Paper short abstract:

Using the example of religious fraternities in early modern Moravia, the paper reflects on the role of clergy as their representatives of the fraternity in confrontation with the activities resulting from the primary role of the priest concerned.

Paper long abstract:

One of the constitutive functions of religious confraternities from their very beginning, and even more so in the early modern period, was funeral service. Rather than the necessary functions of provision and burial itself, this is about everything else, the extra. This includes the registration of the deceased members of the fraternities as a necessary condition for commemoration, but also the presentation of the fraternity itself, as well as the actual form of the funeral with the participation of the fraternity or even fraternities, including the eventual deposition. Using the example of religious fraternities in Moravia between ca. 1490 and 1850, the paper reflects on the role of clergy as representatives of fraternities, implementers of spiritual functions resulting from participation in the running of the fraternity (i.e. functions that are particularly paid) in confrontation with the activities resulting from the primary role of the priest concerned (member of the religious community, parish priest, assistant priest).