Chapter X: Of Parochial Vicars

§ 1. If a parish shall have been united by full right to a religious house, a capitular church, or another moral person, a vicar must be constituted who conducts the actual care of souls, with a suitable portion of the fruits assigned to him at the discretion of the Bishop.

§ 2. Excepting the case both of a legitimate privilege or custom, and of the endowment of a vicarage made by the Bishop with free nomination reserved to himself, the religious Superior, Chapter, or other moral person presents the vicar; but the local Ordinary, if he has found him suitable, with the prescription of can. 459 observed, is to institute him.

§ 3. If the vicar is a religious, he is removable as is a religious pastor of whom in can. 454, Sec. 5; all other vicars, on the part of the one presenting, are perpetual, but by the Ordinary can be removed after the manner of pastors, the one who presented having been notified.

§ 4. To the vicar exclusively belongs the whole care of souls with all the rights and obligations of pastors according to the norm of common law and according to approved diocesan statutes or laudable customs.

When a parish is vacant:

1° The local Ordinary is to constitute in it as soon as possible a suitable vicar econome, with the consent of the Superior if there is question of a religious, who is to govern it during the time of vacancy, with a part of the fruits assigned to him for suitable support.

2° Before the constitution of the econome, unless provision has otherwise been made, the cooperator vicar meanwhile is to assume the governance of the parish; if there are several vicars, the first; if all are equal, the older in office; if vicars are lacking, the nearer pastor; if finally there is question of a parish entrusted to religious, the Superior of the house; but the local Ordinary, in Synod or outside Synod, is to determine in good time which parish is to be considered nearer to each parish.

3° The one who has assumed governance of the parish according to the norm of n. 2 must immediately make the local Ordinary more certain concerning the vacancy of the parish.

§ 1. A vicar econome enjoys the same rights and is bound by the same duties as a pastor in those things which regard the care of souls; nevertheless it is not lawful for him to do anything in the parish which could bring prejudice to the rights of the pastor or of the parochial benefice.

§ 2. The econome is to hand over to the new pastor or successor econome, in the presence of the vicar forane or another priest designated by the Ordinary, the key of the archive and the inventory of books and documents and of other things which pertain to the parish, and is to render an account of receipts and expenditures during the time of administration.

The substitute vicar who is constituted according to the norm of can. 465, Secs. 4, 5, and can. 1923, Sec. 2, holds the place of the pastor in all things which regard the care of souls, unless the local Ordinary or the pastor has excepted something.

§ 1. If a pastor by reason of old age, defect of mind, inexperience, blindness, or another permanent cause has become unequal to carrying out his duties rightly, the local Ordinary is to give him an assistant vicar, presented by the Superior if there is question of a parish entrusted to religious, who is to supply his place, with a suitable portion of the fruits assigned to him, unless provision has otherwise been made.

§ 2. To the assistant, if he supplies the place of the pastor in all things, belong all the rights and offices proper to pastors, except the application of Mass for the people, which burdens the pastor; but if he supplies only in part, his rights and obligations are to be taken from the letters of deputation.

§ 3. If the pastor is self-possessed, the assistant must furnish his labor under the authority of the same according to the letters of the Ordinary.

§ 4. But if through an assistant vicar provision cannot be made for the good of souls, there is place for the removal of the pastor according to the norm of canons 2147-2161.

§ 1. If a pastor, because of the multitude of the people or other causes, cannot, in the judgment of the Ordinary, alone conduct suitable care of the parish, there is to be given to him one or more cooperator vicars, to whom suitable remuneration is to be assigned.

§ 2. Cooperator vicars can be constituted either for the whole parish or for a determined part of the parish.

§ 3. Not to the pastor, but to the local Ordinary, after the pastor has been heard, belongs the right of naming cooperator vicars from the secular clergy.

§ 4. The Superior to whom this belongs from the constitutions presents religious cooperator vicars, after the pastor has been heard, to the Ordinary, whose office it is to approve the same.

§ 5. A cooperator vicar is held by the obligation of residing in the parish according to diocesan statutes or laudable customs or the prescription of the Bishop; indeed the Ordinary is prudently to take care, according to the norm of can. 134, that he dwell in the same parochial house.

§ 6. His rights and obligations are to be taken from diocesan statutes, from the letters of the Ordinary, and from the commission of the pastor himself; but, unless something else is expressly provided, by reason of office he must supply the place of the pastor and assist him in the whole parochial ministry, except the application of Mass for the people.

§ 7. He is subject to the pastor, who is to instruct and direct him paternally in the care of souls, watch over him, and at least yearly report concerning him to the Ordinary.

§ 8. If not even through cooperator vicars can the spiritual good of the faithful be duly provided for, the Bishop is to provide according to the norm of can. 1427.

§ 1. Parochial vicars of whom in canons 472-476, if they are religious, can be removed according to the norm of can. 454, Sec. 5; otherwise at the will of the Bishop or Capitular Vicar, but not of the Vicar General without a special mandate.

§ 2. But if the vicarage is beneficial, the cooperator vicar can be removed by a process according to the norm of law, not only for the causes on account of which other pastors can be removed, but also if he has gravely failed in the subjection owed to the pastor in the exercise of his functions.

§ 1. Just as the pastor of the cathedral church, so the parochial vicar of the cathedral Chapter precedes all other pastors or vicars of the diocese; but the right of precedence of economes is governed by the norms established in can. 106.

§ 2. Substitute and assistant vicars precede, while they remain in office, cooperator vicars; these precede other priests attached to the parochial church.