Plunket, Thomas Span, an Irish lord and prelate, was a son of William Conyngham Plunket, the great Irish chancellor, and was born in 1792. He was educated at Trinity College. Dublin, and. after hav- ing held various preferments, was appointed dean of Down in 1831, ami eight years later was raised to the bishopric of Tuam. He was consecrated at Christ Church, Dublin, by the archbishop of Dublin, assisted by the bishops of Deny and Cashel; was appointed ec- clesiastical commissioner in 1*51. succeeded his father as second baron Plunket in 1853, and was patron of ninety-live livings in his united dioceses of Tuam, Kil- lala, and Achonry. According to Charles's Church Di- rectory, the gross value of the see is £5265, and the net value £4039. He did not confine his attention and care to the members of the Church of England in his dio- cese, but he threw himself into the missionary work among the Roman Catholics with remarkable zeal and energy. No opposition (and he had much to encounter) could daunt or obstacles deter him, and to his exertions are due, in no small degree, those tangible and indispu- table results, in the shape of new churches, schools, and congregations of converts, which remain a memorial of Ids piety and zeal. He died at Tourenakeady, Galwa}-, Oct. 19.' 1.S66. See Appleton's Annual Cyclop, vi. 600: Ch. Journal, vol. xi ; Men of the Times, s. v. (J.H.W.)
Pluralism. See Pluralities.
Pluralist is one that holds more than one ecclesi- astical benefice with cure of souls. See Pluralities.
PLURALITIES
302
PLUTAKCII
Pluralities i- a <• rm used in canon law f<>r tbe n of two "r more ecclesiastical offices, whi ther ol dignity or emolument. This practice, it is held by No ■ rally forbidden
in the early Church, and they quote for their authority , - . < Ithers
i plurality ..i churches t<> have a plurality of | .a~t . .r^ to iscopalians contend i Inn- in a presbyter holding more than one A bishop could not hold two byter, however, might oili.-iatc in mure parochial church, Inn inn in two dio the Church >>( England pluralities originated in the I rness of many of the livings. Originallj a clergy- man might hold two or more li\ ings if undi .■ the nom- inal val between them was fixed i ...n Liu as ii"t i" I"- greater than thirty miles, Inn custom now tolerates forty-five. Two thousand par- ishes, it issaid,wanl in this way a resident pastor. By tli..-.- who thus evade the Canon, it is held thai the prohibition i- nol absolute, ami admits "f possible ex- ception, tli>' natural ground of the prohibition being tin' ility, in ordinary cases, of the -ami- individual
adequately discharging tin- duties of more thai • of-
. in cases in which tlii- impossi- bility does nol exist, tin' union "f two or more offices
in tin- bands of person might, speaking absolutely,
l«- permitted \\ ithoul infringing the divine law. Hence canonists distinguish between "compatible" an. I "in- compatible" benefices or dignitii . I to I Sees may
rjpatible in 1 1 1 r. •• - way-: I. If each requires res-
: . i! the duties of both tall
irgcd at one ami the same lime i rai
. i: the revenue of either fully Buffices for the
! [> maintenance of the incumbent (ratione sus-
lu other cases, benefices or dignities .arc
• i compatible, ami with tin- due dispensation
l rules by which
i'ii- ir the law ..! residence are t" l»- regu-
;'...■ penaltii - for it- violation, whether mi tin- pari of tin- patron or on that "t the recipient, aed tin- -iii.ji-.-t of frequenl legislation, as in I ami tin- fourth councils of the Laleran, in the 1 III ami many other popes, ami ea- rn tin. till.- Council ..I Iri-nt. In general, it
il the canon law regards a- incompatible,
. each having the cure of souls; .'. two
lity" ami a cure "I' -..id-: I. a
i a simple benefice requiring residence.
I her cases than these, the pope i- held to have the
a-;.. naing. I in ri- i- m i department ol disci- in which the tendency to relaxation has
rsistenl ; ami one of n< • the < Ihurch was the prevalence of plu- ■ incompatible benefices,! ven ..I bishoprics; ami although a cons tan l effort was made to prevent this isi -ii- of tbe law were nol only frequent, i i r r. .mi punisl nt. By 13 and 1 1 Vic- provided that m> incumbent of a bene- •l In.]. I together with it another bene- ■ ' • ■ r. lies are within three mill
i id the animal value of Noi .in two I.'-iii-
i" r it the populati f ..i ■
l in- word
am |- rpetual curacy,
parochial chapi Iry, ..r district
lllo« tWO I ..ii.
ther; ami if the arch
I
ite whereby the i i in iln- univi i
■ - ii ..I Durham
sity, i- prohibited from taking any cathedral prefer- ment, or any other benefice. It any spiritual person
holding a benefice shall accept another benefice contrary t.i tin- statute, tin- tir-t benefice -hall ipso facto become void. At tin- -aim- time provision is made by statutes for uniting benefices where the aggregate population
does nol i \ — I l£ and the aggregate yearly value