Benefice
A benefice () or living is a reward received, usually in exchange for (or as a consequence of) services rendered; such payment also operates as a retainer to help ensure the delivery of such services, or fulfilment of the duties of the relevant office, into the future. The term is still used, although the substance of benefices has recently changed, in many historical parishes and positions within the Anglican Church.
The Roman Empire used the Latin term beneficium to denote a gift (usually of land) given to an individual from the Empire for services rendered to it. Its use was adopted by the Western Church in the Carolingian era, meaning a benefit bestowed by the crown or church officials upon a person, usually a member of the clergy. A benefice specifically from a church, such as a vicar's stipend or the right to live in a presbytery, is called a precaria (pl. precariae); and one from a monarch or nobleman is usually called a fief. A benefice is distinct from an allod, in that an allod is property owned outright, not bestowed for a period by a higher authority.
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