PLURALISM (from plural, OF. plural, Fr. pluriel, from Lat. pluralis, relating to ninny, front plus. OLat. pleor, more; connected with Gk. rXelum, pleion, more. roXos, /ROA much. many, Skt. mime, OPers. pant, OTr. il, Goth., OHG. flit, Ger. rich, AS. fedu, archaic Eng. feel, many, and ultimately with Eng. full). In canon law, the possession by the same person of two or more ecclesiastical offices, whether of dignity or of emolument. Pluralism has been held unlawful from the earliest times, and is forbidden by many ancient councils. as Chalcedon (451) and the second of Niefea (787), on the ground of the im possibility, in ordinary cases, of the same indi vidual adequately diseharging the duties of more than one office. The rule by whidh dispensa tions from the law of residence are to be regulated, as well as the penalties for its viola tion, whether on the part of the patron or on that of the recipient. have formed the subject of frequent legislation. in general, it may be
said that the canon law regards as incom patibie (1) two hem-flees each having the cure of ]souls; (2) two `dignities'; (3) a 'dignity' and a cure of souls; (41 a cure of souls and a simple benefice requiring residence. In other eases than these the Pope is held to have the power of dis pensing. Although a constant effort was made to prevent abuse, the evasions of the law were formerly frequent. especially for noble or learned persons, but now are very rare in the Roman Catholic Church. The En glish law, before the Reformation, in the main coincided with the canon law, and the legislation of Henry V111. preserved the same general spirit, only substituting the dispensing power of the Crown for that of the Pope. Consult: Schulte, Lehrbuch des katholischen and erangelisehen Kirehearechts (Giessen. 1886) : for England, The Xtat ates Revised, vol. viii. (London, 1S9-1).