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A leave of absence was a church benefit granted before the holder’s death, usually in the form of land grants and income. Expectations were once common but banned in the 12th century. Some dioceses continued to offer them. The church used this system to reward loyal servants and retain control over its lands. Reforms were made to address corruption. Understanding the church’s role in land ownership is important for history students and historical fiction.
A leave of absence is a grant of a church benefit, a position with benefits including supporting income, in anticipation of the current holder’s death. The benefit is not yet available for distribution, but will be available upon the occupant’s death. According to canon law, expectations are not permitted except in some very special circumstances, but they were once very common. The ban on this practice went into effect in the 12th century, although continued tolerance by senior officials allowed many dioceses to continue offering expectations after this period.
Benefits took the form of land grants and accompanying income such as rents. The church would allow the recipient to use and profit from the land for life, usually in exchange for services rendered to the church. The size of the grant may vary, and the church may also withdraw the grant if it feels the need to. This provided a mechanism for the church to reward loyal servants while retaining title and ultimate right to its lands.
With an expectation, a church official offered an early grant to a church servant. He would provide services with the understanding that he would assume the benefit when the current occupant died. Church members could use this tactic to reward people up front and ensure the fate of particularly lucrative and enticing benefits. It could also become a mechanism for extending control over church policies, since a senior church member could have influence over how the church distributed benefits after his or her death.
In the Middle Ages, when expectation was common, the church engaged in a variety of power-consolidating activities that attracted attention and criticism. A series of reforms changed church policy to address corruption and other concerns. Even after the canon law changes were approved, however, some regions continued to use expectation instruments and others as a reward for faithful community members, until the process completely petered out.
History students in regions where the Roman Catholic Church was very active need to understand the church’s role in land ownership and control. Arguments such as expectations are an important aspect of the systems the church used to manage its lands, which were often substantial. This argument can also come up in historical fiction, where knowing that a character has an expectation can be important in understanding how they behave in the context of the novel.
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