canon (priest)

A canon (from the Latin canonicus, itself derived from the Greek κανωνικος 'relating to a rule') is a priest who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule (canon).Originally, a canon was a cleric living with others in a clergyhouse or, later, in one of the houses within the precinct or close of a cathedral and ordering his life according to the orders or rules of the church. This way of life began to become common (and be referred to in manuscripts) in the eighth century. In the eleventh century, some churches required clergy thus living together to adopt the rule first proposed by Saint Augustine that they renounce private property. Those who embraced this change were known as Augustinian or regular canons, whilst those who did not were known as secular canons.
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