Article III: Of Suspension

§ 1. Suspension is a censure by which a cleric is prohibited from office or benefice or both.

§ 2. The effects of suspension can also be separated; but, unless another thing is established, in a suspension borne generally are comprehended all effects which are enumerated in the canons of this article; on the contrary, in suspension from office or from benefice, only all the effects of either species.

§ 1. Suspension from office simply, with no limitation added, forbids every act both of the power of order and jurisdiction, and also of mere administration competent from office, except the administration of the goods of one's own benefice.

§ 2. Suspension:

1° From jurisdiction generally, forbids every act of the power of jurisdiction for each forum, both ordinary and delegated.

2° From divine things, every act of the power of order which one obtains either through sacred ordination or through privilege.

3° From orders, every act of the power of order received through ordination.

4° From sacred orders, every act of the power of order received through ordination in sacred orders.

5° From exercising a certain and defined order, every act of the designated order; moreover the suspended person is further prohibited from conferring the same order and receiving a higher one and exercising one received after suspension.

6° From conferring a certain and defined order, to confer that order itself, but not an inferior or superior one.

7° From a certain and defined ministry, e.g., of hearing confessions, or office, e.g., with care of souls, every act of the same ministry or office.

8° From pontifical order, every act of the power of episcopal order.

9° From pontificals, the exercise of pontifical acts, according to the norm of can. 337, Sec. 2.

§ 1. Suspension from benefice deprives of the fruits of the benefice, except habitation in the benefice buildings, but not of the right of administering the benefice goods, unless the decree or sentence of suspension expressly takes away from the suspended person the power itself of administering and attributes it to another.

§ 2. If, although the censure obstructs, the beneficiary receives the fruits, he must restore the fruits and can be compelled to this restitution also by canonical sanctions, if there is need.

Suspension borne generally, or suspension from office or from benefice, affects all offices or benefices which the cleric has in the diocese of the suspending Superior, unless another thing appears.

The local Ordinary cannot suspend a cleric from a determined office or benefice which is found in another diocese; but a latae sententiae suspension imposed by common law affects all offices or benefices possessed in whatever diocese.

The things established concerning excommunication in can. 2265 are also to be applied to suspension.

If the censure of suspension has been incurred which forbids administration of Sacraments and Sacramentals, the prescription of can. 2261 is to be observed; if the censure of suspension which prohibits an act of jurisdiction in the forum, whether internal or external, the act is invalid, e.g., sacramental absolution, if a condemnatory or declaratory sentence has been borne, or the Superior expressly declares that he revokes the power itself of jurisdiction; otherwise it is only illicit, unless it has been sought by the faithful according to the norm of the aforementioned can. 2261, Sec. 2.

§ 1. If a community or college of clerics has committed a delict, suspension can be borne either against individual delinquent persons or against the community as such, or against the delinquent persons and the community.

§ 2. If the first, the canons of this article are to be observed.

§ 3. If the second, the community is prohibited from the exercise of the spiritual rights which belong to it as a community.

§ 4. If the third, the effects are accumulated.