ABBOT, or ABBAT, the superior of a monastery of monks erected into an abbey or prelacy.
The name Abbot is originally Hebrew, where it signifies father. The Jews call father, in their language, Ab; whence the Chaldeans and Syrians formed Abba; thence the Greeks Αββα, which the Latins retained, Abbas; and hence our Abbot, the French Abbé, &c. — St Mark and St Paul use the Syriac Abba in their Greek, by reason it was then commonly known in the synagogues and the primitive assemblies of the Christians; adding to it, by way of interpretation, the word father, Αββα πater, "Abba, father;" q. d. Abba, that is to say, Father. — But the name Ab, or Abba, which at first was a term of tenderness and affection in the Hebrew and Chaldean, became at length a title of dignity and honour: The Jewish doctors affected it; and one of their most ancient books, containing the sayings or apophthegms of divers of them, is intitled Pirke Abboth, or Aboth; i. e. Chapters of the Fathers. It was in allusion to this affection, that Jesus Christ forbade his disciples to call any man their father on earth; which word St Jerome turns against the superiors of the monasteries of his time, for assuming the title of Abbots, or Fathers.
The name Abbot, then, appears as old as the institution of monks itself. — The governors of the primitive monasteries assumed indifferently the titles Abbots, and Archimandrites. They were really distinguished from the clergy; though frequently confounded with them, because a degree above laymen.
In those early days, the abbots were subject to the bishops and the ordinary pastors. Their monasteries being remote from cities, built in the farthest solitudes, they had no share in ecclesiastical affairs. They went on Sundays to the parish-church with the rest of the people; or, if they were too remote, a priest was sent them to administer the sacraments; till at length they were allowed to have priests of their own body. The abbot or archimandrite himself was usually the priest: but his function extended no farther than to the spiritual assistance of his monastery; and he remained still in obedience to the bishop. There being among the abbots several persons of learning, they made a vigorous opposition to the rising heresies of those times; which first occasioned the bishops to call them out of their deserts, and fix them about the suburbs of cities, and at length in the cities themselves: from which era their degeneracy is to be dated. The abbots, now, soon wore off their former plainness and simplicity, and began to be looked on as a sort of little prelates. They aspired at being independent of the bishops; and became so insupportable, that some severe laws were made against them at the council of Chalcedon; this notwithstanding, in time many of them carried the point of independency, and got the appellation of lord, with other badges of the episcopate, particularly the mitre.
Hence arose new species of distinctions between the abbots. Those were termed mitred abbots, who were privileged to wear the mitre, and exercise episcopal authority within their respective precincts, being exempted from the jurisdiction of the bishop. Others were
called crozier abbots, from their bearing the crozier or pastoral staff. Others were styled eccumenical or universal abbots, in imitation of the patriarch of Constantinople: while others were termed cardinal abbots, from their superiority over all other abbots. — Among us, the mitred abbots were lords of parliament; and called abbots-sovereign, and abbots-general, to distinguish them from the other abbots. And as there were lords abbots, so there were also lords priors, who had exempt jurisdiction, and were likewise lords of Parliament. Some reckon 26 of these lords abbots and priors that sat in parliament. Sir Edward Coke says, that there were 27 parliamentary abbots and two priors. In the parliament 20 Rich. II. there were but 25 abbots and two priors: but in the summons to parliament anno 4 Ed. III. more are named.
At present, in the Roman-catholic countries, the principal distinctions observed between abbots are those of regular and commendatory. The former take the vow and wear the habit of their order; whereas the latter are seculars, though they are obliged by their bulls to take orders when of proper age.
Anciently the ceremony of creating an abbot consisted in clothing him with the habit called eculus, or cowl; putting the pastoral staff into his hand, and the shoes called pedales on his feet; but at present, it is only a simple benediction, improperly called, by some, consecration.