DISPENSATION (Lat. disprasatio, from dispensarr. to disburse). A tern, in ecclesiasti cal law to denote a relaxing of the law in sonic particular ease ; more specifically a license granted by the Pope or some bishop relieving or exempting an individual in certain circum stances from the action of some law or regulation of the Church. In the Roman Catholic Church, since at least Innocent III., the principle has been established that only the Pope can dispense from the operation of a universal law; hut in certain cases he may depute this power to bishop-. and others. The dispensation- known to the Roman canon law are divided into Papal and Episcopal. into dispensations of right and of favor, and (according to the public or secret character of t he imped intent to lie removed) pro /oro t.rft rito, or ult. rue. In cases of (111.ellsil 11011 pro /On/ ssf,mot the aulhoritatioa is known Apostolic 1),(l411'1:1: ill Cascx pro ion) rno, through the I'amitentiaria. The authorization of the bishops to grant may he normal and ,cussed every fifth year tfocutfutcs quiliqueanai•s), or given as a marl: of persona I s I henry \ I I I. assumed the ecclesiastical right of dispensa
tion within the realm of England in 1534, and conferred it on the Archbishop of Canterbury in so far as it was not to the law of Coal. The granting of special licenses for the performance of the marriage (P11.111(1113', without publication of banns (9.v.). is the only form in which this power is now exercised by the Arch bishop. The only form of dispensation now exercised by the bishops of the Church of Eng land are granted to a clergyman to enable him to hold more benefices than 1.1111% or to absent himself from his parish. In the Protestant churches on the ('ontinent of Europe the right of dispensation from the operation of ceelesiastical law has in theory devolved upon the princes, who, however. generally exercise it through the con sistories. See DISCIPLINE, ECCLESIASTICAL;