Subiaco became dependant directly on the pope in the Middle Ages; see
Carosi, I monasteri di Subiaco. But I do not recall his using that
terminology in discussing the connection of abbey to pope.
Tom Izbicki
At 12:03 PM 2/5/2001 -0600, you wrote:
>There was in the twentieth century a particular category of abbey -- a
>canonical status of the institution, as opposed to the personal status of
>the abbot -- called the "abbatia nullius" [sc. dioecesis], in which the
>abbey and some surrounding territory and its parishes were canonically
>independent of the local ordinary. In the US, the abbot was a member of
>the national bishops' conference. The category was suppressed in the late
>1970s; there were two such institutions in North America, Belmont Abbey in
>NC and St Peter's in Saskatchewan. IN the NC case, abbey nullius status
>came in conjunction with the consecration of an early twentieth-century
>abbot, Leo Haig, as bishop of the missionary territory of North
>Carolina. Later abbots were ordinaries, but not consecrated as bishops.
>
>One can see echoes here of medieval "immunity" (a topic that seems to grow
>more complex by the year! -- B. Rosenwein's book is on my desk, waiting for
>me to crack the cover). My question is when this canonical status was
>first defined, or how it evolved, and what its medieval precedents
>were. (See, this really was a medieval question . . . ) I'm wondering if
>it was a post-Tridentine development, a sudden definition of something
>pretty novel, or a gradual evolution. Is the connection with medieval [I
>think we're not alowed to say "Cluniac" anymore . . .] immunity merely one
>of resemblance, or of historical development?
>
>
>Patrick Nugent.
>
>
>
>At 11:30 AM 2/5/2001 -0500, you wrote:
>>At 02:35 PM 2/4/01 -0600, you wrote:
>>>Dublin provides an interesting example. ...
>>>Does anyone know of other sees in medieval Christendom with more than one
>>>cathedral chapter?
>>>--Maeve
>> The medieval diocese of Valva and Sulmona, on the border between
>>Lazio and the Abruzzi, had two cathedrals--a consequence of the melting
>>away of the original cathedral city.
>> On another matter under discussion, it might be noted that in
>>medieval Europe not only were there mitered abbots who had the right to
>>wear this episcopal regalia but also, in Germany and in Italy, some mitered
>>abbesses. These were superior mother superiors in whose presence even the
>>more rowdy magnates were presumably well behaved.
>> --John Howe, Texas Tech
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