ABBADESSA

ABBESS. — A word derived from Late Latin *abbatissa*, formed by analogy from *abbas* (abbot, father), the title of the superioress placed in charge of an independent monastery of nuns. The title of abbess was held by the superiors of women’s monasteries within the ancient monastic orders, including the Canonesses, both those with vows and those without; the Poor Clares, who in the first rule given them by Cardinal Ugolino (1218–19) formally professed the Rule of St Benedict, but in reality lived according to Ugolino’s Rule; and also the Conceptionist nuns founded by the Blessed Beatrice da Silva (15th century), originally Cistercian, then in the early 16th century rather Franciscan in observance.

I. HISTORY. — The earliest examples of this title appear in sepulchral inscriptions collected by E. Diehl (*Inscriptiones latinae christianae veteres*, I, Berlin 1925, p. 321, nos. 1650–53), namely: that of Rome, commemorating Serena, abbess of S. Agnese fuori le mura, from the year 514; of Capua Vetere, commemorating Justina, from the year 569; of Narbonne, citing Maria, from the 6th century; and of Salona (Split), for Joanna, from the 6th century. In literature, the title does not appear before the writings of St Gregory of Tours (d. 594) and the registers of St Gregory the Great (d. 604), who in his *Dialogues* (bk. IV, ed. U. Moricca, Rome 1924, p. 248) uses instead the more logical term *mater* (mother).

With the spread of the Rule of St Benedict (which naturally speaks only of the abbot), the title of abbess became general throughout the West, even among the Canonesses, who followed the rule given them at the Synod of Aachen (816) or, from the 11th century, that of St Augustine. The abbesses of several ancient monasteries, especially in Germany, also became Princesses of the Empire, with the honours and burdens of that rank; they could attend or be represented at imperial diets and synods. All abbesses elected for life received, and for the most part still receive, liturgical blessing from the bishop, as did the ancient deaconesses; some also received the abbatial staff. The abbesses of the Poor Clares, for a long time also elected for life but later only for a three-year term, never received liturgical blessing nor do they appear to have used the abbatial staff. It is also noteworthy that the abbesses of the Carthusian nuns wear the maniple and stole. Modern canonists and historians dispute whether the aforementioned abbesses of canonesses should be counted among the clergy.

The Council of Aachen in 789 ordered bishops to forbid abbesses from blessing men and to impose the veil on virgins (can. 75).

Innocent III (Register XIII, no. 187: PL 116, 356) severely condemned the intolerable abuse of certain abbesses in the dioceses of Burgos and Palencia in Spain, who presumed to bless their own nuns, hear their confessions, read the Gospel, and preach. In reproving this abuse, the Pope rightly observed that the Blessed Virgin Mary was certainly more worthy and excellent than the apostles, yet to them, not to her, the Lord gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

In some double monasteries (v. also COHABITATION), the abbess had authority over both monks and nuns, as at the monastery of Fontevrault in France (founded in 1099) and in the Order of the Holy Saviour founded by St Bridget of Sweden at Vadstena.

There are also examples of women’s monasteries in which the abbess appears to have exercised quasi-episcopal jurisdiction over the clergy and laity of her territory, always excepting those functions requiring the Sacrament of Orders, which were exercised by a priest-vicar. In such cases, the abbess appointed to benefices and exercised disciplinary jurisdiction over the people and clergy. When in 1222 the canonesses and clergy of Quedlinburg (Saxony) refused to obey the orders of their abbess because she could not compel them with excommunication, she appealed to Honorius III, who supported her in a response inserted in the Decretals of Gregory IX (cap. 12, X, I, 33), decreeing that the canonesses and clergy who impeded the aforesaid abbess’s salutary counsels and commands should render her due obedience and reverence.

In Italy, the abbey of S. Benedetto di Conversano in Apulia is notable; granted in 1266 to Cistercian nuns fleeing from the Near East, its abbess exercised quasi-episcopal jurisdiction through a vicar over the abbatial fief of Castellana until modern times. When the last abbess died in 1809, having exercised such jurisdiction, her funeral was conducted as if for a bishop (v. MORMONI, *Dizionario*, vol. 95 [1859], p. 163). This arrangement undoubtedly contributed greatly to the maintenance of such an institution for so many centuries, which Baronio called a *monstrum Apuliae*.

In 1258, Alexander IV granted the Vallumbrosan abbey *nullius* of Fucecchio to the Poor Clares of Gattaiola in Lucca, who in 1299, upon ceding the land to the Friars Minor, reserved the right to appoint to the ecclesiastical benefices of the former abbey. Indeed, the abbess, through a vicar *in spiritualibus*, exercised jurisdiction over Fucecchio until 1622, when the territory was incorporated into the new diocese of San Miniato (ibid., 11 [1918], p. 284).

Another monastery in which the abbess exercised temporal jurisdiction and, in the manner described, also spiritual jurisdiction, was the Cistercian monastery of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas near Burgos in Spain, founded in 1187 and from the outset endowed with great privileges. Innocent III may well have had this institution in mind in the aforementioned constitution. Here too, regalism and the high nobility, to which the abbesses often belonged, helped to maintain such an extraordinary position until the last century. It came to an end when Pius IX, with the constitution *Quam diversa* of 12 July 1873, suppressed in Spain all quasi-episcopal jurisdictions, that is, those not subject to the authority of the diocesan bishops; this measure was enforced on 20 May 1874.

These cases, judged differently by canonists and theologians, form a great exception, partly explicable by the conditions of the time and feudal ideas, happily now superseded. The Church tolerated these anomalies, but no papal document explicitly uses the term *abbadessa nullius* (dioecesis).

Over the centuries, many abbesses have been numbered among the saints, women of great merit and of profound religious and cultural influence. At the time of the pseudo-Reformation, some heroically resisted the innovators, such as the abbesses of Gandersheim (Germany) and Charitas Pirckheimer O.S.C. of Nuremberg.

**

For Conversano: Ughelli, VII, 2nd ed., pp. 700–11;
G. Moroni, *Dizionario*, vol. 95 (1859), pp. 161–64;
S. Simone, *Il mio stro della Puglia, ossia la storia di S. Benedetto di Conversano*, Bari 1885;
D. Morea, *Chartularum del monastero di S. Benedetto di Conversano*, I, Montecassino 1892. Continuation in D. Morea – F. Muciaccia, *Le pergamene di Conversano*, Trani 1942.

For Santa María de Las Huelgas: H. Flórez, *España Sagrada*, XXVII, 2nd ed., Madrid 1824, pp. 287–308, 466–69;
A. Rodríguez López, *El Real monasterio de las Huelgas de Burgos y el Hospital del Rey*, 2 vols., Burgos 1907;
P. I. Postius y Saba, *El Código canónico aplicado en España*, Madrid 1926;
J. M. Escrivá, *La abadesa de las Huelgas, estudio histórico canónico*, Madrid 1944.

For double monasteries: M. Sache, Les abbesses de Fontevraud, Angers 1921; S. Hilpisch, Die Doppelklöster, Münster 1928; P. Debongnie, Brigittins, in DHG, X, cols. 728-3.

2. BLESSING OF THE ABBESS

The newly elected abbess, after confirmation of her appointment, receives the blessing of the bishop of the diocese during Mass, on a Sunday or another festive day. After the epistle, the abbess, accompanied by two elder nuns, moves from her stall in the choir and goes before the bishop seated in the faldstool, where she pronounces the formula of fidelity and swears while keeping her hands on the Gospel. She then hands the bishop a signed declaration of this fidelity and submission. This is followed by the litany of the Saints, during which the abbess lies prostrate on the ground. Finally, the bishop rises and blesses the new abbess, who then rises and kneels before the celebrant. The celebrant, with hands extended over her head, recites a prayer in the form of a preface, followed by various orations. Once the abbess has returned to her place, the bishop continues the Mass. At the offertory, the abbess offers two lighted candles to the celebrant, and at the end, after her installation in the choir stall, the Te Deum is sung.

3. CANON LAW

According to canon 488, no. 8, the abbess is to be regarded as a major superior, and therefore the special provisions concerning major superiors apply to her. She is elected by the community according to the norms established by the Code and by legitimately approved constitutions. She must be born of a legitimate marriage, be at least forty years of age, and have professed for at least ten years in the religious institute in which she currently resides. The election is ordinarily conducted by secret ballot and must be confirmed by the bishop if the monastery is not exempt, or by the regular superior or the Holy See if it is exempt. According to the circular letter of the Sacred Congregation of Religious dated March 2, 1920, the abbess holds office for three years and may not be immediately reelected—that is, without some interruption—except by special dispensation of the Holy See. She has dominative power over her subjects in accordance with the constitutions and common law. Her duties and responsibilities pertain especially to admission to the religious life, religious profession, enclosure, and observance of the rules and constitutions. She is subject to particular sanctions in cases foreseen by canons 2412–14.