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Aterritorial abbey (orterritorial abbacy) is aparticular church of theCatholic Church comprising defined territory which is not part of adiocese but surrounds anabbey ormonastery whoseabbot orsuperior functions asordinary for all Catholics andparishes in the territory. Such an abbot is called aterritorial abbot orabbotnullius diœceseos (abbreviatedabbotnullius and Latin for "abbot of no diocese"). A territorial abbot thus differs from an ordinary abbot, who exercises authority only within the monastery's walls or tomonks orcanons who have taken theirvows there. A territorial abbot isequivalent to a diocesan bishop inCatholic canon law.
While most belong to theLatin Church, and usually to theBenedictine orCistercian Orders, there is oneEastern Catholic territorial abbey: theItalo-Albanian Greek Catholic Abbey ofGrottaferrata. The closest equivalent in theEastern Orthodox Church would be astauropegion (e.g. most famously,Mount Athos).
Though territorial (like other) abbots are elected by the monks of their abbey, a territorial abbot can only receive the abbatial blessing and be installed under a mandate from thepope, just as a bishop cannot be ordained and installed as ordinary of a diocese without such a mandate.[1]
After theSecond 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. Abbeysnullius have been phased out in favor of the erection of new dioceses or the absorption of the territory into an existing diocese. A few ancient territorial abbeys still exist inEurope, and there is one inKorea.[2]
There are eleven remaining territorial abbeys, as listed by theHoly See in theAnnuario Pontificio:[3]
Historically there have been more, such as:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Abbot".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
