Canon (title)

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Honorary Canon
)

Canon (Greek: κανονικός, romanizedkanonikós) is a Christian title usually used to refer to a member of certain bodies in subject to an ecclesiastical rule.

Originally, a canon was a

Canons Regular, whilst those who did not were known as secular
canons.

Secular canons

Latin Church

In the

prince of the Church
).

One of the functions of the cathedral chapter in the Latin Church was to elect a

vicar capitular (now named a diocesan administrator) to serve during a sede vacante period of the diocese. Since the 1983 revision of the Code of Canon Law, this responsibility belongs to the college of consultors, unless the national bishops conference decides that the functions that canon law ascribes to the college of consultors, including this one, are to be entrusted to the cathedral chapter.[1]

Church of England

All canons of the

collegiate churches
. The dean and chapter are the formal body which has legal responsibility for the cathedral and for electing the bishop.

Honorary canons

The title of Canon is not a permanent title and, when no longer in a position entitling preferment, it is usually dropped from a cleric's title nomenclature. However, it is still given in many dioceses to senior parish priests (including some rural deans, those who have played a role in the wider life of the diocese, those who have served in the diocese for a long time, or similar) as a largely honorary title. It is usually awarded in recognition of long and dedicated service to the diocese. Honorary canons are members of the chapter in name but are non-residential and receive no emoluments. They are entitled to call themselves canon and may have a role in the administration of the cathedral.

Four canons with SS Augustine and Jerome by an open grave, with the Visitation. Master of the Spes Nostra [nl] (active c. 1500–1520, Northern Netherlands)

Generally speaking, canons in Anglican churches are either canons residentiary (working at the cathedral, and few in number) or honorary canons (non-cathedral clergy given the title as a mark of honour — often many of them): either may wear a violet or violet-trimmed cassock. In some Church of England dioceses, the title Prebendary is used instead of canon when the cleric is involved administratively with a cathedral. Canons may be members of the diocesan/bishop's staff rather than cathedral staff, such as in the Episcopal Church (United States), where a diocese's "Canon to the Ordinary" is a senior priest who works directly for the diocesan bishop (ordinary).[2]

Honorary canons within the Roman Catholic Church may still be nominated after the

Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre are, in fact, titular or honorary canons of these respective Orders and have the right to the honorific title of "Canon" and "Monsignor"[citation needed] in addition to the choir dress of a canon, which includes the mozetta (black with purple piping for Malta and white with a red Jerusalem cross for Holy Sepulchre.[3][4]

Lay canons

Since the reign of

Before the

Saint Paul outside the Walls
.

Petrus-Ludovicus Stillemans (1821–1902), brother of Antoon Stillemans and honorary canon of St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent

In addition to canons who are clerics in holy orders, cathedrals in the Anglican Communion may also appoint lay persons as canons. The rank of "lay canon" is especially conferred upon diocesan chancellors (the senior legal officer of the diocese, who is usually, though not exclusively, a lay person).[citation needed]

It has traditionally been said that the King of England (now the

prebendal stall, which is assigned for the monarch's use.[citation needed
]

Canon professors

A canon professor is a canon at an Anglican cathedral (either lay or in orders) who also holds a university professorship. There are four canon professorships in the University of Oxford in conjunction with Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and two in Durham University in conjunction with Durham Cathedral,[9][10] although academics titled "canon professor" may also be found at other universities where the appointments as canon and professor have been made independently.[11][12][13]

Section 2 of the

Regius Professorship of Moral and Pastoral Theology, are annexed to canonries of Christ Church and were until recently held only by Anglican priests.[citation needed]

Another Flemish
canon in official clerical dress of canons

At Durham, the canon professorships are the Van Mildert Professor of Divinity, the holder of which must be an Anglican priest, and the Michael Ramsey Professor of Anglican Studies, who must be Anglican but did not have to be ordained.[15][16][17] Historically, the chair in Greek at the university was also a canon professorship. This canonry was transferred to the Lightfoot Professor of Divinity in 1940.[18]

The Lightfoot professorship was attached to the canonry until 1985,[19] when the non-Anglican James Dunn was appointed.[citation needed]

Minor canons

Vicars Choral. The two groups overlap however; the two senior vicars, the Dean's Vicar and the Succentor
, are also the two senior Minor Canons. Some Minor Canons do sit with, but are not voting members of, the Chapter. Although at present Minor Canons are generally more junior clergy this is a recent development. Within living memory such offices were often freehold and were held by clergy of great distinction and seniority.

Canons regular

Canons regular are the members of certain religious orders in the Roman Catholic Church (not to be confused with clerics regular), composed of priests and some choir canons who live in community, together[

Franc Rodé
.
Canons, Bruges, Belgium
Gdańsk, Canons Cross by Giennadij Jerszow

Many bishops endeavoured to imitate St. Augustine and St. Eusebius, and to live a common life with the clergy of their church. Rules taken from the sacred canons were even drawn up for their use, of which the most celebrated is that of

monks, Holy Orders are incidental and secondary, and are superadded to the religious life. With canons as with the clerks regular, Holy Orders are the principal thing, and the religious life is superadded to the Holy Orders.[citation needed
]

See also

  • Canoness
  • Diocesan priest
  • Index of religious honorifics and titles

References

  1. ^ "Canon 502 §3". The Code of Canon Law. Rome, IT: The Vatican. Retrieved 2013-12-01.
  2. ^ The Episcopal Diocese of New York (2019). "Episcopal Church Terminology." DioceseNY.org. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  3. ^ Insignia according to Gammarelli and Barbiconi
  4. ^ "Canon information". www.smomge.org/Brianz.jpg (Image search result). Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Ente - Santissimo Salvatore e Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano" (in Italian). Vicariate of the Diocese of Rome. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
  6. ^ "Ente - San Pietro in Vaticano" (in Italian). Vicariate of the Diocese of Rome. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
  7. ^ "Liberian Chapter. The Chapter of Saint Mary Major". Rome: The Vatican. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Ente - San Paolo fuori le Mura". Vicariate of the Diocese of Rome. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  9. .
  10. ^ "Cathedral and university welcome new professors". Premier Christian Media Trust. 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  11. Chester University
    . Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  12. ^ "The Revd Canon Professor Richard Burridge". King's College London. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  13. ^ "The Revd Canon Professor Leslie Francis". University of Warwick. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  14. ^ "Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 1995 No. 2". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  15. ^ "Two new Canon Professors appointed". Durham University. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  16. ^ "Van Mildert Canon Professor of Divinity". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  17. ^ "Michael Ramsey Professor of Anglican Studies". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  18. ^ The Universities Review, Volumes 13-17. 1940. p. 37.
  19. ^ "The Rev Professor Douglas Jones". The Independent. 2 December 2005.

External links