and Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I. The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, which is a Catholic Society of Apostolic Life dedicated to the Traditional Latin Mass, practice a rule of life generally based on historical secular canons. They refer to their priests as Canons, use the style The Rev. Canon [Name] and wear distinct choir dress. Many bishops endeavoured to imitate St. Augustine and St. Eusebius, and to live a common life with the clergy of their church. Rules taken from the sacred canons were even drawn up for their use, of which the most celebrated is that of St. Chrodegang, Bishop of Metz (766). In the tenth century, this institution declined; the canons, as the clergy attached to a church and living a common life were called, began to live separately; some of them, however, resisted this relaxation of discipline, and even added poverty to their common life. This is the origin of the canons regular. Pope Benedict XII by his constitution Ad decorem (15 May 1339) prescribed a general reform of the canons regular. The canons regular ex professo united Holy Orders with religious life, and being attached to a church, devoted themselves to promoting the dignity of divine worship. With monks, Holy Orders are incidental and secondary, and are superadded to the religious life. With canons as with the clerks regular, Holy Orders are the principal thing, and the religious life is superadded to the Holy Orders. See also Canoness Diocesan priest Index of religious honorifics and titles References External links Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception Canons Regular of St. John Cantius, Chicago Canons Regular of Premontre, Orange County, California Catholic priesthood Ecclesiastical titles Anglican ecclesiastical offices Catholic ecclesiastical titles