present, in the stall immediately below, on the second form. The vicars had no place or vote in chapter, and, though irremovable except for offences, were the servants of their absent canons whose stalls they occupied, and whose duties they performed. Outside Britain they were often called demi-prebendaries, and they formed the bachcrur of the French churches. As time went on the vicars were themselves often incorporated as a kind of lesser chapter, or college, under the supervision of the dean and chapter.

Relationship of chapter and bishop

There was no distinction between the monastic cathedral chapters and those of the secular canons, in their relation to the bishop or diocese. In both cases the chapter was the bishop's consilium which he was bound to consult on all important matters and without doing so he could not act. Thus, a judicial decision of a bishop needed the confirmation of the chapter before it could be enforced. He could not change the service books, or "use" of the church or diocese, without capitular consent, and there are episcopal acts, such as the appointment of a diocesan chancellor, or vicar general, which still need confirmation by the chapter, but the older theory of the chapter as the bishop's council in ruling the diocese has become a thing of the past, in Europe.

In its corporate capacity the chapter takes charge sede vacante of a diocese. In England, however (except as regards Salisbury and Durham), this custom has never obtained, the two archbishops having, from time immemorial, taken charge of the vacant dioceses in their respective provinces. Salisbury Cathedral is an Anglican Cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture The Cathedral Church of Christ Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly referred to as Durham Cathedral, in the city of Durham, England When, however, either of the sees of Canterbury or York is vacant the chapters of those churches take charge, not only of the diocese, but of the province as well, and incidentally, therefore, of any of the dioceses of the province which may be vacant at the same time.

Functions of cathedral

The role of the cathedral is chiefly to serve God in the community, through its hierarchical and organisational position in the church structure. A cathedral, its bishop and dignatories have traditional functions which are mostly religious in nature, but may also be closely associated with the civil and communal life of the city and region. The formal cathedral services are linked to the cycle of the year and respond to the seasons of the Northern Hemisphere. The cathedral marks times of national and local civic celebration and sadness with special services. The funerals of those famous within the community are invariably held at cathedrals. Some cathedrals, such as Aachen and Rheims are the traditional coronation places of monarchs. The bells of a cathedral are traditionally used signal the outbreak and the ending of war.

The Cathedral building

Main article: Cathedral architecture of Western Europe

Although a cathedral may be amongst the grandest of churches in the diocese (and country), especially those dating from Medieval and Renaissance times, size and grandeur have never been requirements and (especially in modern times, where functionality is the foremost consideration) a cathedral church may be a modest structure. A Cathedral is a church, usually Roman Catholic, Anglican, or Eastern Orthodox, housing the seat of a Bishop. Early Celtic and Saxon cathedrals, for example, tended to be of diminutive size, as is the Byzantine so-called Little Metropole Cathedral of Athens. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts The Saxons or Saxon people were a Confederation of Old Germanic tribes. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's

The plan of a cathedral generally takes the form of a cross which has both symbolic meaning and is functional in terms of church worship, allowing space for clergy, choir, chapels, processions a pipe organ and other activities and objects associated with cathedral tradition.

A cathedral, in common with other Christian churches has an altar or table upon which the Eucharist is laid, a lectern for reading the Bible and a pulpit from which the sermon is traditionally preached. The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those A lectern (from the Latin lectus, past participle of legere, "to read" is a reading desk with a slanted top usually placed on a stand or affixed to Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin A pulpit (from Latin pulpitum "scaffold" "platform" "stage" is a small elevated platform where a member of the clergy stands A sermon is an oration by a Prophet or member of the Clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, or religious topic Cathedrals also have a baptismal font for the traditional rite of washing that marks the acceptance of a new Christian, (most usually an infant) into the Church. A baptismal font is an article of church Furniture or a Fixture used for the Baptism of children and adults Particularly in Italy, baptism may take place in a separate building for that purpose. In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted Within the church, an area, usually to the eastern end, is set aside for the ceremonial seats of the dignatories of the church, as well as the choir.

Cathedrals of monastic foundation, and some of secular clergy have square cloisters which traditionally provided an open area where secular activities took place protected from wind and rain. A cloister (from Latin claustrum) is a part of Cathedral, Monastic and Abbey architecture Some cathedrals also have a chapter house where the chapter could meet. A chapter house is a building or room attached to a Cathedral or Collegiate church in which meetings are held In England, where these buildings have survived, they are often octagonal. A cathedral may front onto the main square of a town, as in Florence, or it may be set in a walled close as at Canterbury. The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the Cathedral church ( Duomo) of Florence, Italy. Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a There may be a number of associated monastic or clergy buildings, a bishop's palace and often a school to educate the choristers.

Artworks, treasures and tourism

Many cathedral buildings are very famous for their architecture and have local and national significance, both artistically and historically. Many are listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex

Cathedrals, because of their large size and the fact that they often have towers, spires or domes, have until the 20th century, been the major landmarks in cities or in views across the countryside. With highrise building, civil action has been taken in some cases, such as the Cologne Cathedral to prevent the vista of the cathedral from being spoiled. Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom officially de Hohe Domkirche St

Because many cathedrals took centuries to build and decorate, they constitute a major artistic investment for the city in which they stand. Not only may the building itself be architecturally significant, but the church often houses treasures such as stained glass, stone and wood statues, historic tombs, richly carved furniture and object of both artistic and religious significance such as reliquaries. Moreover, the cathedral often plays a major role in telling the story of the town, through its plaques, inscriptions, tombs, stained glass and paintings.

For these reason, tourists have travelled to cathedrals for hundred of years. Many cathedrals cater for tourists by charging a fee to any visitors outside service times or requesting a donation or making a charge to take photos. Cathedrals that are particularly popular tourist venues sometimes provide guides, leaflets, souvenirs and cafes.

See also

• List of cathedrals
• Cathedral architecture of Western Europe
• Architecture of the medieval cathedrals of England
• Historical development of Church of England dioceses
• Cathedral diagram
• Basilica
• Duomo
• Minster
• List of largest cathedrals in the world
• List of tallest church towers
• List of highest church naves
• Three-spired Cathedrals

Gallery

La Seu Cathedral in Palma de Mallorca	Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, Cebu, Philippines	Vilnius Cathedral, Lithuania	Saint Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, Louisiana. This is a list of cathedrals around the world including both actual Cathedrals (seats of Bishops in episcopal denominations such as Catholicism A Cathedral is a church, usually Roman Catholic, Anglican, or Eastern Orthodox, housing the seat of a Bishop. See also List of cathedrals in the United Kingdom The medieval cathedrals of England, dating from between approximately 1040 and 1540 are a group of twenty-five buildings This page traces the history of the dioceses and cathedrals of the Church of England. This article discusses Cathedral diagrams in Western Ecclesiastical architecture. The Latin word basilica (derived from Greek, Basiliké Stoà, Royal Stoa) was originally used to describe a Roman Duomo is a generic Italian term for a Cathedral church The formal word for a church that is presently a cathedral is cattedrale; a In English usage Minster is an honorific title attached to certain major medieval churches Scope The term church is open to interpretation and debate However for the purposes of this article it will be used to mean any building which was built for the primary From the Middle Ages until the advent of the Skyscraper, Christian churches have been among the tallest buildings. See also Description of the term "nave" List of largest churches in the world List of tallest church towers There are three Cathedrals in the United Kingdom with three Spires Lichfield Cathedral, dating from the 13th and early 14th centuries is the only Medieval La Seu can also refer to Saint Mary of Valencia Cathedral. La Seu is a christian Cathedral located in Palma de Mallorca Palma is the major City and port on the island of Majorca and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral is the ecclesiastical seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cebu in Cebu, Philippines. Cebu is one of the Provinces of the Philippines. It lies to the east of Negros Island; to the west of Leyte and to the southeast is Bohol The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Vilnius Cathedral (Vilniaus Šv Stanislovo ir Šv Vladislovo arkikatedra bazilika is the main Roman Catholic Cathedral of Lithuania. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Saint Louis Cathedral ( French: Cathédrale Saint-Louis) also known as the Basilica of St
Stained Glass at Cologne Cathedral	The Lutheran Helsinki Cathedral is Finland's most famous church. For the Blackford Oakes novel see Stained Glass (novel The term stained glass refers either to the material of coloured Glass or to the art Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom officially de Hohe Domkirche St The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (in Finnish Suomen evankelis-luterilainen kirkko; in Swedish Evangelisk-lutherska kyrkan Helsinki Cathedral (in Finnish Helsingin tuomiokirkko or Suurkirkko, in Swedish Helsingfors domkyrka or Storkyrkan Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe.	Hildesheim Cathedral, Germany, maintains its early Romanesque interior. is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste	Wawel Cathedral in Kraków. Wawel Cathedral &ndash the Cathedral Basilica of Sts Stanisław and Vaclav &ndash is Poland 's national sanctuary located on Wawel Hill in Kraków Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland
Saints and Apostles at Chartres Cathedral	St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne, Australia. Patrick's Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne in Victoria Australia, and seat of its archbishop currently Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.	Zygmunt bell, Krakow Cathedral, Poland	Roman Catholic cathedral (basilica minor) Landakotskirkja of Reykjavík, Iceland. Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland Landakotskirkja ("The Landakot Church" formally named Basilika Krists konungs ("The Basilica of Christ the King" is the cathedral of the Catholic For the Greater Reykjavík Area see the Greater Reykjavík Area. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland (
St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. Saint Vitus's Cathedral (Katedrála svatého Víta is a Roman Catholic Cathedral in Prague, and the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic.	Cathedral of the Holy Name, Bombay. Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial photo Nichalp	Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in sofia Bulgaria	St. Raphael's Cathedral, Dubuque, Iowa. The St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Храм-паметник „Свети Александър Невски“ Hram-pametnik „Sveti Aleksandar Nevski“) is a Sofia (София ˈsɔfija is the Capital and largest city of the Republic of Bulgaria, with a population of 1395568 in the Capital Municipality The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Dubuque is a city in the US State of Iowa, located along the Mississippi River. The State of Iowa ( is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States of America.
Llandaff Cathedral. Llandaff Cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Llandaff (of the Church in Wales) situated in the suburb of Llandaff in the city of	Detail of the Cathedral of Milan, in Italy	Holy Trinity Cathedral Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli, in India	The Lutheran Cathedral of Reykjavík, Iceland. Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Palayamkottai "Oxford of South India" - is a town in the Tirunelveli district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Tirunelveli (திருநெல்வேலி is a city in Tamil Nadu and was formed into a Municipal corporation in 1999 by merging three municipalities viz India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country For the Greater Reykjavík Area see the Greater Reykjavík Area. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland (
Night view of Notre Dame from the south, spring 2001. Shows the south rose window.	Uppsala Cathedral (Lutheran) in December 2007. The Cathedral of Uppsala (Uppsala domkyrka located centrally in the city of Uppsala, Sweden, dates back to the late 13th century and at a height	Manizales Cathedral, Columbia	Guatemala City, Guatemala
Zagreb Cathedral in Zagreb. Guatemala City (in full La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; locally known as Guatemala or Guate) is the Capital and largest city of the Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest Zagreb Cathedral on Kaptol is probably the most famous building in Zagreb, as its spires can be seen from many locations in the city Zagreb (ˈzɑːgrɛb is the Capital and the largest city of Croatia.

References

External links

• List of all Catholic Cathedrals in the World by Giga-Catholic Information
• Cathedral - Catholic Encyclopedia
• Photos of English and Spanish Cathedrals
• A history of UK cathedral choir schools

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