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Was an abbess subject to a bishop in the middle ages?

Updated: 8/20/2019
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11y ago

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In certain situations, yes, but an abbess was in most cases answerable directly to the Pope.

Bishops were always men so they had the advantage of being considered more "important" because of their sex; they were also first ordained priests and later ordained bishops - women were not permitted to become those grades in the Church; bishops could be given authority to audit and check nunneries as well as monasteries on behalf of the Pope; sometimes a bishop would be appointed Papal Legate, meaning that he was acting as the pope's deputy in a particular region, with all the powers of the Pope.

An abbess had control of the day-to-day running of her own nunnery and would normally make all the decisions herself, with input from all her nuns at the daily Chapter meeting. Men were always required as priests since women could not fill that role, in order to take services, hear confessions and so on. Bishops were always required to confirm a nun in her vows and enable her to move from novice to professed nun.

The two (abbess and bishop) belonged to different branches of the Church - nuns, prioresses and abbesses were part of the "regular" clergy (meaning they followed a Rule and were cut off from society); bishops belonged to the secular clergy (meaning they had daily contact with ordinary society).

So the answer is that in general, an abbess was notsubject to a bishop, but in certain situations she was.

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