Abbé

For other uses, see Abbe (disambiguation).

French abbé from the 18th century.

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

Since those abbés only rarely commanded an abbey, they often worked in honourable families as tutors, spiritual directors, etc.; others became writers.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Abbot#Modern abbots not as superior
• Abbé Pierre

References

•  A'Becket, John J (1913). "Abbé". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 

External links

•  "Abbé". The Nuttall Encyclopædia. 1907. 
•  "Abbé". Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.