| Abbey Nullius |
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This is also called an ''abbey nullius'', for abbey ''nullius diœceseos'' -- Latin 'of no diocese', or outside of a diocese's jurisdiction. The abbot is called a territorial abbot. HISTORY The practice arose in part because abbeys have traditionally sometimes served as missions: a monastery was sometimes erected in territories where Christianity was first being preached or in remote and poor areas or areas still being settled. As the monastery was the only ecclesiastical presence, and as the monks sometimes served as a parish clergy in parishes near the monastery, the abbot, though having received only the priesthood in the sacrament of Holy Orders , was invested with the same authority under Canon Law as a diocesan bishop for a given territory around the abbey. With the exception of actually ordaining new priests himself, the abbot so empowered could do everything else a diocesan bishop would for his subjects, including incardinate (that is, enroll under his jurisdiction) even non-monastic clergy for service in parishes. Territorial abbeys still exist in some parts of the world: in sparsely settled or missionary areas, and in Europe where some ancient abbeys nullius still retain their rights. Though abbots are elected by the monks of their abbey, a territorial abbot cannot receive the abbatial blessing and be installed without a mandate from the Pope , just as a bishop cannot be installed as ordinary of a diocese without such a mandate. After the Second Vatican Council , more emphasis has been placed on the unique nature of the episcopacy and on the traditional organization of the church into dioceses under bishops -- many officials who had been given the privilege of wearing episcopal vestments, even though they were not bishops, lost this right, for instance. As such, abbeys nullius have been phasing out in favor of the erection of new dioceses or absorption of the territory into an existing diocese. A few ancient abbeys nullius still exist in Europe, and one in Brazil. LIST OF TERRITORIAL ABBACIES In April 2006, there were only ten, all Latin rite, in fact titular sees and in Europe:
The other nine are all in Italy:
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