vicar

views updated May 23 2018

vic·ar / ˈvikər/ • n. (in the Roman Catholic Church) a representative or deputy of a bishop. ∎  (in the Episcopal Church) a member of the clergy in charge of a chapel. ∎  (in the Church of England) an incumbent of a parish where tithes formerly passed to a chapter or religious house or layman. ∎  (in other Anglican Churches) a member of the clergy deputizing for another. ∎  a cleric or choir member appointed to sing certain parts of a cathedral service.DERIVATIVES: vic·ar·ship / ship/ n.

vicar

views updated Jun 11 2018

vicar (in the Church of England) an incumbent of a parish where tithes formerly passed to a chapter or religious house or layman; (in other Anglican Churches) a member of the clergy deputizing for another; (in the Roman Catholic Church) a representative or deputy of a bishop; (in the US Episcopal Church) a clergyman in charge of a chapel. The word is recorded from Middle English, and comes ultimately from Latin vicarius ‘substitute’.
vicar apostolic a Roman Catholic missionary; a titular bishop.
vicar general an Anglican official serving as a deputy or assistant to a bishop or archbishop; (in the Roman Catholic Church) a bishop's representative in matters of jurisdiction or administration.
Vicar of Christ in the Roman Catholic Church, a title of the Pope, as Christ's representative on earth, dating from the 8th century.

vicar

views updated Jun 08 2018

vicar Priest in the Church of England who is in charge of a parish. In the Roman Catholic Church, the term ‘vicar’ is used to mean ‘representative’. The Pope is called the Vicar of Christ. A Vicar Apostolic was originally a Bishop representing the Pope. Today, a Vicar Apostolic is appointed to govern territories that have not yet been organized into dioceses. A Vicar General is appointed by and represents a Bishop in the administration of a diocese. See also curate; papacy

vicar

views updated May 23 2018

vicar representative of God on earth XIII; the Pope as Vicar of Christ XIV; person acting in a parish for the parson or rector, (later) incumbent of a parish of which the tithe is impropriated or appropriated; bishop's deputy. — AN. vikere, vicare, (O)F. vicaire (now) assistant curate, deputy — L. vicārius substitute, deputy, f. vicis (g.). etc., change, alteration, time, turn; see VICE4, -AR.
So vicariate (-ATE1) XVII. — medL. vicarious taking the place of another. XVII. f. L. vicārius. Hence vicarage XV.

Vicar

views updated May 17 2018

Vicar (Lat., vicarius, ‘substitute’). Title of certain Christian priests. In the Church of England a vicar is the priest of a parish whose tithes were the property of a monastery in medieval times and thereafter of a ‘lay rector’. Since the time of Pope Innocent III (1198–1216) the title ‘Vicar of Christ’ based on John 21. 15 ff., has been a title reserved to the pope.

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