Cursores

Cursores

Cursores is the plural of the Latin Cursor, 'runner', i.e. Messenger etcetera. There have been various corps of auxiliary officers in various institutions by that name.

At universities, the term has been used for the candidates for the license.

Cursores apostolici

This was the Latin title of the ecclesiastical heralds or pursuivants pertaining to the papal court.

Their origin is placed in the twelfth century, and they fulfilled for the pontifical government the duties entrusted to heralds by civil states. From the sixteenth century onward they formed part of the Roman Curia in its broader sense, and are reckoned members of the pontifical family. They carried a club-shaped beaten silver mace (mazza), like the mazzieri and the Swiss guard vergers. Their number has been fixed at nineteen, and they are subject to the major-domo.

The principal duties of the cursores are to invite those who are to take part in consistories and functions in the papal chapel; to act as servitors in the pontifical palace and as doorkeepers of the conclave; to affix papal rescripts to the doors of the greater Roman basilicas; to issue the summons for attendance at canonizations, the funerals of cardinals etc. As representatives of the pope, the cursores must be received with the respect becoming the personage in whose name they speak, and their invitation has the force of a judicial summons.

In the early ages of the Church, an institution somewhat similar to that of the cursores is found in messengers, chosen from among the clergy, to carry important tidings from one bishop to another or from the bishop to his flock. They were much used in times of persecution and they are frequently referred to in the writings of the Fathers as praecones, internuntii etc. As guardians of the assemblies of the faithful, they were called vigiliae 'watchmen'. Despite these resemblances to the modern cursores, it seems evident that the latter took their rise from the employment of heralds by civil states, rather than from the praecones of the early Church. Episcopal courts have likewise cursores or apparitors among their officials.

In Rome the custom, which became exclusive during the fifteenth century, developed of having the new canon laws read and posted up by cursores at Rome only, at the doors of the basilica majors, the Palazzo Cancellaria, the Campo de’ fiori and sometimes at the Capitol, as a means of promulgation.

Sources and references


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • CURSORES — in imperio Constantinopolitano, idem planê quod Viatores priscis Romanis fuêre. Non quidem qui in aciem hostilem excurrentes impet um facerent, ut notat Adr. Turnebus, Advers. l. 24. c. 16. sed qui ad Principum ministeria essent idonei.… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Cursores — Cur*so res (k?r s? rEz), n. pl. [L. cursor, pl. cursores, a runner.] (Zo[ o]l.) (a) An order of running birds including the ostrich, emu, and allies; the Ratita[ae]. (b) A group of running spiders; the wolf spiders. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cursōres — (lat.), Vögel ohne Hinterzehen, doch mit kräftigen Füßen; laufen schnell, haben starke Schenkelmuskeln etc. Dazu Strauß, Casuar, Trappe …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Cursōres — Cursōres, soviel wie Laufvögel (s.d.) …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Cursores — Cursōres, s. Laufvögel …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Cursores Apostolici — • The Latin title of the ecclesiastical heralds or pursuivants pertaining to the papal court Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Cursores Apostolici     Cursores Apostolici …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Cursores — These men were sometimes also known as viatores, i.e. travellers or wayfarers; but they should not be confused with the *nuncius regis or *cokini. They were freelance messengers, making a living by obtaining writs in the king s *chancery on other …   Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases

  • cursores — cur·so·res …   English syllables

  • cursores — ˌkərˈsōr(ˌ)ēz noun plural Usage: capitalized Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, plural of cursor runner 1. in some especially former classifications : any of certain groups of long legged birds 2. in some especially …   Useful english dictionary

  • Et quasi cursores, vitai lampada tradunt. — См. Жив курилка, да не умер …   Большой толково-фразеологический словарь Михельсона (оригинальная орфография)

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”