Abbé

Abbé (from Latin abbas, in turn from Greek ἀββᾶς, abbas, from Aramaic abba, a title of honour, literally meaning "the father, my father", emphatic state of abh, "father")[1] is the French word for abbot. It is the title for lower-ranking Catholic clergymen in France.[2]

French abbé of the 18th century

A concordat between Pope Leo X and King Francis I of France (1516),[3] gave the kings of France the right to nominate 255 commendatory abbots (abbés commendataires) for almost all French abbeys, who received income from a monastery without needing to render service.[4]

From the mid-16th century, the title abbé has been used in France for all young clergymen with or without consecration.[2] Their clothes consisted of a black or dark violet robes with a small collar; they were tonsured.[4]

Since such abbés only rarely commanded an abbey, they often worked in upper-class families as tutors, spiritual directors, etc.;[2] some (such as Gabriel Bonnot de Mably) became writers.[4]

"Abbé" is still used to refer to some clerics in France, and seminarians of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.