Abbess

ABBESS. - A word derived from Low Latin abbatissa, in turn formed by analogy from abbas (abbot, father), the title of the Superior placed over the government of an independent monastery of nuns. The a. was possessed by the female monasteries of the ancient monastic Orders; by those of the Canonesses, both with and without vows; by those of the Poor Clares, who in the first rule given them by Card. Ugolino (1218-19) formally professed the Rule of St. Benedict, but in reality lived according to the Rule of Ugolino; and also by those of the Concezionists founded by the blessed Beatrice da Silva (15th century), at first Cistercian, then at the beginning of the sixteenth century rather Franciscan.

1. HISTORY

The first examples of this title are found in sepulchral inscriptions, collected by E. Diehl (Inscriptiones latinae christianae veteres, I, Berlin 1925, p. 321, nos. 1650-53) and are: that of Rome, which commemorates Serena, a. of St. Agnes outside the Walls, of the year 514; that of Capua Vetere, which commemorates Giustina, of the year 569; that of Narbonne, which cites Maria, of the 6th century; that of Salona (Split) for Giovanna, of the 6th century. In literature this 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 the Dialogues (lib. IV, ed. U. Moricca, Rome 1924, p. 248) however uses the more logical name of mater (mother).

With the spread of the Rule of St. Benedict (which naturally speaks only of the abbot), the title of a. became general throughout the West, also 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 a. of several ancient monasteries, especially in Germany, also became Princesses of the Empire, with the honors and burdens of the rank; and they could attend or be represented at the diets of the Empire and at synods. All a. elected for life received, and for the most part still today receive, from the bishop the liturgical blessing, like the ancient deaconesses; some also the abbatial pastoral staff. The a. of the Poor Clares, for a long time also elected for life but later only for a three-year term, have never received the liturgical blessing, nor do they seem to have had the pastoral staff. It should further be noted that the a. of the Carthusian nuns use the maniple and the stole. Modern canonists and historians dispute whether the aforesaid a. canonesses can be numbered among the clergy or not.

The Council of Aachen of 789 orders the bishops to forbid the a. to bless men, and to impose the veil on virgins (can. 75).

Innocent III (Registro XIII, n. 187: PL 116, 356) severely condemns the intolerable abuse of certain a. of the dioceses of Burgos and of Palencia in Spain, who dared to bless their own nuns, to hear their confessions, to read the Gospel and to preach. In forbidding this abuse the Pontiff rightly observes that the B. Virgin Mary was certainly more worthy and more excellent than the apostles, but to these, not to her, the Lord gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

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

There are also some examples of female monasteries in which the a. seems to have had a quasi-episcopal jurisdiction over the clergy and the people of her territory, always excepting the functions in which the Sacrament of Order was required, which were exercised by a priest Vicar. In these cases the a. appointed to benefices and exercised disciplinary jurisdiction over the people and the clergy. When in 1222 the Canonesses and the clergy of Quedlinburg (Saxony) refused to obey the orders of the a., because she could not constrain them with excommunication, she turned to Honorius III, who gave her strong support with the reply inserted in the Decretals of Gregory IX (cap. 12, X, I, 33), ordaining that the Canonesses and the clergy abbatissae praefatae obedientiam et reverentiam debitam impendentes, eius salubria monita et mandata observent.

In Italy the abbey of St. Benedict of Conversano in Apulia is famous, given in 1266 to Cistercian nuns, refugees from the Near East, whose a. exercised by means of a vicar a quasi-episcopal jurisdiction in the abbatial fief of Castellana, almost down to modern times. When the last a. died (1809), who had exercised such jurisdiction, her funeral was held as if she were a bishop (v. Moroni, Dizionario, vol. 95 [1859], p. 163). Regalism undoubtedly contributed much to maintaining for so many centuries such an institution, which Baronio called monstrum Apuliae.

In 1258 Alexander IV granted the Vallombrosan abbey nullius of Fucecchio to the Poor Clares of Gattaiola at Lucca, who, ceding the land in 1299 to the Friars Minor, reserved for themselves the right to appoint to the ecclesiastical benefices of the ancient abbey. (Cf. the document in Archivum franc. hist., 10 [1917], p. 469 ff.). In fact the a., by means of 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 whose a. exercised temporal jurisdiction and, in the manner described, also spiritual jurisdiction, was the Cistercian one of St. Mary de las Huelgas near Burgos, in Spain, founded in 1187, and from the beginning endowed with great privileges. Perhaps Innocent III was already aiming at it in the constitution mentioned above. Here too regalism and the high nobility, to which the a. often belonged, contributed to maintaining until the last century so extraordinary a position. It ceased when Pius IX with the constitution Quam diversa, 12 July 1873, suppressed in Spain all quasi-episcopal ecclesiastical jurisdictions, that is, those not subject to the authority of the diocesan bishops; a measure made effective on 20 May 1874.

The cases mentioned, judged differently by canonists and theologians, form the great exception, explicable in part by the conditions of the time and feudal ideas, today happily overcome. The Church tolerated these anomalies, but in no pontifical document is the term abbess nullius (diocesis) found explicitly.

In the course of the centuries there have been among the a. many saints, figures of women highly deserving and of great religious and cultural influence. At the time of the pseudo-reform some resisted heroically the innovators, such as the a. of Gandersheim (Germany) and Carità Pirkheimer O. S. Cl. at Nuremberg.

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

For S. Maria 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. Saché, Les abesses de Fontevrault, Angers 1921; S. Hilpisch, Die Doppelblöster, Münster 1928; P. Debongnie, Brigitts, in DHG, X, coll. 728-31.

Livario Oliger

2. BLESSING of the abbess

The new abbess, after the confirmation of her appointment, receives the blessing from the bishop of the diocese at Mass, on a Sunday or another feast day. After the epistle, the abbess, accompanied by two elderly sisters, moves from her stall in the choir and goes before the bishop seated on a faldstool, where she pronounces the formula of fidelity and takes the oath with her hands resting on the Gospel. She then hands the bishop a signed declaration of this fidelity and submission. The litany of the Saints follows, during which the abbess lies prostrate on the ground. Finally the bishop rises to his feet and blesses the new abbess, who then rises and genuflects before the celebrant, who, holding his hands extended over her head, pronounces 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 makes the celebrant the offering of two lighted candles, and at the end, after her enthronement in the choir stall, the Te Deum is sung.

3. CANON LAW

According to can. 488, n. 8, the abbess must be considered a major superior, and therefore the special provisions concerning major superiors are applicable 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 40 years of age, and have been professed for at least 10 years in the religious institute in which she currently resides. The election is ordinarily held 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 of 2 March 1920, the abbess holds office for three years and cannot be re-elected immediately, that is, without some interruption, except by special dispensation of the Holy See. She has dominative power over her own subjects, in accordance with the constitutions and the common law. Her attributions and duties concern especially admission to the religious life, religious profession, enclosure, and observance of the rules and constitutions. She is subject to particular sanctions for the cases provided for by cann. 2412-14.

Felice M. Cappello