MAJORrnr
657
MAiUNXS
the Major-domo. In the Introitus et Ebdtufl Cam-
ene Apostolicse" of the Vatican Archives, which be-
gins with the year 1295, the officials of the Apostolic
Household are given in regular order according to
their stipends. But^ although even at this date
there undoubtedly existed a supreme steward of the
papal palace, the name and duties attached to the
office of a maiordomo were not strictly defined until
later. The alterations in the domestic administra-
tion of the papal household, necessitated under Clem-
ent V and John XXII by the transition from the " nat-
ural economy" to the "economy of money", were
of a far-reaching nature; but it was only after the
return of Martin V from Avignon in 1418 that the
present offices were graduaUy evolved, to attain
subsequently during the Renaissance a full devel-
opment. In the sixteenth century a maestro di ccaa
stood at the head of the whole administration of
the papal household. Towards the end of that cen-
tury the same official was accorded the title of prefetto
del Sacro Palazzo Apostolico, and under Urban VlII
(1623-44) he was first granted the title of Mag^ior-
domo Pontificio. It was then his duty, on the acces-
sion of a new pope, to form the papal /ami^iia, that is,
to suggest candidates for the various household offices
and then to direct the whole household. ' In so far as
this duty necessitated expenditure^ the Treasurer of
the Holy Roman Church, the minister of finance for
the time being, exercised sharply defined control over
the majordomo and his assistants. This circumstance
did not, however, constitute the treasurer a househcHd
official, or the Prcpfectus Sacri PalaHi an administra-
tive official; the Majordomo is, and has always been,
exclusively a household official. A complete list of the
occupants of the office from 1534 is preserved. The
general rule recognized by the Curia at the close of the
Middle Ages, that the head of any important depart-
ment should have jurisdiction over all his assistants,
extended to the Majordomo. Not merely in civil mat-
ters, but likewise in criminal charges, seaebat pro tribtin
nali — he pronounced judgment on all officials of the
papal palace. In the course of time his duties as
majordfomo were sharply distinguished from those
which he performed as Prefect of the Palace, so that
the majordomo was said to be simultaneously Prefect
of the Palace. To the prefecture belonged the man-
agement of the museums and of all establishments of a
special kind existing in the palaces — provided they
were not autonomous. The keeping of the palace
accounts also fell to the prefect.
After 1870 there was a great change in these condi- tions. The important office of the prefect was sepa- rated from that of the maiordomo, and entrusted to the commission of cardinals appointed to administer the business affairs of the Holy See. The arrange- ment of Leo XIII was so far altered by Pius X, maX the Secretary of State was made Prefect of the Apostolic Palaces. Subordinate to him are the sub- prefect, the forriere maegiore, the cavallerizzo ma^- giore, the segreteria delm prefettiora, the computis- teria, the architetto and the juristic counsellors, who form, in their corporate capacity, the divisional boards of direction of the palace administration. The museums and galleries are also entrusted to this body. The above-mentioned alteration by Leo XIII took place on 29 Dec, 1891, after the prefecture had been separated by a Molus propritis of 7 Dec. The present rights of the Majordomo are briefly as follows: He enjoys his old privilege of accompanying His Holi- ness, and remains Governor of the Conclave. In this capacity he has the general control of the personnel of the palaces, and is responsible for the quiet and good order therein during the Conclave. In the Congresso Palatino (Palatine Commission), should it be here- after convened, he has a seat and a vote. He con- ducts the Congregation of the Apostolic Hospice, and is director of the Cappella Siatinaj the musical direc-
tion of which is (1910) entrusted to Maestro Perosi.
All ordinaiy and extraordinary religious functions, in
which the pope and papal court participate, are under
his arrangement ana direction. The appointments of
papal chamberlains are forwarded by hun at the pope's
order, and he distributes the annual medals to the
members of the papal household. His earlier duty of
issuing cards of admission to the galleries and museums
for purposes of study and copying is now withdrawn
from him. The Majordomo is the chief Prelate of the
Household, has a distinctive dress, and enjoys a free
official residence in the papal palace.
In addition to the veiy numerous references in Moroni, Ditionario di Erudix. Storico-EocUt.t consult Galbttz, Memarie di tre atUiche chieae di Rieti (Rome, 1765) : Sickbl, Ein Ruolo di Famiqlia dea Papatea Pius /K in Mitteil. dea IhaHl.far eaterreieh. Oeaekichtahrachung, suppl. vol. IV; Die kathol. Kir^ae u. ihra Diener in WoH u. Bild, I (Berlin, 1899), 277-8. There is a short reference in Humphrey. Urba et China (London, 1899), 122-4. For the officials themselves the various series Oerarchia CaUO' lica, Notisie di Roma, and the old Relalioni delta Corie di Roma, should be consulted.
Paul Maria Baumgarten.
Majority (Lat. majoritas), the state of a person or thing greater, or superior, in relation to another person or thing. In canon law the expression has three prin- cipal acceptations: (1) In the elections or delibera- tions of any assembly, majority signifies a higher num- ber of votes. There is an " atisolute majority ", when the number of votes exceeds half the number of the voters; a "relative majority" when the votes for the one candidate, or party, numerically exceed those given to any other. There are also certain special majorities required in certain cases, such as that of ti?ii^thirds required for pontifical elections (see Con- clave; Election); (2) In reference to persons, majo- rity is the state of persons who have reached the age required for such and such definite acts; in particular, for acts of civil life. As a rule, the age of majority is fbced at twenty-one years (see Minors); (3) In the hierarchical sense, majority is the superiority of cer- tain persons over certain others by reason of the charge or dignitv held by the former. It connotes authority, or at least precedence; and its correlative is obedience when there is question of jurisdiction, deference and respect when there is question of dig- nity. Thus, in the Church, the clergy are superior to the laity; amon^ the clergy, individuals are ranked according to their jurisdiction, their Holy orders, etc. In a certain sense, even church buildings have a hier- archical precedence, the first of churches being St. John Lateran's, the pope's cathedral, "mother and head of all the churches of Rome and of the world": next come the "major" basilicas, then the primatial churches, the metropolitan, cathedral, collegiate, etc. (cf. Decretal, I, tit. xxxiii, "De majoritate et obedi- entia").
A. BOUDINHON.
Major Orders. See Orders, Holt.
Majnnko^ Paul, Catholic journalist, b. at Gross- Schmosrau m Silesia, 14 July, 1842; d. at Hochkirch near Glogau, 21 May, 18W. He entered the Univer- sity of BresLau in 1861, and devoted four yearn to the study of civil and canon law and Catholic theology. In 1867 he was ordained priest, and from 1869 to 1870 was editor of the "KClnische Zeitung". From 1871 to 1878 he was editor-in-chief of the ^'Germania"; m 1874 he was elected member of the Reichstag, and in 1878 also of the Prussian House of Deputies, attaching himself to the Centre party. He encouraged Catholic journalism and, during the KuUurkampf, was a most zealous and fearless champion of the Catholic cause, at the cost of great personal sacrifices. Unfortunately, his uncompromising zeal frequently incited him to give expression to ill-timed utterances in both the public press and Parliament, and these led to an estrangement between him and the leading Catb^V^^^. of the day. In 1874 1« ^«» ^swcAmoscdr^ \Rk «cvfc ^^rs^ "^
