[Magdalen] Abbots.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

I came upon a picture of the Abbot of Clear Creek Monastery in
Oklahoma recently.  He was in full pontificals, including mitre  and crozier
(staff).
 
I'd forgotten about the business of "mitred abbots," and I am amazed
with the history of such monastic leaders both in the East and the  West.
What is now the UK (including Scotland) was chalk full of abbeys  large
enough to merit an abbott.  Their power in monastery was absolute,  and
sometimes they rivaled the power of regional diocesan bishop.  Some 
abbeys were beyond the jurisdiction of the diocesan bishop.
 
Abbot and abbey derive, not surprisingly from the Aramaic for  "father"
("abba").
 
Of course several of the large English abbeys were also cathedrals, 
and the abbotts of these locations would appoint a prior to take the  
ongoing
duties of an abbott and the abbot functioned as the regional bishop.
 
As near as I can determine, an abbot functions liturgically as a  bishop
but only in his monastery or in parish churches served by his  monastic
clergy.  I am unable to find any special peculiarities of abbots in  this
regard.  There may be some.
 
Abbots can/could ordain the minor Orders (lector, etc.) up through,
in some cases, the diaconate.
 
 
 
 
David Strang.