Messina. This abuse was common at that time. Often the Commendatory Archimandrites[1] were laymen. They were nominated by the King of Naples, the benefice being presented by the Pope. They had various curious privileges of dress and rank, even at Papal functions.[2]
In 1738 the Congregation of the Council established a concordat between the Archbishop and the Archimandrite of Messina which at last put an end to their continual disagreement.[3] But the monastery lost all importance; the only thing that remained of it was the title "Archimandrite of St Saviour," given to prelates who had no connection with the place, and rights and privileges attached to this title which no longer had any reasonable justification. So, at last, in 1883 the Holy See ended the process of dissolution by uniting the office of Archimandrite to the Archbishopric. All that remains now of this once famous monastery is that the Archbishop of Messina also has the title "Archimandrita SS Saluatoris Messanæ"; certain rights which would otherwise belong normally to the ordinary come to him in this capacity, as holding the jurisdiction of the exempt monastery. It is an odd situation, that privileges of independence of the bishop of the diocese should be held by the bishop himself; but undoubtedly it prevents troublesome litigation. The Archbishop of Messina can hardly quarrel with himself about the limits of his own independence of himself.
There were other famous monasteries of the Byzantine rite
- ↑ I say "Archimandrite" since we are in the Byzantine rite. As a matter of fact, the heads of Italo-Greek monasteries were constantly called, and called themselves Abbots, which means the same thing. The head of a large and important monastery in the Byzantine rite is an Archimandrite (ἀρχιμανδρίτης), the head of a smaller one a Hegumenos (ἡγούμενος). There is not much difference in practice.
- ↑ See Rodotà, ii, 86-87.
- ↑ A full account of the disputes and their settlement will be found in Rodotà, ii, 87-88. The decision is in the Thesaurus Resolutionum Concilii (Urbino, 1739), ad annum 1738, p. 117.
Freiburg, 3rd edition, 1893, p. 453). For a supposed serious definition this is as humorous a thing as you will find. The whole system was an outrageous abuse. It was, of course, really a trick by which the revenue of a rich monastery could be given to some outsider who wanted money. So the promise of an abbey in commendam became a valuable bribe. Francis Delfau, O.S.B. (1637-1676), one of the most learned and pious of the Benedictines of St Maur, wrote a scathing attack on the abuse, "L'abbé commendataire" (Köhn, 1673), for which he was banished by Louis XIV. "Neither nomination by the King, nor Bulls and dispensations by the Pope, nor common use can justify it."
