canónigo

Canónigo is a title used in the Catholic Church for a member of the chapter that governs a cathedral or a collegiate church. The word comes from Latin canonicus, from Greek kanonikos, meaning belonging to a canon or to the rules of the Church. The canons form the body responsible for the life, liturgy, and governance of the cathedral or collegiate church.

Canons participate in the daily liturgy and the administration of the cathedral. The chapter is typically led by a dean and may include officers such as a precentor, chancellor, and treasurer. Canons are usually priests and may be assigned specific duties related to worship, doctrine, education, or the management of the cathedral’s property and endowments. Appointments are commonly made by the bishop or by the cathedral chapter, and canons often hold prebends or other endowments that support their office.

There are historic distinctions between secular canons (canónigos seculares) and regular canons (canónigos regulares), though in modern practice the term canónigo most often refers to secular canons of a cathedral or collegiate church. The exact structure and titles of the chapter vary by diocese, but the dean remains the head of the body, with canons serving as its members and offices.

Historically, the office emerged in the early medieval period to organize liturgical life and the administration of church property. Cathedral chapters, composed of canónigos, developed into key institutions within diocesan governance. Today, canónigos continue to fulfill liturgical duties and participate in the governance and stewardship of their respective cathedrals or collegiate churches, though the size and scope of chapters have changed in many places.