Abbas. Two different authors are frequently quoted by this title.
1. A celebrated canonist who flourished in 1250, and wrote a Commentary on the Five Books of Decre- tals, printed at Venice in 1588, folio. He is known as Abbas antiquus.
2. The celebrated Nicholas Tudeschi, the Panor- mitan, known as Abbas Siculus or Abbas junior. See Panormitan.
Abbe, the French name for abbot (q. v.). It is used in France not only to designate the superior of an abbey, but is also the general title of the secular clergy. Before the French Revolution it was even sometimes assumed by theological students - (unor- dained) in the hope that the king would confer upon them a portion of the revenues of some abbey. There were at one time in France so many unordained abbes, poor and rich, men of quality and men of low birth, that they formed a particular class in society, and exerted an important influence over its character. The}' were seen everywhere ; at court, in the halla of justice, in the theatres, the coffee-houses, etc. In almost even' wealthy family was an abbe, occupying the post of familiar friend and spiritual adviser, and not seldom, that of the gallant of the lad}-. They corresponded, in a certain degree, to the philosophers who lived in the houses of the wealthy Romans in the time of the emperors.
Abbe commendataire. See Abbott.
Abbess (Lat. abbdtissa), the superior or head of an abbey of nuns, bearing the same relation to them as the abbot to the monks. An abbess possesses in general the same dignity and authority as an abbot, except that she cannot exercise the spiritual functions appertaining to the priesthood (Cone. Trident. Sess. xxv, c. vii). Generally the abbess must be chosen from the nuns of the same convent ; she must be sprung from legitimate marriage, must be over forty years old, and must have observed the vows for eight years. I n case of emergency, however, any nun of the order who is thirty years old, and has professed five years, may be elected. In Germany fifteen abbesses (of Essen, Elten, Quedlinburg, Herford, Gandersheim, etc.) had formerly the right of sending a representative to the German Dint, ami possessed a kind of episcopal jurisdiction, which they exercised through an official. After the Reformation the superiors of several German abbeys, which were changed into Protestant institu- tions of ladies living in common, retained the title "abbess." See Abbey ; Abbot.
ABBEY
Costume of an English Abbes?.
Abbey (Lat. abbat'ut), a monastery of monks or nuns, ruled by an abbot or abbess [for the derivation of the name, see Abbot]. The abbeys in England were enormously rich. All of them, 100 in number, were abolished in the time of Henry VIII. The abbey lands were afterward granted to the nobility, under which grants they are held to the present da}-. Cran- mer begged earnestly of Henry VIII to save some of the abbeys for religious uses, but in vain.
In most abbeys, besides the Abbot, there were the following officers or obedicntarii, removable at the ab- bot's will :
1. Prior, who acted in the abbot's absence as his locum tenens. In some great abbeys there were as many nsjive priors.
2. Eleemosynarius, or Almoner, who had the over- sight of the daily distributions of alms to the poor at the gate.
3. Pitantarius, who had the care of the pittances, which were the allowances given on special occasions over and above the usual provisions.
•]. Sacrista, or Sacristan (Sexton), who had the care of the vessels, vestments, books, etc. ; he also provided for the sacrament, and took care of burials.
5. Camerarius, or Chamberlain, who looked after the dormitory.
G. Cellararius, or Cellarer, whose duty it was to procure provisions for strangers.
7. Thesaurarius, or Bursar, who received rents, etc.
8. Precentor, who presided over the choir.
9. Hospitularius, whose duty it was to attend to the wants of strangers.
10. Iufirmarius, who attended to the hospital and sick monks.
11. Refectionarius, who looked after the hall, and provided every thing required there.
For the mode of electing abbots, right of visitation. etc., Bee Cone. Trident. Sess. xxiv. <»n the most im- portant English abbeys, Bee Willis, History of Mitred Abbeys vol. i; A. Butler, Lives of Saints, ii, 638. See Cohvent; Monastery; Priory.
Abbo, Abbot ofFleury, in France, born 958, slain in a tumult at Reole, in Gascony, 1004. lie presided
two years cis.", 987) over a monastic school in Eng- land, and returned to Fleury, where he was made ab- bot. H«' was so celebrated for bis wisdom and virtues that people, even in far-distant parts, had recourse to him foi advice and assistance, especially in all ques- tions relating to monastic discipline, his Zeal for which caused the tumult in which lie was slain. — Neander,
ABBOT
Ch. Hist, iii, 404, 470; Mosheim, Ch. Hist. c. x, pt. ii, ch. i, § 5 ; Acta Sanctorum, t. viii.
Abbot (Lat. abbas; from Chaldee N2X, the/o- ther'), the head or superior of an abbey of monks.
1. The title was originally given to every monk, but after the sixth century was restricted to the heads of religious houses. At a later period the title was not confined to the superiors of monasteries, but was also given to the superiors of other institutions (as abbas curice, palatii, seholarum, etc.), while, on the other hand, several other terms, as provost, prior, guardian, major, rector, etc., were adopted to designate the superiors of the convents of the several orders. The Greek Church uses generally the term archimaii- drite (q. v.). The name abbot was especially retained by the order of the Benedictines, and its branches, the Cistercians, Bernhardines, Trappists, Grandmontanes, Pramionstratenses. But the congregation of Clugny (q. v.) reserved the title abbot to the superior of the principal monastery, calling those of the other monas- teries coabbates and proabbates. The Abbot of Monte- Cassino assumed the title abbas abbatum. A number of religious orders are governed by an abbot-general, e. g. (according to the Kotizie per V Anno 1859, the Official Roman Almanac), the regular canons of Lat- eral!, the Camaldulenses, the Trappists, the Olive- tans, the (Oriental) order of St. Antonius, and the Ba- silians. Regular abbots are those who wear the re- ligious habit, and actually preside over an abbey, both in spiritual and temporal matters. Secular abbots are priests who enjoy the benefices, but employ a vicar (q. v.) to discharge its duties. Lag abbots are laymen to whom the revenues of abbeys are given by princes or patrons. Field abbots (abbates cast reuses) are regu- lar abbots appointed for army service. Arch abbot is the title of the abbot of St. Martini, in Hungary. The abbots are, in general, subject to the jurisdiction of the diocesan bishop, but formerly some were exempt, and had even a kind of episcopal jurisdiction (jurisdic- tio quasi episcopalis), together with the right of wear- ing episcopal insignia (mitred abbots, abbates mitrati). Some, as the abbot of St. Maurice, in Switzerland, have even a small territory. Abbots with episcopal jurisdiction have the right of taking part in general councils, and the right of voting in provincial synods. The privileges and duties of abbots are determined by the rules of the order to which they belong, as well as by canonical regulations.