Cure of souls

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In some denominations of Christianity, the cure of souls (Latin cura animarum), an archaic ranslation which is better rendered today as "care of souls," is the exercise by a priest of their office. This typically embraces instruction, by sermons and admonitions, and administration of sacraments, to the congregation over which they have authority from the church.

In England, those who were given the Cure of Souls by the Bishop, were styled "Curates", which included "Rectors" where the tithe income of the Benefice remained intact (the Great Tithes), "Vicars" who enjoyed only a proportion of the Tithe income (the Little Tithes), due to the fact that a Monastery was the Rector – and they supplied a Priest to act on their behalf (vicariously – hence ‘vicar’), and Perpetual Curates, whose Parishes had been carved out of larger Parishes (either Rectoral or Vicarious). In the Church of England by the late 1800s, Perpetual Curates were styled “Vicars”. The three titles denoted “Incumbents” who were “immovable Parish Priests”. In other words, it was a permanent position.

The term “Curate”, in common use in England, is used to denote a person who is actually an “Assistant Curate” – and assistant Priest or Deacon, who does not have the Cure of Souls, but assists in such cure.