Editing Commendatory abbot (section)

{{Short description|Catholic ecclesiastical title}}
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A '''commendatory abbot''' ({{langx|la|abbas commendatarius}}) is an [[ecclesiastic]], or sometimes a [[layman]], who holds an [[abbey]] ''[[in commendam]]'', drawing its revenues but not exercising any authority over its inner monastic discipline. If a commendatory [[abbot]] is an ecclesiastic, however, he may have limited jurisdiction.

Originally only vacant abbeys, or those that were temporarily without an actual superior, were given ''in commendam'', in the latter case only until an actual superior was elected or appointed. An abbey is held ''in commendam'', i.e. provisorily, in distinction to one held ''in titulum'', which is a permanent [[benefice]].<ref name=Ott>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07719a.htm Ott, Michael. "In Commendam." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 26 Jul. 2015</ref>