Canon (priest)

A canon (from the Latin canonicus, itself derived from the Greek κανονικός, kanonikós, "relating to a
rule", "regular") is a member of certain bodies subject to an ecclesiastical rule.

Originally, a canon was a cleric living with others in a clergy house or, later, in one of the houses
within the precinct of or close to a cathedral and conducting his life according to the orders or rules
of the church. This way of life grew common (and is first documented) in the eighth century. In the
eleventh century, some churches required clergy thus living together to adopt the rule first proposed
by Saint Augustine that they renounce private wealth. Those who embraced this change were
known as Augustinians or Canons Regular, whilst those who did not were known as secular canons.

Secular canons …

Roman Catholic Church

In the Roman Catholic Church, the members of the chapter of a cathedral (cathedral chapter) or of a
collegiate church (so called after their chapter) are canons. Depending on the title of the church,
several languages use specific titles, e.g., in German Domherr or Domkapitular in a Dom (i.e.,
cathedral), Stiftsherr in a prelature that has the status of a Stift (notably under a prince of the
Church).

One of the functions of the cathedral chapter in the Roman Catholic Church was to elect a vicar
capitular (now named a diocesan administrator) to serve during a sede vacante period of the
diocese. Since the 1983 revision of the Code of Canon Law, this responsibility belongs to the
college of consultors, unless the national bishops conference decides that the functions that canon
law ascribes to the college of consultors, including this one, are to be entrusted to the cathedral
chapter.[1]

The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, which is a Catholic Society of Apostolic Life
dedicated to the Traditional Latin Mass, practice a rule of live generally based on historical Secular
Canons. They refer to their priests as Canons, use the style The Rev. Canon {Name} and wear distinct
Choir Dress.

Church of England
All canons of the Church of England have been secular since the Reformation, although an
individual canon may also be a member of a religious order. Mostly, however, they are ordained, that
is, priests or other clergy. Today, the system of canons is retained almost exclusively in connection
with cathedral churches. A canon is a member of the chapter of (for the most part) priests, headed
by a dean, which is responsible for administering a cathedral or certain other churches that are
styled collegiate churches. The dean and chapter are the formal body which has legal responsibility
for the cathedral and for electing the bishop.

Honorary canons
…
The title of Canon is not a permanent title and, when no longer in a position entitling preferment, it is
usually dropped from a cleric's title nomenclature. However, it is still given in many dioceses to
senior parish priests (including some Rural Deans, those who have played a role in the wider life of
the diocese, those who have served in the diocese for a long time, or similar) as a largely honorary
title. It is usually awarded in recognition of long and dedicated service to the diocese. Honorary
canons are members of the chapter in name but are non-residential and receive no emoluments.
They are entitled to call themselves canon and may have a role in the administration of the
cathedral.

Four canons with SS Augustine and

Jerome by an open grave, with the
Visitation. Master of the Spes Nostra
(active c. 1500–1520, Northern
Netherlands)

Generally speaking, canons in Anglican Churches are either canons residentiary (working at the
cathedral, and few in number) or honorary canons (non-cathedral clergy given the title as a mark of
honour — often many of them): either may wear a violet or violet-trimmed cassock. In some Church
of England dioceses, the title Prebendary is used instead of canon when the cleric is involved
administratively with a cathedral. Canons may be members of the diocesan/bishop's staff rather
than cathedral staff; such as in the Episcopal Church (United States), where a diocese's "Canon to
the Ordinary" is a senior priest who works directly for the diocesan bishop (Ordinary).[2]

Honorary canons within the Roman Catholic Church may still be nominated after the Second
Vatican Council. Also, priests (and honorary chaplains) of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and
the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre are, in fact, titular or honorary canons of these respective
Orders and have the right to the honorific title of "Canon" and "Monsignor" in addition to the choir
dress of a canon, which includes the mozetta (black with purple piping for Malta and white with a
red Jerusalem cross for Holy Sepulchre.[3][4]

Lay canons
…
Since the reign of King Henry IV, the heads of state of France have been granted by the pope the
title of sole honorary canon of Saint John Lateran and Saint Peter's.[5][6] On the demise of the
Kingdom of France this honour became transferred to the Presidents of the Republic, and hence is
currently held by Emmanuel Macron. This applies even when the French President is not a Catholic
or is an atheist. The proto-canon of the papal basilica of Saint Mary Major is the King of Spain,
currently Felipe VI.[7][8]

Before the Reformation, the King of England was a canon of the basilica of Saint Paul outside the
Walls.

Kanunnik Petrus-Ludovicus Stillemans

(1821–1902), brother of Antoon
Stillemans Honorary canon of St
Bavon Catedral, Flanders

In addition to canons who are clerics in holy orders, cathedrals in the Anglican Communion may
also appoint lay persons as canons. The rank of "lay canon" is especially conferred upon diocesan
chancellors (the senior legal officer of the diocese, who is usually, though not exclusively, a lay
person).

It has traditionally been said that the King of England (now the British Sovereign) is a canon or
prebendary of St David's Cathedral, Wales. However, this is based on a misconception. The canonry
of St Mary's College, St David's became the property of the Crown on the dissolution of the
monasteries. The Sovereign was never a canon of St David's, even as a layman (see also The Thirty-
Nine Articles of Religion (1562) Article 37), though he or she may occupy the first prebendal stall,
which is assigned for the monarch's use.

Canon professors
…
A canon professor is a canon at an Anglican cathedral (either lay or in orders) who also holds a
university professorship. There are four canon professorships in the University of Oxford in
conjunction with Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and two in Durham University in conjunction with
Durham Cathedral,[9][10] although academics titled "canon professor" may also be found at other
universities where the appointments as canon and professor have been made
independently.[11][12][13]

Section 2 of the Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 1995[14] was passed for the
express purpose of enabling Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, to appoint not more than two lay
canons. One of the motivations for this provision was the fact that, under section 6 of the
Ecclesiastical Commissioners Act 1840, the position of Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History in
the University of Oxford was annexed to a Residentiary Canonry of the cathedral, meaning that the
Regius professorship could be held only by an Anglican priest. Following the death of Peter Hinchliff
in 1995 the Regius professorship was held by Henry Mayr-Harting, a Roman Catholic layman, from
1997 until 2003, and was taken up by another lay person, Sarah Foot, in Michaelmas Term 2007.
Three other Statutory Professorships, the Regius Professorship of Divinity, Lady Margaret
Professorship of Divinity, recently held by the famous Anglican theologian, John Macquarrie, and
Regius Professorship of Moral and Pastoral Theology, are annexed to canonries of Christ Church
and were until recently held only by Anglican priests.

Another Flemish canon in official

clerical dress of canons
At Durham, the canon professorships are the Van Mildert Professor of Divinity, the holder of which
must be an Anglican priest, and the Michael Ramsey Professor of Anglican Studies, who must be
Anglican but did not have to be ordained.[15][16][17] Historically, the chair in Greek at the university
was also a canon professorship. This canonry was transferred to the Lightfoot Professor of Divinity
in 1940.[18]

The Lightfoot professorship was attached to the canonry until 1985,[19] when the non-Anglican
James Dunn was appointed.

Minor canons
…
Minor Canons are those clergy who are members of the foundation of a cathedral or collegiate
establishment. They take part in the daily services. They have sometimes formed a distinct
corporation as at St Paul's, London. In St Patrick's Dublin they are distinct from, and rank before, the
Vicars Choral. The two groups overlap however; the two senior vicars, the Dean's Vicar and the
Succentor, are also the two senior Minor Canons. Some Minor Canons do sit with, but are not voting
members of, the Chapter. Although at present Minor Canons are generally more junior clergy this is
a recent development. Within living memory such offices were often freehold and were held by
clergy of great distinction and seniority.

Canons regular …

Canons regular are the members of certain religious orders in the Roman Catholic Church (not to be
confused with clerics regular), composed of priests and some choir canons who live in community,
together with lay brothers. There are a variety of congregations of canons, some of which are part
of the Confederation of Canons Regular of St. Augustine:
 A canon receives Franc Rodé as guest
of honour.

Canons Regular of the Lateran or St. Saviour, which seems to date back to Pope Alexander II
(1063)

Order of the Canons Regular of Premontre; Norbertines founded by St. Norbert (1120)

Order of the Holy Cross (Canons Regular) founded in Portugal in 1131 and re-founded in 1977

Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross (the Crosiers), founded at Clair-lieu, near Huy, in
Belgium, in 1211

Swiss Congregation of Canons Regular of Saint Maurice of Agaune

Gilbertine Order, a solely English order of canons regular, which became extinct under King Henry
VIII

Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception, a congregation of Canons Regular founded in

France in 1871

Canons Regular of St. John Cantius, founded in 1998 by Fr. C. Frank Phillips, C.R., and Francis
Cardinal George, O.M.I.
 Canons, Bruges, Belgium

Gdańsk, Canons Cross by Giennadij

Jerszow

Many bishops endeavoured to imitate St. Augustine and St. Eusebius, and to live a common life with
the clergy of their church. Rules taken from the sacred canons were even drawn up for their use, of
which the most celebrated is that of St. Chrodegang, Bishop of Metz (766). In the tenth century, this
institution declined; the canons, as the clergy attached to a church and living a common life were
called, began to live separately; some of them, however, resisted this relaxation of discipline, and
even added poverty to their common life. This is the origin of the canons regular. Pope Benedict XII
by his constitution Ad decorem (15 May 1339) prescribed a general reform of the canons regular.
The canons regular ex professo united Holy Orders with religious life, and being attached to a
church, devoted themselves to promoting the dignity of divine worship. With monks, Holy Orders are
incidental and secondary, and are superadded to the religious life. With canons as with the clerks
regular, Holy Orders are the principal thing, and the religious life is superadded to the Holy Orders.
 See also …

Canoness

Diocesan priest

Index of religious honorifics and titles

References …

1. "Canon 502 §3" . The Code of Canon Law. Rome, IT: The Vatican. Retrieved 2013-12-01.

2. The Episcopal Diocese of New York (2019). "Episcopal Church Terminology." DioceseNY.org.
Retrieved 24 November 2019.

3. Insignia according to Gammarelli and Barbiconi

4. "Canon information" . www.smomge.org/Brianz.jpg (Image search result). Google. Retrieved

14 January 2018.

5. "Ente - Santissimo Salvatore e Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano" (in Italian).
Vicariate of the Diocese of Rome. Retrieved 18 June 2014.

. "Ente - San Pietro in Vaticano" (in Italian). Vicariate of the Diocese of Rome. Retrieved
18 June 2014.

7. "Liberian Chapter. The Chapter of Saint Mary Major" . Rome: The Vatican. Retrieved
14 January 2018.

. "Ente - San Paolo fuori le Mura" . Vicariate of the Diocese of Rome. Retrieved 14 January
2018.

9. Mark Hill; Russell Sandberg; Norman Doe (2011). Religion and Law in the United Kingdom .
Kluwer Law International. p. 182. ISBN 9789041134400.

10. "Cathedral and university welcome new professors" . Premier Christian Media Trust. 2014.
Retrieved 30 December 2016.

11. "Canon Professor Elaine Graham" . Chester University. Retrieved 30 December 2016.

12. "The Revd Canon Professor Richard Burridge" . King's College London. Retrieved
30 December 2016.

13. "The Revd Canon Professor Leslie Francis" . University of Warwick. Retrieved 30 December
2016.
14. "Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 1995 No. 2" . legislation.gov.uk.
Retrieved 30 April 2019.

15. "Two new Canon Professors appointed" . Durham University. 12 February 2015. Retrieved
30 December 2016.

1 . "Van Mildert Canon Professor of Divinity" . Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
Retrieved 30 December 2016.

17. "Michael Ramsey Professor of Anglican Studies" . Archived from the original on 4 March
2016. Retrieved 30 December 2016.

1 . The Universities Review, Volumes 13-17 . 1940. p. 37.

19. "The Rev Professor Douglas Jones" . The Independent. 2 December 2005.

External links …

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Canons (priests).

Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception

Canons Regular of St. John Cantius, Chicago

Canons Regular of Premontre, Orange County, California