Two points from the fringes -
(1) Canons do not have to be priests, in 12th C at least. The Chapter of
Notre Dame, Paris seems (if the witness lists in Lastereye (sp ?) are any
guide - and what else is there?-) to suggest that the Chapter consisted of :
The Dean & 3 Archdeacons, 3 Canons who were Priests, 3 Canons who were
Deacons, 3 Canons who were Sub-Deacons (and at this date I believe
Sub-Deacons were in Minor not Major Orders) and 3 Acolytes. So that LESS
THAN HALF the college were fully ordained priests - the Archdeacons may have
been just that - ARCH Deacons.
(2) The Order founded by Gilbert of Sempringham consisted of Double
Monasteries comprising Cannonesses and the Priests/Brothers who supported
them.
I think the focus of the Cannonesses was more urban/social work than many
nuns. Did not Canonesses run hospitals &c ?
(3) I have a reference somewhere to ladies called CONHOSPITAE who called
down the wrath of bishops because they were assisting priests to take the
Sacraments to the sick & dying. These seem to be early proto female
"clergy" - administering but (probably) not consecrating the sacraments.
I will try to dig out my references to all these after the Festive season -
-In haste to catch a train -
To All List Members
A Merry Christmas,
A Happy New Year-
A Joyful New Millennium.
Brenda M. C.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher Crockett" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, December 23, 2000 11:31 PM
Subject: Canonesses
Jo-Ann McNamara <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>...But, Yes, I think there might be some hint of some
sort of female clergy in the 8th=12th centuries.
Good Lord, where??
[he said, evincing astonishment, not incredulity --much
less (gasp) "scorn."]
"clergy", as in "priest"?
or is the operative phrase "some sort"?
(perspicacious of you to leave yourself an escape hatch.)
>The canonesses often seem to have some attachment to a
Cathedral
i believe that the only women i've ever come across
(doesn't mean much) "attached" to a "Cathdral" have
been:
(a) a "Vidamess" (_vicedomina_) of Chartres, who is
styled thus in the early 12th c. She *may* have held
this office (Chief Vassal of the Bishop) after the death
of her husband and during the minority of her daughter,
which, _ex officio_ implied a seat in the chapter. Or,
she may have simply been styled that in the charters
(and elsewhere, e.g. Orderic Vital) out of courtesy,
because she was the widow of the deceased Vidame.
(2) a certain late 11th c. "recluse" (i forget the
precise latin word) who apparently lived in (or on?)
the collegial church of St. Martin of Pontoise
(Bx. Hildeburge, of Gallardon [near Chartres], i believe
was her name). Her short _vita_ was published by J. Depoin, in his edition
of
the cartulary of that abbey.
there are, btw, several nice little stone vaulted
"rooms" above the side aisles of the cathedral of Chartres
whose purpose has never been really explained, to my
knowledge. for utilitarian use (like for storing
tools, etc. of the guys working on the roof from time to time), surely, but
they were certainly big enough to live in, if one
was into a somewhat frugal lifestyle.)
any other examples of "reclusae" living on churches known
out there???
>Unhappily there seem to be lots of tunnels with no
light at the end and I am left only with the sense that
we don't know a lot of what we may have thought we knew.
a pretty reasonable summary of the situation, i'd say.
understated, perhaps.
best to all from here
christopher
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