Conference thebay::joyoflex

    	Definitions 2 and 3 for rector would be the most common uses these
    days, I think.
    
    	The distinction between vicar and curate dates from the days when
    the church was a career and parish tithes made a substantial income. A
    vicar with good family connections would often have the rights to
    several parishes, which meant a lot of money, but he couldn't fulfil
    all the duties personaly.
    
    	With a few parishes he would live and spend most of his time in
    one, and employ curates to handle the rest. He would probably have a
    circuit of his parishes so that if he had four parishes he would give
    the Sunday sermon one week in four in each.
    
    	If he had many parishes he would probably live in London, and spend
    his time currying favour with either the ecclesiastical or royal court
    in the hope of becoming a bishop.
    
    	A rector would have administrative power and complete financial
    control of his part of the ecclesiastical (or university) organisation.
    My dictionary makes it clear that a rector would be entitled to all of
    the tithes while a vicar might only be entitled to part.
    
    	I hope this helps.
    		Dave
    

    In general and practical terms in the Church of England ...
    
    the Curate is an assistant to a Vicar or Rector, and often in a parish
    where there are more than 1 church or chapel, a curate will be
    responsible for the chapel, as the vicar or rector is for the parish
    'home' church.  In larger parishes, the Vicar or Rector will have one
    or more curates to assist in performing many of the admisnistrative
    functions of the parish ... such as scheduling of the church, 
    marriage preparations, including the Reading of Banns.
    
    the vicar is usually the priest in charge of a single parish and
    chuch ... although there may be another church or chapel in the parish
    under the responsibility of a curate.
    
    the rector is usually the priest in charge of several parishes ...
    usually found in rural parishes.  Occasionally, in parishes which
    have amalgamated under a single church you may still find a rector
    rather than a vicar.
    
    In other domains of the Church of England, such as the Anglican Church
    of Canada, or the Episcopalian Church in the US, it is much more
    common for the priest to be known as a rector rather than a vicar.
    Historically probably due to parishes abroad being considered rural.
    
    Essentially, today, the term rector and vicar are virtually synonymous 
    except in a few parishes for historical reasons, or because of the
    degree of catholicism ("high"ness of the church ...High Anglican being
    very catholic ... i.e. retains a lot of the rites and traditions of
    the Roman Catholic Church) of the parish, or the incumbent priest.
    
    The position of rector is generally considered to carry a slightly
    higher weight in the church.
    
    Stuart

    I think I have this right.
    
    In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church, a "rector" is
    always the head priest of a church. As mentioned previously, in the
    Church of England, this title is used in parishes where the tithes
    previously passed to the incumbent.
    
    In the COE, a "vicar" is the head priest of a church where the tithes
    formerly passed to a chapter, religious society, or layman. In the U.S.
    Episcopal Church, a "vicar" is a priest who has been deputized in some
    capacity by another priest or, especially, a bishop. The latter is
    generally true in the Roman Catholic Church, too, I think. The Pope,
    for example, is also known as "the Vicar of Christ".
    
    In the U.S. Episcopal Church, there are "parish churches" and "mission
    churches". A parish church is self-governing (through the "vestry" - a
    lay body), and financially self-sustaining. A mission church is
    supported and governed by the Bishop and the Diocese. The head priest
    in a parish church, hired by the vestry, is a "rector". The
    priest-in-charge of a mission church is a "vicar", is appointed by
    the Bishop, and acts as his/her deputy. Likewise, a priest appointed by
    the Bishop to be the priest-in-charge of a parish church during a
    transition period may be called a "vicar".
    
    A "curate" is a usually junior priest, often appointed by the head
    priest, to assist him.
    
    -Tom                        

    To add some confusion, in French the head priest of a parish (vicar) is
    called a "cur�", while his assistants (curates) are called "vicaires".
    "Recteurs" are found in Britanny where the "cur�s" often hold that
    title. I must say that the inversion of meaning is to be blamed on the
    English, as a "vicaire" is supposed to assist in the care of a parish
    (vice-cure or vice-care) while the "cur�" is supposed to be in charge
    (cure, or care) of it.
    			Denis.

I seem to remember (Denis? Perhaps Roger could have helped me out here) a
paper about the naming of vicars in different languages in Gaul. Gascon,
I vaguely remember, called a vicar something like a cockerel.

This has absolutely nothing to do with anything, but you're all big enough
to use the NEXT UNSEEN key on your own by now.

b

    Re .5: Sorry, Bob, I unfortunately don't have any working knowledge of
    Gascon and so cannot confirm or deny. The only regional habit I know in
    that domain is the previously mentionned one to call the "cur�s"
    "recteurs" in Britanny.
    			Denis.

    	Roger has been out of DEC for over a year now, but I still see him
    socially fairly often. I will try to remember to ask him.
    
    	Also nothing to do with the topic, but his wife is a fund of
    esoterica too. Last Sunday she informed me that in France, employees
    have the right to work for up to one hour per day nude. I'm *fairly*
    sure she wasn't joking... but I haven't had the courage to try it in
    the office. It seems the law dates from the days when air conditioners
    weren't invented and the concept of a female employee was almost
    unthinkable.
    
    	Dave (currently nude, but with a terminal at home ;-)

>>    	Dave (currently nude, but with a terminal at home ;-)

		Dave - I'm *pretty* sure that that could 
		be viewed as harassment.  :-)

		PS Watch that mouse!

    Depends on the view ;-)

>I seem to remember (Denis? Perhaps Roger could have helped me out here) a
>paper about the naming of vicars in different languages in Gaul.
    
    Old Possum's Book of Practical Vicars?

    Dave
    
    There are still some instances in the UK of Rectors being appointed in
    the CofE.  A case in point is in Dunstable, Beds.
    
    There there is a team ministry who have charge of three churches.  The
    principal church is actually an old priory, dating from the 12th
    century.  In addition there are two other modern churches.  The priory
    and the two churches each have a vicar.  In addition the priory and one
    of the modern churches has a deacon.  Managing the team of three vicars
    and two deacons is a rector.  Then to complicate matters close to
    Dunstable there are at least two rural parishes.  Each of these has a
    vicar, over whom the rector has some sort of control, but they are not
    part of the team ministry.
    
    Nick

    "What were doing in the graveyard, you horrible little necrophiliac?"
    
    "Sexton, Yer honour!"