Abbé (from Latin abbas, in turn from Greek αββας = abbas father, from Aramaic abba) is the French word for abbot. It is the title for lower-ranking Catholic clergymen in France.
A concordat passed between Pope Leo X and Francis I of France (between 1515 and 1521), gave the kings of France the right to nominate 255 Abbés commendataires for almost all French abbeys, who received income from a monastery without needing to render a service.
Since the mid-16th century, the title abbé has been used for all young clergymen with or without consecration. Their clothes consisted of a black or dark violet robes with a small collar; they were tonsured.
Since those abbés only rarely commanded an abbey, they often worked in honourable families as tutors, spiritual directors, etc.; others became writers.
References
"Abbé". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Abb%C3%A9.
See also
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