Parochial Vicarages in Lincoln Diocese During the Thirteenth Century

Abstract

In the year 1215, Pope Innocent III called together the leaders of the western church for the fourth Lateran Council. At this critical ~hurch meeting the parochial reforms of the previous century were incorporated into formal church law. Pope Innocent III demanded that sufficient portions of churches under monastic control be set aside fa~ permanent vicars or resident rectors. Despite the edicts of the council, abuses of the parochial vicarage system continued throughout England. However, in the diocese of Lincoln, four diligent bishops made a serious and admirabl.e effort to reform the administration of churches. The failure of these sustained efforts provides an interesting insight into the problems of the church in England during the thirteenth century.