The Revival Of The Office Of Vidame Today
As the office of the Vidame is a venerable ecclesiastical office, the honorable title of Vidame maybe granted canonically i.e., in accordance with canon law, to deserving Christians by bishops possessing valid Apostolic Succession. A bishop may restore this ancient honorable office if he so pleases.
The Revival of the Office and Title of Vidame.
We, The Most Reverend Valdiveso Paschal Matthews, in ecclesia, Tau Mikael III Basilides, by the grace of the Eternal, Metropolitan Catholicos of The Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, Sovereign Catholicate of the Inland Seas, following the ancient custom of Our August Predecessors in the One Undivided Church in accordance with Article 50 of the Council of Mayence (813 A.D) and the canons and traditions of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, hereby declare:
Article the First: The Office of the Metropolitan Catholicos possesses the Episcopal prerogative to and shall there by grant the ecclesiastical title and office of Vidame or Vidamesse in four degrees, in accordance with the canons and needs of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar.
The Office and Title of Vidame shall be granted as a hereditary (transmissible) or life (personal) title. Within the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, the office and title of Vidame is recognized as an ecclesiastical chivalric office and an ecclesiastical noble title. This office and title may be bestowed by any, any combination of, or all of the following:
Taking an oath of fidelity (All members)
Letters Patent (All members)
A Chivalric Accolade (All members)
A medal (Knight Commander, Knight Grand Cross, Prince Grand Master)
By the presentation of a ring (Knight Grand Cross, Prince Grand Master)
Grand Master – Sovereign Prince (hereditary)
Knight Grand Cross (hereditary)
Knight Commander (personal/life)
Knight (personal/life)
Knight Banneret (personal/life)
As the office of the Vidame is a venerable ecclesiastical office, the honorable title of Vidame maybe granted canonically i.e., in accordance with canon law, to deserving Christians by bishops possessing valid Apostolic Succession. A bishop may restore this ancient honorable office if he so pleases.
The Revival of the Office and Title of Vidame.
We, The Most Reverend Valdiveso Paschal Matthews, in ecclesia, Tau Mikael III Basilides, by the grace of the Eternal, Metropolitan Catholicos of The Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, Sovereign Catholicate of the Inland Seas, following the ancient custom of Our August Predecessors in the One Undivided Church in accordance with Article 50 of the Council of Mayence (813 A.D) and the canons and traditions of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, hereby declare:
Article the First: The Office of the Metropolitan Catholicos possesses the Episcopal prerogative to and shall there by grant the ecclesiastical title and office of Vidame or Vidamesse in four degrees, in accordance with the canons and needs of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar.
The Office and Title of Vidame shall be granted as a hereditary (transmissible) or life (personal) title. Within the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, the office and title of Vidame is recognized as an ecclesiastical chivalric office and an ecclesiastical noble title. This office and title may be bestowed by any, any combination of, or all of the following:
Taking an oath of fidelity (All members)
Letters Patent (All members)
A Chivalric Accolade (All members)
A medal (Knight Commander, Knight Grand Cross, Prince Grand Master)
By the presentation of a ring (Knight Grand Cross, Prince Grand Master)
Grand Master – Sovereign Prince (hereditary)
Knight Grand Cross (hereditary)
Knight Commander (personal/life)
Knight (personal/life)
Knight Banneret (personal/life)
Knight Bachelor (personal/life)
Squire (renews)
Page (renews)
Companion (renews)
A) The Vidame of the First Degree shall be a Vidame Paladin, which title is bestowed and held at the pleasure of the Office of Metropolitan Catholicos of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, or Our duly appointed agents; the prenominal title being “His Serene Highness” for males and “Her Serene Highness” for females; The Office and Title of Vidame Paladin shall only be held by Prince or Princess Grand Masters of ecclesiastical chivalric orders founded by The Office of the Metropolitan Catholicos of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar. The Office and Title of Vidame Paladin is the only office/title of Vidame that may be non-initiatic and yet hold a Damcaran noble title, that of Abeto or Prince/ss. This title must be bestowed/granted by taking an oath of fidelity, Letters Patent, a Chivalric Accolade, presentation and acceptance of a medal, and presentation and acceptance of a ring. A Prince Grand Master is a Vidame Paladin.
B) The Vidame of the Second Degree shall be a Vidame Castellan, which is bestowed and held at the pleasure of The Office of the Metropolitan Catholicos of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, or Our duly appointed agents; the prenominal title being “Lord” for males and “Lady” for females, and the post nominal being those of the Order to which the Knight belongs. This title must be bestowed by taking an oath of fidelity, Letters Patent, a Chivalric Accolade, and presentation and acceptance of a medal. A Knight Grand Cross and a Knight Commander are Vidame Castellans.
C) The Vidame of the Third Degree shall be a Vidame Defensor, which is bestowed and held at the pleasure of The Office of Metropolitan Catholicos of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, or Our duly appointed agents; the prenominal title being “Sir” for males and “Syr” or “Dame” for females, and the post nominal being those of the Order to which the Knight belongs. This title must be bestowed by taking an oath of fidelity, the presentation and acceptance of Letters Patent, and receiving a Chivalric Accolade.
Squire (renews)
Page (renews)
Companion (renews)
A) The Vidame of the First Degree shall be a Vidame Paladin, which title is bestowed and held at the pleasure of the Office of Metropolitan Catholicos of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, or Our duly appointed agents; the prenominal title being “His Serene Highness” for males and “Her Serene Highness” for females; The Office and Title of Vidame Paladin shall only be held by Prince or Princess Grand Masters of ecclesiastical chivalric orders founded by The Office of the Metropolitan Catholicos of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar. The Office and Title of Vidame Paladin is the only office/title of Vidame that may be non-initiatic and yet hold a Damcaran noble title, that of Abeto or Prince/ss. This title must be bestowed/granted by taking an oath of fidelity, Letters Patent, a Chivalric Accolade, presentation and acceptance of a medal, and presentation and acceptance of a ring. A Prince Grand Master is a Vidame Paladin.
B) The Vidame of the Second Degree shall be a Vidame Castellan, which is bestowed and held at the pleasure of The Office of the Metropolitan Catholicos of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, or Our duly appointed agents; the prenominal title being “Lord” for males and “Lady” for females, and the post nominal being those of the Order to which the Knight belongs. This title must be bestowed by taking an oath of fidelity, Letters Patent, a Chivalric Accolade, and presentation and acceptance of a medal. A Knight Grand Cross and a Knight Commander are Vidame Castellans.
C) The Vidame of the Third Degree shall be a Vidame Defensor, which is bestowed and held at the pleasure of The Office of Metropolitan Catholicos of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, or Our duly appointed agents; the prenominal title being “Sir” for males and “Syr” or “Dame” for females, and the post nominal being those of the Order to which the Knight belongs. This title must be bestowed by taking an oath of fidelity, the presentation and acceptance of Letters Patent, and receiving a Chivalric Accolade.
A Knight and a Knight Banneret are Vidame Defensors.
D) The Vidame of the Fourth Degree shall be a Vidame Advocate, which is bestowed and held at the pleasure of The Office of Metropolitan Catholicos of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, or Our duly appointed agents; the prenominal title being “Sir” for males and “Syr” or “Dame” for females for Knight Bachelors, and “Frater” for males and “Soror” for females, and the post nominal being those of the Order to which the Knight belongs. This title must be bestowed by taking an oath of fidelity, and the presentation and acceptance of Letters Patent. A Knight Bachelor, a Squire, a Page and a Companion are Vidame Advocates.
Article the Second: The hereditary title of Vidame is transmissible to all the legitimate male or female descendants in the lineage of the Vidame or Vidamesse. The life title of Vidame is not transmissible.
Article the Third: Thus the spouse and the children of a hereditary Vidame or Vidamesse bear legitimately the same title of Vidame or Vidamesse hereditarily for their children.
Article the Fourth: This Office and Title is awarded to the deserving defenders and/or supporters of the Church of Jesus Christ and the Christian Faith. These persons are chosen by decree by the Office of the Metropolitan Catholicos of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, or Our duly appointed agents.
Article the Fifth: The title of nobility of Vidame or Vidamesse is attached to the patronymic or matronymic surname.
Article the Sixth: As an Armiger, the Vidame or Vidamesse of the First, Second and Third Degrees has the right to use and to have on their armorial bearings the traditional coronet of a Vidame: A gold circle decorated with pearls and precious stones, surmounted by four crosses, three being visible.
Article the Seventh: The Vidame/ Vidamesse is a direct vassal, i.e. agent, of the Lord Bishop, as an Episcopal Paladin, Castellan, Defensor or Advocate , and as such, the Vidame/ Vidamesse takes an oath of fidelity to the Lord Bishop, and by the presentation of, and accepting of, a ring, a medal, a Chivalric Accolade, and/or a Letters Patent, contingent upon the custom of any particular order established by The Office of the Metropolitan Catholicos of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, The Vidame or Vidamesse is ennobled. While some Vidames will receive hereditary appointments and others life appointments, all Vidames serve at the pleasure of the Office of the Metropolitan Catholicos of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, and may be removed for bringing disrepute to their office and title, their Order or the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar.
D) The Vidame of the Fourth Degree shall be a Vidame Advocate, which is bestowed and held at the pleasure of The Office of Metropolitan Catholicos of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, or Our duly appointed agents; the prenominal title being “Sir” for males and “Syr” or “Dame” for females for Knight Bachelors, and “Frater” for males and “Soror” for females, and the post nominal being those of the Order to which the Knight belongs. This title must be bestowed by taking an oath of fidelity, and the presentation and acceptance of Letters Patent. A Knight Bachelor, a Squire, a Page and a Companion are Vidame Advocates.
Article the Second: The hereditary title of Vidame is transmissible to all the legitimate male or female descendants in the lineage of the Vidame or Vidamesse. The life title of Vidame is not transmissible.
Article the Third: Thus the spouse and the children of a hereditary Vidame or Vidamesse bear legitimately the same title of Vidame or Vidamesse hereditarily for their children.
Article the Fourth: This Office and Title is awarded to the deserving defenders and/or supporters of the Church of Jesus Christ and the Christian Faith. These persons are chosen by decree by the Office of the Metropolitan Catholicos of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, or Our duly appointed agents.
Article the Fifth: The title of nobility of Vidame or Vidamesse is attached to the patronymic or matronymic surname.
Article the Sixth: As an Armiger, the Vidame or Vidamesse of the First, Second and Third Degrees has the right to use and to have on their armorial bearings the traditional coronet of a Vidame: A gold circle decorated with pearls and precious stones, surmounted by four crosses, three being visible.
Article the Seventh: The Vidame/ Vidamesse is a direct vassal, i.e. agent, of the Lord Bishop, as an Episcopal Paladin, Castellan, Defensor or Advocate , and as such, the Vidame/ Vidamesse takes an oath of fidelity to the Lord Bishop, and by the presentation of, and accepting of, a ring, a medal, a Chivalric Accolade, and/or a Letters Patent, contingent upon the custom of any particular order established by The Office of the Metropolitan Catholicos of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, The Vidame or Vidamesse is ennobled. While some Vidames will receive hereditary appointments and others life appointments, all Vidames serve at the pleasure of the Office of the Metropolitan Catholicos of the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar, and may be removed for bringing disrepute to their office and title, their Order or the Oriental Apostolic Church of Damcar.
