VICAR: An official representative or substitute,
especially in ecclesiastical affairs. According to
the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, as
Christ appointed Peter his representative
(Matt. xvi. 18-19),
this power of representation passed to
the bishops of Rome for all time, so that very early
this bishop was " vicar of St Peter " (or, " of the
apostolic see "), " vicar of Xist," or " vicegerent
of God on earth." As " the successor of Blessed
Peter, prince of the apostles, and vicar of Jesus
Christ," the pope also has vicars-all patriarchs,
primates, archbishops, and bishops (qq.v.); and,
in a narrower sense, the Curia (q.v.), papal legates
and nuncios (see
Legates and Nuncios, Papal),
and the like. These vicars, in turn, have their own
substitutes. Thus archbishops and bishops
have,
in their sacerdotal capacity, vicars in suffragans (see
Weihbischof)
and Coadjutors (q.v.); and in their
jurisdictional capacity Vicars-general (q.v.) and
vicars forane [the latter
corresponding to the Anglican rural deans], as well as collegiate bodies and
canons (see
Chapter, ยง 3),
while in case of vacancy of a see (see
Sedes Vacans)
the cathedral chapter administers it, though within a week it must choose
a definite temporary head. Rectors of parishes
likewise have vicars or
curates, and may also have,
if need be, perpetual or temporary vicars assigned
them. The vicar's powers of representing his rector are, however, limited in many respects.
[In the Anglican Church the vicar is an incumbent
of a parish, the tithes of which belong to a religious
house or chapter, or to a layman, the vicar receiving only the smaller tithes or a fixed
salary, so that
in some cases he is termed a vicar-stipendiary. An
archbishop or bishop may be assisted in the
discharge of his non-episcopal functions by a vicargeneral, this office being represented in the American church by a rural dean (see
Dean)
or archdeacon (q.v.). Also, the chapels of a parish church
are served by vicars, a rector presiding over the
parent church, the best
instance in the United
States being Trinity Church, New York City.]
In the Lutheran Church the consistory and superintendents (qq.v.) are the vicars of church administration. Pastors also have vicars, appointed
either at the pastor's desire or by the
governing
officials, and either temporarily or permanently, as
circumstances require. The term is likewise applied loosely to any representative or assistant of
a pastor; while permanent vicars are placed in
charge of self-supporting communities which pe
culiar conditions prevent from attaining parochial
rank.
(E. Sehling.)
Bibliography:
A. T.
Binterim, Denkwurdigkeiten, i. 2, pp.
415 sqq., Mainz, 1825; DCA, ii. 2015-18.
