world religion home links maps symbols |
Encyclopedia of Religion entry forAbbotThe name means literally " father," and is the designation of the head of a religious community of men. Another name for the same official is Prior, Rector, or Guardian. The office is as old as the third century. In the fourth century a number of monasteries, with abbots at their head, sprang up in Egypt. At first the abbots were laymen, but ordination soon became the rule, though it was not always strictly observed. They were required to be not less than twenty-five years old. The monks were allowed originally to elect their own abbot. The right, however, in the West was often exercised by temporal princes and lords. It is the duty of an abbot to govern the community, maintain discipline, and exercise the priestly office. A distinction has been drawn between these " abbates regulares " and other abbots, " abbates seculares," whose office is of the nature of an ordinary benefice. The Benedictine abbots have been allowed a large measure of freedom in the organization of their convents. And abbots in general obtained special privileges, the heads of great monasteries being allowed to use the mitre, crosier, and ring (" abbates infulati "), and to perform some of the episcopal functions (e.g., minor orders). Formerly abbots of such distinction might sit in the English Parliament. See Cath. Diet.; P. Zeller, Calwer Kirchenlexikon, 1889 etc. citations: Encyc. of Rel., Canney
article created 2006-04-12 , last updated 2006-04-12 |
|
|
admin Be ordained with free online ordination |
||