penitentiarius

Updated: June 19, 2025

The parish was a Peculiar, and as such was exempt from the authority of the Archdeacon of Richmond, either by tradition from the days when the church was a monastery, or because of the presence here of the Archbishops. Lesser offences were dealt with by an archbishop's officer called penitentiarius, who heard confessions and enjoined penances. The Archbishop was Ordinary of the Peculiar.

Cecil Walter Charles Hallett - Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Ripon: A Short History of the Church and a Description of Its Fabric

The collegiate system was indeed breaking down, and the Vicars henceforth were almost as important a body as the Canons, whom they relieved of all responsibility for the parochial work and the performance of the services. The office of penitentiarius or of rural dean was often held by one of them.

Cecil Walter Charles Hallett - Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Ripon: A Short History of the Church and a Description of Its Fabric