Titular Church - History

History

Originally, these were basilicas under the direction of a permanently appointed presbyter and corresponding to what would now be called parish churches. They were known as tituli or tituli presbyterales, distinguished from one another by the name of the founder or proprietor who held the property in custody for the Church. For instance, the Titulus Aemilianae, now the church of the Santi Quattro Coronati, drew its name from its foundress, who doubtless owned the extensive suburban Roman villa whose foundations remain under the church and whose audience hall became the ecclesiastical basilica. The most ancient reference to such a Roman church is in the Apology against the Arians of Athanasius, which speaks of a council of bishops assembled "in the place where the Presbyter Vito held his congregation".

By the end of the 5th century they numbered 25, as is confirmed by the Liber Pontificalis. The same number, though with different identities, is given in the reports of councils held in Rome in 499 and 595. In 1120, the number is given as 28. Many more have received the status of titular churches in modern times.

In 1059, the right of electing the pope was reserved to the bishops of the seven suburbicarian sees, the priests in charge of the titular churches and the clergy in charge of the deaconries. These were known collectively as the cardinals. Soon afterwards, the practice of appointing ecclesiastics from outside Rome as cardinal priests, without any obligation to reside in Rome and so not being personally responsible for the pastoral care of the titular churches assigned to them, a practice still in force today.