# Chapter (religion)

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Body of clergy in various Christian churches

For textual divisions of the Jewish and Christian Bible, see [Chapters and verses of the Bible](/source/Chapters_and_verses_of_the_Bible); of the Koran, see [Surah](/source/Surah); of the Rig Veda, see [Sukta](/source/Sukta).

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The [chapter house](/source/Chapter_house) of the [Cathedral of Toledo](/source/Cathedral_of_Toledo).

The chapter room of the [Cathedral of Pamplona](/source/Cathedral_of_Pamplona).

[Dean William Dimmick](/source/William_Dimmick_(bishop)) and other canons of [St Mary's Cathedral](/source/St._Mary's_Episcopal_Cathedral_(Memphis%2C_Tennessee)) in [Memphis](/source/Memphis%2C_Tennessee), [Tennessee](/source/Tennessee), in 1960.

A **chapter** ([Latin](/source/Latin_language): *capitulum*[1] or **capitellum**)[2] is one of several bodies of clergy in [Catholic](/source/Catholic_Church), [Old Catholic](/source/Old_Catholic_Church), [Anglican](/source/Anglicanism), and Nordic [Lutheran](/source/Lutheranism) [churches](/source/Christian_church) or their gatherings.

## Name

The name derives from the habit of convening [monks](/source/Christian_monasticism), [friars](/source/Friar) or [canons](/source/Canon_(priest)) for the reading of a [chapter](/source/Chapters_and_verses_of_the_Bible) of the [Bible](/source/Bible) or a [heading](/source/Chapter_(books)) of the [order](/source/Christian_monasticism#Western_orders)'s [rule](/source/Monastic_rule).[2] The 6th-century [St Benedict](/source/St_Benedict) [directed](/source/Rule_of_Saint_Benedict) that [his monks](/source/Benedictines) begin their daily assemblies with such readings,[1] and over time expressions such as "coming together for the chapter" (**convenire ad capitulum**) found their meaning transferred from the text to the meeting itself and then to the body gathering for it.[2] The place of such meetings similarly became known as the "[chapter house](/source/Chapter_house)" or "room".

The [chapter house](/source/Chapter_house) at [Durham Cathedral](/source/Durham_Cathedral).

## Cathedral chapter

Main article: [Cathedral chapter](/source/Cathedral_chapter)

A cathedral chapter is the body ("[college](/source/College_(canon_law))") of advisors assisting the [bishop](/source/Bishop) of a [diocese](/source/Diocese) at the [cathedral church](/source/Cathedral_church). These were a development of the presbyteries *(*presbyteria*)* made up of the priests and other church officials of [cathedral cities](/source/Cathedral_city) in the early church. In the [Catholic Church](/source/Catholic_Church), they are now only established by [papal](/source/Pope) decree.[1]

In the event of an episcopal vacancy, cathedral chapters are sometimes charged with election of the bishop's replacement and with the government of the diocese. They are made up of [canon](/source/Canon_(priest)) [priests](/source/Christian_priest).[1] "Numbered" chapters are made up of a fixed number of [prebendaries](/source/Prebendary), while "unnumbered" chapters vary in number according to the direction of the bishop. The chapters were originally led by the cathedral's [archdeacon](/source/Archdeacon) but, since the 11th century,[1] have been directed by a [dean](/source/Dean_(Christianity)) or [provost](/source/Provost_(religion)).[2]

In the [Catholic Church](/source/Catholic_Church), the chapter appoints its own treasurer, secretary, and [sacristan](/source/Sacristan) and – since the [Council of Trent](/source/Council_of_Trent) – canon theologian[3] and [canon penitentiary](/source/Canon_penitentiary).[4] The same council approved of other local offices,[5] which might include [precentors](/source/Precentor), [chamberlains](/source/Chamberlain_(office)) *(*camerarii*)*, [almoners](/source/Almoner) *(*eleemosynarii*)*, **hospitalarii**, **portarii**, **primicerii**, or [custodes](/source/Custos_(under-sacristan)). Canons are sometimes given the functions of **punctator** and **hebdomadarius** as well.[1] In the [Church of England](/source/Church_of_England), the chapter includes [lay](/source/Laity) members, a [chancellor](/source/Chancellor_(ecclesiastical)) who oversees its educational functions, and a [precentor](/source/Precentor) who oversees its musical services. Some Church of England cathedrals have "lesser" and "greater" chapters with separate functions.

In the [US Episcopal Church](/source/US_Episcopal_Church), the chapter is a meeting of those with the responsibilities of a [vestry](/source/Vestry) for a cathedral church.[6]

## Collegiate chapter

Main article: [Collegiate church](/source/Collegiate_church)

A collegiate chapter is a similar body of canons who oversee a [collegiate church](/source/Collegiate_church) other than a cathedral.

## General chapter

A group photo at the 2006 general chapter of the [Premonstratensians](/source/Premonstratensians).

See also: [Dominican Order § Governance](/source/Dominican_Order#Governance)

A general chapter is a general assembly of monks,[7] typically composed of representatives from all the [monasteries](/source/Monastery) of an [order](/source/Monastic_order) or [congregation](/source/Monastic_community). The equivalent meetings of provincial representatives of Franciscan orders is called a Chapter of Mats.[8]

Catholic orders of [nuns](/source/Nun) or sisters also often hold **general chapters**: periodic governing assemblies of the order, which vary in geographic scope from congregants within a city to an international gathering. These are considered "a graced, holy time" and often involve long preparation of prayer and study to discuss future directions of the order. General chapters are also a time to elect officers and leadership (e.g., a [Mother superior](/source/Mother_superior)). [Pope Paul VI](/source/Pope_Paul_VI) observed in 1964 that general chapters "primarily have relevance to [individual] Orders and Congregations", but "also influence the life of the Church; for the Church, to a great extent, derives Her vigor, Her apostolic zeal, and Her fervor in seeking holiness of life, from the flourishing condition of Her Religious Institutes".[9]

After the [Second Vatican Council](/source/Second_Vatican_Council), the Catholic Church delegated "especially to general chapters" the consideration of how each religious order was to implement the general aims of adaptation and renewal which were set out in the Council's *[Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life](/source/Decree_on_the_Adaptation_and_Renewal_of_Religious_Life)* (*Perfectae caritatis*).[10]

Many orders of nuns or sisters have regular internal gatherings known as some form of **chapter**, which differs from "general chapters" – in some cases, these are called simply a **chapter**. These are times for pragmatic, collective discussions about issues relevant to their communal lives (e.g., among the nuns or sisters of a [convent](/source/Convent)).[11]

## Chapter of faults

A chapter of faults is a gathering for public correction of infractions against community rules and for [self-criticism](/source/Self-criticism) separate from standard [confession](/source/Confession_(religion)).[12][13] Some orders of nuns have a resonant practice of sharing their "faults," which differ from the confession of [sins](/source/Sins). For example, [cloistered](/source/Enclosed_religious_orders), contemplative [Dominican](/source/Dominican_Order) nuns in the U.S. use what they call a **regular chapter** for this purpose, during which the prioress invites members to accuse themselves of individual faults that go against community good. Participants may stand up and say, "Sisters, I accuse myself of (such and such a fault)." This exercise in humility is followed by the women prostrating themselves (known as the *venia*) and the prioress assigning a [penance](/source/Penance). The **regular chapter** is a demarcated event: "What has been spoken of at Chapter is never spoken of outside of the it."[14]

## Orders of knighthood

The assembled body of knights of a military or [knightly order](/source/Knightly_order) was also referred as a "chapter”.

## Notes

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''Cath._Enc.''1910_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''Cath._Enc.''1910_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''Cath._Enc.''1910_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''Cath._Enc.''1910_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''Cath._Enc.''1910_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''Cath._Enc.''1910_1-5) [*Cath. Enc.* (1910)](#CITEREFCath._Enc.1910).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''EB''1911_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''EB''1911_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''EB''1911_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''EB''1911_2-3) [*EB* (1911)](#CITEREFEB1911).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Sess. V, Cap. i.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Sess. XXIV, Cap. viii.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Sess. XXV, cap. vi.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Glossary of Terms"](https://episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/chapter).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Gomes, Delfina; Maran, Laura; Araújo, Domingos (2022). ["Accounting in the organisation and life of a religious institution: The Monastery of *Santa Ana* in the eighteenth century"](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10323732221095628). *Accounting History*. **27** (4): 607–638. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1177/10323732221095628](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F10323732221095628). [hdl](/source/Hdl_(identifier)):[1822/83748](https://hdl.handle.net/1822%2F83748).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Order of Friars Minor in Great Britain website, *Chapter of Mats*](https://www.friar.org/chapter-of-mats/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Pope Paul VI, [Message to the General Chapters of Religious Orders and Congregations (May 23, 1964)](https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/speeches/1964/documents/hf_p-vi_spe_19640523_capitolari.html), accessed on 28 January 2026

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Second Vatican Council, [Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life](https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651028_perfectae-caritatis_en.html), section 4, published on 28 October 1965, accessed on 21 January 2026

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Murphy, (Sister) Beth (7 October 2024). ["What is General Chapter?"](https://springfieldop.org/what-is-general-chapter/). *Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois*. Retrieved 2 July 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [Brill Reference Works website, *Chapter of Faults*, by Stephan Haerig, in Religion Past and Present, published 2011](https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/religion-past-and-present/chapter-of-faults-SIM_11287)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** [Abbaye Saint Pierre Solesmes website, *Chapter of Faults*](https://www.solesmes.com/definition/chapter-faults)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Dominican Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary. ["Regular Chapter--what is it?"](https://www.summitdominicans.org/blog/2006/08/regular-chapter-what-is-it). *Dominican Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary*. Retrieved 2 July 2025.

## References

- [Chisholm, Hugh](/source/Hugh_Chisholm), ed. (1911). ["Chapter"](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Chapter). *[Encyclopædia Britannica](/source/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica_Eleventh_Edition)*. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 855.

- Fanning, William (1908). ["Chapter"](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Chapter). In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). *[Catholic Encyclopedia](/source/Catholic_Encyclopedia)*. Vol. 3. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

## Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Chapters (religion)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Chapters_(religion)).

- Baynes, T. S., ed. (1878). ["Chapter"](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica,_Ninth_Edition/Chapter). *[Encyclopædia Britannica](/source/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica)*. Vol. 5 (9th ed.). New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 398.

- Cripps, H. W. (1937). *A Practical Treatise on the Law Relating to the Church and Clergy* (8th ed.). K. M. Macmorran. pp. 127–146.

v t e Phaleristics Auxiliary science of history and numismatics about orders, decorations, and medals Distinctions (Lists) By conferee Founts of honour* States and their national/public/official authorities Dynasties heads of currently or formerly sovereign royal families Private Ecclesiastical Organisations Commercial (Self-styled order) By type Orders Order of chivalry Military order Order of merit Royal family order Titles (Styles, Post-nominal) By function Grand master Chancellor Treasurer Assessor Bailiff Prior Chaplain Master of ceremonies Grand Cross / Grand Cordon Commander Officer Hospitaller Knight/Dame Postulant Squire Page Jurisdictions Charter Bailiwick Chapter Commandery Obedience Grand Lodge Lodge Others, by field Military (List) List of highest Campaign medal Law enforcement Civilian (List) Society Peace Intellectual freedom Human rights Law Humanitarianism Politics Volunteer Culture Architecture Art Film History Literature Music Philosophy Poetry Theatre Science Religion-related Ecclesiastical Sports Scouting Beauty By insignia (Named after people) For wearing (decorations) Formal Chelengk Collar Livery collar Grand Cross / Grand Cordon with sash Medal Necklet Medal bar Medal ribbon Robe of honour Tiraz Other Rosette Award pin Lapel pin Collar pin Tie pin Badge Heraldic Pilgrim Championship belt Embroidered patch Epaulette Ribbon Ring Championship ring Button Campaign Service Shoulder mark Tie clip Prizes Booby prize Wooden spoon Deal toy Plaquette Prize book Prize money Prize of war War trophy Human trophy Rosette Trophy Acrylic Participation Prizes known as the Nobel of a field Ceremonies and events Accolade Vigil Feoffment Passage fee Festival Vow Collar day Related organisations Family history society Family association Nobility association Fraternity Confraternity Fraternal order Fraternities and sororities Secret society Guild Syndicate Learned society Fellowship Honor society Hereditary society Club Gentlemen's club International Commission for Orders of Chivalry Magical organization Religious order Related concepts Chivalry Numismatics Heraldry Vexillology Service flag Battle honour Campaign streamer Nobility Order of precedence Taonga Honorary degree Devotional medal Awareness ribbon Code of conduct Code of honor High society * = Direct or indirect reference to fount of honour is the accepted criterion for official distinctions Category:Orders, decorations, and medals Wikipedia:WikiProject Orders, decorations, and medals Wikipedia:WikiProject Awards

Authority control databases: National Czech Republic

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