TONSURE. – A sacred rite instituted by the Church, by which the baptized and confirmed faithful, through the cutting of the hair and the imposition of the surplice, as well as by means of a proper formula, become clerics from laymen.
Clerical t., however, must not be confused with monastic or religious tonsure, by which the candidate separates himself from the world in order to religious state (v.). The latter is also conferred upon novices and is not administered with the formula proper to clerical t.
T. is not an order, but a rite that precedes Holy Orders, as is clearly established by the Council of Trent (sess. XXIII, chap. 3 De Sacram. Ordinis and chap. 6 De Reformat.; sess. XIV, chap. 3 De ref.). As for the form of t., the Roman one took the form of a crown, whereas the Celtic one took the form of a half-crown, since the Celts, ecclesiastics and monks alike, shaved the entire front part of the head from one ear to the other, leaving a strip of hair on the forehead. This distinctive t. gave rise to lively controversies in the 7th century between the Celts and the missionaries sent from Rome to evangelize the Angles (cf. Fliche-Martin-Frutaz, V, pp. 319, 329, 505).
T., which at first was conferred with the first Order, became separate from it beginning in the 7th century, initially only for children, and later also for adults; and the practice of initiating adults into the clerical state by means of t. was approved by the Church and reserved to the bishop (chap. 11, X de aetate 1, 14 Decr., Innoc. III); from which text it appears that this practice had been universally admitted since the 12th century and was also upheld, apart from what concerns age, by the Council of Trent.
CURRENT LAW. – The ordinary minister for conferring the tonsure is the proper bishop (can. 955), in accordance with can. 956. In ancient law, extraordinary ministers were only cardinal priests in their titular churches; under current law they are all cardinals (can. 239 § 1, n. 2), and not only for the clerics of their titular churches, but for everyone, provided, of course, that they are furnished with dimissorial letters from their own Ordinary. The governing regular abbots are also extraordinary ministers of the tonsure, even when they have no territory, provided that they are priests, have received the abbatial blessing, and that those concerned are their subjects by virtue of at least simple profession (can. 625), under pain of nullity, unless the abbot is invested with episcopal character (can. 957 § 2).
As regards the candidate’s requirements, can. 973 CIC establishes that the tonsure and minor orders are conferred only upon those who intend to become priests and are deemed worthy (cf. the instruction of the S. C. of the Sacraments of 27 Dec. 1930: AAS, 23 [1931], p. 120 ff., concerning the petition of the candidate to be submitted to the seminary rector two months before the Ordination). These requirements, in addition to those demanded ad soliditatem (can. 968 § 1), must be accompanied by others expressly indicated (can. 974), for the liceity of every ordination. Regarding the age of the recipient of the tonsure, the discipline immediately preceding the CIC required seven complete years (C. 41, 9 in 60; Conc. Trid., sess. XXIII, C. 4 De reform., Pontificale Romanum: De ordinibus conferendi). In certain places, however, particular law required the age of fourteen. Under current law no age is established directly; it is nevertheless decreed that the tonsure may not be conferred before the beginning of the theological course, whether the cleric is secular or religious (can. 976 § 1). Through the tonsure, which expresses renunciation of the world and consecration to God, the layman becomes a cleric (can. 108 § 1) and is automatically incardinated in the diocese for whose service he was tonsured (can. 111 § 2); he becomes capable of exercising jurisdiction and receiving benefices (cann. 108 § 1, 119 § 3); he acquires the rights and privileges proper to clerics (cann. 119-23); he may serve as subdeacon, though without the maniple, at a solemn Mass; he is bound by special duties (cann. 124-25, etc.) and to wear the tonsure, except where particular customs exist; and he must avoid any affectation in his hairstyle (can. 136). If minor clerics abandon the clerical habit and tonsure and, after being admonished, do not amend their ways, after one month they lose the clerical state, without prejudice to the provisions of can. 2379 and can. 188, 7.
The first tonsure may be conferred on any day and at any hour (can. 1006 § 4), and also in private oratories (can. 1009 § 3). The rite of the tonsure, as described in the Gregorian Sacramentary, which reflects the discipline of the eighth century, consists of cutting the hair and inviting the faithful to implore from the Lord grace for the new cleric. The present rite is described in the Pontificale Romanum under the title De ordinibus conferendis et de clerico faciendo.
The essential rite comprises cutting the ends of the hair in five parts of the head: namely, on the forehead, the occiput, above the two ears, and in the middle of the head, accompanied by the words « Dominus pars hereditatis meae et calicis mei tu es qui restitues hereditatem meam mihi ». If, instead of the actual hair, the hair of the coma adscittitia is cut, the conferral of the tonsure is doubtful and therefore its sanation must be requested or it must be repeated conditionally. The imposition of the surplice with the formula « Induat te Dominus » etc. certainly does not belong to the essence of the rite. The tonsure is a sacramental.