Dictionary Definition
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Etymology
From curatus.Pronunciation
- (noun):
- (UK): /ˈkjʊərət/, /"kjU@r@t/ or /ˈkjʊərɪt/, /"kjU@rIt/
- (US): , /ˈkjʊrɪt/, /"kjUrIt/
- (verb):
- (UK): /kjʊəˈreɪt/, /kjU@"reIt/
- (US): , /kjʊˈreɪt/, /kjU"reIt/ or , /ˈkjʊreɪt/, /"kjUreIt/
Noun
- an assistant rector or vicar
- a parish priest
Derived terms
Verb
- to act as a curator
Derived terms
Anagrams
Italian
Verb form
curate- second-person plural present tense of curare
- second-person plural imperative of curare
Extensive Definition
From the Latin curatus
(compare Curator), a curate
is a person who is invested with the care, or cure
(cura), of souls of a parish. In this sense it
correctly means a parish
priest. In Anglican churches, however, the term is usually used
for an assistant priest
or deacon. In the Roman
Catholic Church it is often the term used for the parochial
vicar or priest assigned
to assist the pastor of a parish.
Originally a bishop would entrust a priest
with the 'cure of
souls' (pastoral ministry) of a parish. When, in medieval
Europe, this included the legal freehold of church land in the
parish, the parish
priest was the perpetual curate (curatus perpetuus).
Occasionally a bishop might appoint a temporary or assistant curate
(curatus temporalis). This was particularly the case when the
perpetual curate was absent or needed assistance.
As the church became more embedded into the
fabric of feudal Europe,
various other titles often supplanted 'curate' for the senior
parish priest. 'Rector' was the
title given to a priest in possession of the tithe income. This
right to the income was known as a ‘Living’. The title of rector
comes from “regere” – ‘to rule’. Those parishes where a monastery
had appropriated the rights to the title income, a portion of this
income was set aside for a priest to occupy the parish, essentially
acting on behalf of the monastery, in other words vicariously –
hence ‘vicar’. In some cases, a portion of a tithe for a vicar
could exceed the income of some rectors, depending on the value of
the livings being compared.
In England and
Wales, when a
new parish was created from a larger rectoral or vicarious parish,
the incumbent, or parish priest was sometimes styled as the
“Perpetual Curate”. The term 'parson' came to be used to refer
to all perpetual curates whether or not they received the higher
titles of 'vicar' or 'rector'. This led to those perpetual curates
who had no higher title preferring to be styled 'parson' so as to
distinguish themselves from assistant curates. This happened to the
extent that the term 'curate' came to mean 'assistant curate'. The
British
Parliament passed an act in 1868 which authorised
all perpetual curates to use the title 'vicar'. This reinforced the
notion that a curate is an assistant parish priest or deacon.
Although widely called 'curates', however, they are still legally
assistant curates. This English usage is used throughout the
Anglican
Communion and in some English-speaking
Roman
Catholic churches. The house provided for an assistant curate
is sometimes colloquially referred to as a curatage.
Sometimes temporary curates, who have the status
of assistant curates but lead the ministry of a parish, are
appointed. However, to distinguish them from assistant curates,
they are often referred to as priests in
charge. In the Church of
Ireland temporary curates are called bishop's curates.
The Book
of Common Prayer (1662) of the Church of
England refers to the clergy as bishops and curates in the text
of prayer of intercession for Holy
Communion. It uses the word 'curate' in its original sense to
refer to all clergy entrusted with a cure of souls and not just to
assistant curates.
In other languages terms derived from curatus are
often used differently. In French
curé refers to the senior parish priest and, likewise, the Italian
curato and Spanish
cura.
In the charismatic
and / or evangelical
parts of the Anglican church, the role of the curate is usually
perceived a little differently. Curates in charismatic and / or
Evangelical churches tend to be seen as an assistant leader to the
overall leader, often in a larger team of pastoral leaders. Many of
the larger charismatic / evangelical churches have sizeable staff
teams with a number of pastoral leaders, some ordained and others
who are not.
In modern Roman Catholic practice in the United
States, "curate" is the term popularly used for priests assigned to
a parish who are not the pastor. The parochus, or "parish priest"
or "pastor" is the priest who has canonical responsibility for the
parish. In canon law, he may be assisted by one or more "parochial
vicars", priests assigned
to assist him - though incorrect these parochial vicars are
popularly called "curate", "associate pastor" or "assistant pastor"
in various regions of the country.
In popular culture
- In the Channel 4 television series Father Ted, Father Dougal Maguire (played by Ardal O'Hanlon) is curate to Father Ted Crilly.
- The British comedy series Bless Me, Father also focused on the antics of a parish priest (Fr. Duddleswell) and his young curate (Fr. Neil Boyd). In the series of books on which the series was based, Fr. Neil also functioned as the narrator.
See also
curate in Afrikaans: Diaken
curate in German: Kurat
curate in Spanish: Clérigo
curate in French: Curé
curate in Italian: Curato
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
DD, Doctor
of Divinity, Grand Penitentiary, Holy Father, Holy Joe, abbe, abuna, antipope, archbishop, archdeacon, archpriest, bishop, bishop coadjutor,
canon, cardinal, cardinal bishop,
cardinal deacon, cardinal priest, chaplain, churchman, clergyman, cleric, clerical, clerk, coadjutor, cure, dean, diocesan, divine, ecclesiarch, ecclesiastic, exarch, hierarch, high priest, man of
God, metropolitan,
military chaplain, minister, padre, papa, parson, pastor, patriarch, penitentiary, pontiff, pope, prebendary, prelate, primate, rector, reverend, rural dean, servant
of God, shepherd, sky
pilot, subdean, suffragan, supply clergy,
supply minister, the Reverend, the very Reverend, tonsured cleric,
vicar