Monition

Monition a term in ecclesiastical law, used now only in the Church of Rome and the Church of England and its dependencies, and the Protestant Episcopal Church. It designates a formal notice from a bishop to one of the. subordinate clergy requiring the amendment of some ecclesiastical offence. The general admonition was anciently made publicly and solemnly, so that it could come to the knowledge of the person in fault, and when it expressed his name it was called "nominal." Lindewood defines canonical monition as requiring three several proclamations, or one for all, with a proper interval of time allowed. The name of the person should be distinctly mentioned, where law or custom demands it; this is called monition "inspecie," a general monition being known as "in genere." A public monition in synod by the bishop is equivalent to three monitions otherwise given. If the offender did not comply after the third monition, he was formally subjected to excommunication; because the term, distinctly named, gave to the monition the character of an introductory sentence, and after its expiration no offer of explanation was admitted. No monition is required when the superior gives sentence of excommunication, or when an inferior does not submit to his superior in the discharge of his special right, as in the office of visitation; or, after he has been visited, when he refuses to pay procurations which are due, as these are cases of positive and manifest contumacy. But if the superior proceeds as judge, and punishes offences, past or present, monition is necessary before the fulmination of the ecclesiastical censure. Although three monitions were held to be fair, yet one would suffice, provided a suitable delay elapsed between it and the sentence. Any incumbent or curate allowing unauthorized persons to officiate in his church is liable to be called before the bishop in person, and to be publicly or privately, monished.' When a living has been for one year sequestered, the person who holds it, if he neglect the bishop's monition to reside, is deprived; and so also for drunkenness or gross immorality, after monition. Sentence of monition ought not to be given without a previous admonition, unless where the offence is of such a nature as to require' immediate suspension and if in ordinary cases suspension should be given without monition, there may because of appeal. See Lea, Studies in Church History, pages 417, 443.