in canon law, commendam (or in commendam) was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice "in trust" to the "custody" of a patron. the phrase "in commendam" was originally applied to the provisional occupation of an ecclesiastical benefice, which was temporarily without an actual occupant, in contrast to the conferral of a title, "in titulum", which was applied to the regular and unconditional occupation of a benefice.