Chapter II: Of Confessors and Chaplains

§ 1. In individual houses of a clerical religion, several confessors legitimately approved are to be deputed according to the number of members, with the power, if there is question of an exempt religion, of absolving even from cases reserved in the religion.

§ 2. Religious Superiors having the power of hearing confessions can, with those things to be observed by law observed, hear the confessions of subjects who ask this from them spontaneously and of their own motion, but without a grave cause they are not to do this by way of habit.

§ 3. Superiors are to beware lest they themselves, by themselves or through another, induce any subject by force, fear, importunate persuasions, or any other means to confess sins before themselves.

With constitutions remaining firm which command or advise confession to be made at fixed times before determined confessors, if a religious, even an exempt one, for the quiet of his conscience approaches a confessor approved by the local Ordinary, even one not listed among those designated, the confession, any contrary privilege being revoked, is valid and licit, and the confessor can absolve the religious even from sins and censures reserved in the religion.

§ 1. To individual houses of religious women let only one ordinary confessor be given, who is to receive the sacramental confessions of the whole community, unless because of their great number or another just cause there is need of another or several.

§ 2. If some religious woman, for the quiet of her soul and for greater progress in the way of God, asks for some special confessor or spiritual director, the Ordinary is readily to grant him; he is nevertheless to watch lest abuses creep in from this concession; but if they have crept in, he is to eliminate them cautiously and prudently, with liberty of conscience preserved.

§ 1. To each community of religious women let there be given an extraordinary confessor who at least four times in the year comes to the religious house and to whom all the religious women must present themselves, at least to receive a blessing.

§ 2. Ordinaries of places in which communities of religious women exist are to designate several priests for individual houses, to whom those women can easily have recourse for the sacrament of penance in particular cases, without it being necessary to approach the Ordinary himself as often as needed.

§ 3. If some religious woman seeks one of those confessors, it is lawful for no Superior, neither by herself nor through others, neither directly nor indirectly, to inquire into the reason for the petition, to oppose the petition by words or deeds, or in any way to show that she bears it with displeasure.

If, notwithstanding the prescription of canons 520, 521, some religious woman, for the tranquility of her conscience, approaches a confessor approved by the local Ordinary for women, the confession made in any church or oratory, even semi-public, is valid and licit, any contrary privilege being revoked; nor can the Superior prohibit this or inquire into that matter, not even indirectly; and religious women are held to report nothing to the Superior.

All religious women, when they are gravely ill, even though danger of death is absent, can summon any priest approved for receiving the confessions of women, even one not destined for religious, and, while the grave infirmity endures, confess to him as often as they wish; nor can the Superior prohibit them either directly or indirectly.

§ 1. To the office of confessor of religious women, both ordinary and extraordinary, there are to be deputed priests, whether from the secular clergy or religious with the license of Superiors, outstanding in integrity of morals and prudence; furthermore they are to be forty years of age, unless a just cause, in the judgment of the Ordinary, requires otherwise, and they are to have no power over the same religious women in the external forum.

§ 2. An ordinary confessor cannot be named extraordinary, nor, except for the cases listed in can. 526, again be deputed ordinary in the same community, unless after a year from the completed office; but an extraordinary can immediately be named as ordinary.

§ 3. Confessors of religious women, both ordinary and extraordinary, are in no way to involve themselves in the internal or external governance of the community.

If a house of religious women is immediately subject to the Apostolic See or to the local Ordinary, the latter chooses priests for confessions, both ordinary and extraordinary; if it is subject to a regular Superior, this Superior presents confessors to the Ordinary, whose office it is to approve the same for hearing the confessions of those nuns and, if need be, to supply for the negligence of the Superior.

The ordinary confessor of religious women is not to exercise his office beyond three years; nevertheless the Ordinary can confirm him for a second, indeed even for a third, three-year period, if either because of a scarcity of priests suitable for this office he cannot provide otherwise, or the greater part of the religious women, including those who in other affairs do not have the right of casting a vote, has agreed by secret votes to the confirmation of the same confessor; nevertheless for dissenters, if they wish, provision is to be made otherwise.

The local Ordinary, according to the norm of can. 880, can, for a grave cause, remove a confessor of religious women, whether ordinary or extraordinary, even if the monastery is subject to regulars and the priest for confessions himself is a regular; nor is he held to disclose the cause of removal to anyone, except to the Apostolic See if it is requested by it; moreover he must advise the regular Superior concerning the removal if the nuns are subject to regulars.

Also in lay religions of men, according to the norm of can. 874, Sec. 1, 875, Sec. 2, an ordinary and extraordinary confessor is to be deputed; and if a religious asks for some special confessor, the Superior is to grant him, in no way inquiring into the reason for the petition nor showing that he bears it with displeasure.

If there is question of non-exempt lay religions, it is for the local Ordinary to designate a priest for sacred rites and to approve one for sermons; if of exempt religions, the regular Superior designates those same priests and the Ordinary supplies for his negligence.

§ 1. All religious Superiors are strictly forbidden to induce persons subject to them in any way to make a manifestation of conscience to themselves.

§ 2. Nevertheless subjects are not prohibited from being able freely and voluntarily to open their soul to Superiors; indeed it is expedient that they themselves approach Superiors with filial confidence, and to them, if they are priests, also set forth the doubts and anxieties of their conscience.